Group Therapy
- Emotional Regulation Group
- Grief/Loss Group
- Caretaker Process Group
- Divorce/Parenting Group
- Mindfulness Group
- LGBTQ Group
- Sexual Assault Group
- Blended Families/Couples Group
- Positive Interactions (Social Skills) Group
- Juvenile Offender Group
*Please contact Birchwood Therapeutic Services to verify if the group you desire is currently in session
What should I expect?
Group therapy involves one or more therapists who lead a group of roughly three to eight clients. Typically, groups meet for an hour each week. Some people attend individual therapy in addition to groups, while others participate in groups only.
Many groups are designed to target a specific problem, such as depression, anxiety, chronic pain, or grief. Other groups focus more generally on improving social skills, helping people deal with a range of issues such as anger, mindfulness, loneliness and low self-esteem.
Benefits of a group
Joining a group of strangers may sound intimidating at first, but group therapy provides benefits that individual therapy may not. Mental Health Professionals say, in fact, that group members are almost always surprised by how rewarding the group experience can be.
Groups can act as a support network and a sounding board. Other members of the group often help you come up with specific ideas for improving a difficult situation or life challenge, and hold you accountable along the way.
Regularly talking and listening to others also helps you put your own problems in perspective. Many people experience mental health difficulties, but few speak openly about them to people they don’t know well. Oftentimes, you may feel like you are the only one struggling — but you’re not. It can be a relief to hear others discuss what they’re going through, and realize you’re not alone.
More than support
While group members are a valuable source of support, formal group therapy sessions offer benefits beyond informal self-help and support groups. Group therapy sessions are led by one or more therapists with specialized training who teach group members proven strategies for managing specific problems. If you’re involved in an anger-management group, for instance, your therapist will describe scientifically tested strategies for controlling anger. This guidance can help you make the most of your group therapy experience.