The Ins and Outs of Group Therapy
Some Alabama residents may see the words group therapy and feel excited, while others may see group therapy and think “Absolutely never!” In this blog post, I hope to explain some of the benefits of group therapy, as well as some circumstances where group therapy might not be for you. Additionally, I hope to help potential clients understand what to expect from groups at Upward Behavioral Health.
Benefits of Group Therapy
Research reveals several benefits of group therapy. We often strive to only reveal what we see as our best selves to others, so we often end up feeling very alone in our struggles. A quick scroll through Facebook or Instagram may leave you believing that everyone else in Alabama is living their absolute best life, while you are struggling to sleep at night, feeling depressed and anxious. As therapists, we have sat with many clients who are feeling this way and know how common these struggles actually are. We also know that many clients do not know how many others feel this way. There is something hugely therapeutic about knowing you are not alone, even before group leaders dive into ways to address your problem. A second benefit is the opportunity to learn from both group leaders and other group members. Perhaps you have set a goal for the week of doing something enjoyable. You know you used to enjoy drawing but feel so overwhelmed you don’t even know how to get started. But another group member happens to know that an artist offers a Facebook Live draw-along class every afternoon. You suddenly realize that following this video sounds doable. Another benefit is positive peer pressure. You hate the idea of setting your alarm and getting outside first thing in the morning, even though you do appreciate the research saying it will help both your sleep schedule and your mood. You’re very tempted to just return next week and say you couldn’t do it, but you would hate to be the only attendee who didn’t do their homework. Well, little did you know, every other group member was also thinking that, and now you’ve all made progress! We have also seen repeatedly that every single member of a group will have good weeks and bad weeks. Some weeks you may be encouraging others with the great progress you made, and other weeks you will really benefit from the support of the group to get back on track. On a practical note, therapists are able to offer group sessions at a lower cost to each member. Our Upward group plans of care are one-half the cost of individual plans, making them accessible to a much larger number of Alabama residents.
How Does Group Therapy Work at Upward?
At Upward, we offer Cognitive Behavioral Therapy groups for Alabamians with insomnia, anxiety, and depression. These small groups are distinct from our community classes on sleep for new and expectant parents and for CPAP desensitization, which will be discussed in a future post. You may have expectations for what the group will be like based on previous group therapy experiences or even group therapy that you’ve seen on TV. There are several types of group therapy, including support groups, process-oriented groups, psychoeducation groups, skills-focused groups, and CBT groups. Some groups may be open, drop-in groups, where new members can join at any time. Others may be ongoing but open to new members at particular times. Others are closed groups, in which a cohort of group members all start and work together for a time-limited goal. At Upward, we offer closed groups; thus, a group of 6-10 clients start and end together. We work through a sequence of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy strategies that are known to be effective for clients with insomnia, anxiety, or depression. Our CBT-Depression and CBT-Anxiety groups are 12 weeks, and our CBT-Insomnia group is 6 weeks. Although getting together to vent may initially feel good, research tells us that it ultimately does not lead to improvement in symptoms. Each group session will involve a review of homework from the previous week, discussion of new skills to help you feel better, and plans for out-of-session practice the next week. Although you will be asked to discuss your challenges and plans for change, you will not be asked to discuss intimate details of past trauma, your relationships, etc.
Who is a good match for Group Therapy?
How can you know if a small group is right for you? A key piece of confirming that group is a good choice is a comprehensive diagnostic intake with an Upward psychologist. For example, we know that CBT-Insomnia is the gold standard treatment–for insomnia. It would not be appropriate if the real sleep problem is narcolepsy, and a thorough intake will ensure we’ve correctly determined your diagnosis and treatment plan. The importance of confidentiality is discussed with all potential group members at intake and again at the initial group session. If we learn that a group member has violated confidentiality, then they are removed from the group. However, group members are not held to the same legal and ethical standards of group therapists, and we cannot absolutely guarantee that another group member will not reveal your identity outside the group. If you have reasons that this risk is too great for you, then an individual plan of care will be a better choice. If you’re simply feeling unsure about participating in a group, we encourage you to try it. Many clients find that they benefit greatly from the experience and are really glad they chose to do it.
What about telehealth groups? The COVID-19 pandemic helped Alabamians gain significantly more experience with telehealth, and therapists all over the world were able to practice the art and science of telehealth groups. Thankfully we now have some great research showing that groups offered by telehealth are just as effective as groups held in person. What can clients expect from a telehealth group? The same material is covered in a telehealth group as in an in-person group, but participants will join a secure video link. Telehealth makes our groups accessible to individuals all over Alabama, rather than just in the Birmingham metro area. Just as with an in-person group, privacy and confidentiality are key considerations. Group members must be in a private location, without other family or friends in earshot. We ask that no group member record the session, and we will remove a group member if we learn they were recording. A potential benefit of telehealth groups is that we can mix clients from different geographic areas to increase privacy. If we have a group of 10 clients from the Birmingham area attending a depression group, there is some chance you may know another attendee personally. But if we mix clients from Hoover, Huntsville, Florence, Montgomery, Dothan, Anniston, and Gadsden, the odds that two attendees will have a personal relationship is greatly reduced.
We hope that this post has answered some questions you may have about our small groups! Please reach out for a free 15-minute consultation to learn more about our groups and other offerings and to schedule a full intake session.