The Supportive Benefits of Group Therapy

Determining a treatment plan for your mental health and addiction recovery is not always a straightforward process. Sometimes, it requires time and patience to determine the right programs that will most benefit you. As always, the first point of contact should be your doctor. They can help you by providing resources to treatment programs, outpatient programs, and more. Having a supportive environment, such as the one group therapy can provide, could be the first step in getting on track to better mental health.

Beginning Group Therapy

Group therapy is often talked about as being a supportive environment where you can learn to challenge yourself. You listen to fellow peers and learn from the therapist how to better cope with and manage your symptoms. However, it can be intimidating to start a group therapy program. If you do not know what group therapy program will work best for you, then it may be a challenge to push yourself into something you may not feel ready or right for.

Group therapy can have many supportive benefits. Choosing a program that will suit your needs will help you live a healthier and happier life. Programs offered by Alter Wellness Care can help you in the process of choosing a group therapy program that will work for you.

How to Choose a Group Therapy Program

When choosing a group therapy program, it is important to first reach out to your doctor, licensed mental health counselor, or psychiatrist. They can give you appropriate treatment options tailored to your needs. Certain medical conditions require the use of specialized therapies, while addiction recovery also requires a different form of therapy treatment. Regardless of which therapy group you choose, you can always try a few to see what feels right for your specific case.

Types of Group Therapy

There are many different types of group therapy programs that can benefit you. These groups provide a supportive environment in which you can share your story. You can also learn about others and get the skills you need to feel better. Learning more about them can be a helpful way to take the first step into group therapy.

Various forms of group therapy include:

#1. Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the kind of group therapy that can help you learn skills to cope with anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. The concept of CBT leads to challenging your thinking. Your thoughts and beliefs may inspire behaviors that can have an impact on how you deal with everyday situations.

CBT is a form of psychotherapy. Today it remains the gold standard for psychotherapy. It can help make a major difference when done in a group setting. CBT teaches you the skills to cope with anxiety as well as challenge behaviors that may make you feel depressed. 

CBT groups are led by a psychotherapist. They teach you and your peers the skills to challenge “faulty thinking,” or thinking that leads to destructive behaviors. The group is a supportive collection of people. They can inspire you with different ways to cope with and manage your symptoms.

#2. Support Group Therapy

When participating in support group therapy, you may find that sharing your story is an effective way to cope with your mental health symptoms. Support groups teach you interpersonal skills while a therapist leads a group discussion. Peers in your group share their stories and are supportive and open to hearing your own.

If you would like to learn more collaborative problem-solving skills, support groups may be a great way to do this. Support groups are effective in treating substance use disorder (SUD). They also help with severe mental health disorders, such as depression and schizophrenia.

#3. Skill Development Groups

Led by a licensed mental health counselor, skill development groups are run by a flexible model which the therapist can adjust to meet the needs of those in the group. The skills taught in this group include learning how to cope with and manage your mental health. It also encourages more group interaction in which you have the chance to learn from one another.

#4. Interpersonal Process Groups

This kind of group therapy is trauma-focused. You will learn how to process childhood traumas or recent traumas through learning effective interpersonal skills. Guided by a therapist, this group will help you learn the causes of the emotions that may lead to destructive behaviors. 

Interpersonal groups also teach you how to process traumas in a way that gives you relief from your overall mental health symptoms. Interactive discussion leads to a supportive environment in which you do not have to face the trauma alone. This type of group therapy is effective for those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other trauma-related mental health disorders.

#5. Psychoeducational Group Therapy

This kind of group therapy takes a more relaxed approach to dealing with challenging mental health symptoms. It acts as an educational group to inform members about mental health and how certain behaviors can affect daily life. This group aims to teach you the consequences of behaviors that are caused by mental health symptoms and how to better cope with and manage those symptoms.

The Bottom Line

Group therapy has many different options. The decision to attend and be involved in group therapy should not be taken lightly, however, do not pressure yourself. If you feel ready or want to be involved in the kind of psychotherapy that involves social interaction, group therapy may be right for you.

It is essential to reach out to mental health clinics like Alter Wellness Care to discuss your options.

Are you experiencing a mental health condition or need help with addiction? Do you feel as though there is nowhere to turn? The medical experts at Alter Wellness Care can help you by providing resources to their outpatient programs. We offer group therapy programs that range from expert CBT and DBT programs to traditional group therapy. If you are looking for a supportive environment to reach your goals and learn new skills to cope with and manage your symptoms, Alter Wellness is here to help you. To learn more about our programs and options that will work for you, call us today at (866) 311-3510. We are here to help.