OAK LEAVES FAMILY SERVICE
COLUMN - SEPTEMBER, 1998
My daughter told me about a friend of hers
who just started group therapy to work on some emotional problems she's
been having. How can group therapy be as beneficial as individual psychotherapy?
Group psychotherapy, like individual psychotherapy, is intended to help
people cope with personal difficulties and problems. While both types of
psychotherapy have the same aim, they go about it in a different fashion.
In individual therapy, the client is meeting with only one person (the psychotherapist);
in group therapy the meeting is with a group of individuals and one or two
therapists (frequently referred to as the leaders or facilitators of the
group).
To learn more about group psychotherapy,
check out these resources:
- Illinois Group Psychotherapy Association -- (773) 665-9677
- Self Help and Mutual Aid Groups/Mental Health Association in
Illinois -- (312) 368-9070
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The popularity of group psychotherapy is growing. It provides help less
expensively than individual therapy at a time when more and more people
are interested in mental health treatment. Groups are suitable for a large
variety of problems and difficulties, and often involve a set number of
sessions for which the group meets. Groups vary from classic psychotherapy
groups, where working on specific issues and problems is emphasized, to
psychoeducation, which focuses on educating participants on common areas
of concern, such as stress-management, anxiety, anger or depression.
"There are supportive groups for people in the same situation or crisis,
such as the adolescent girls group we conduct at Family Service," says Jayna
Barker, B.S. of Family Service & Mental Health Center of Oak Park & River
Forest. "Here teenage girls can share their problems and issues, develop
their self-esteem and interpersonal skills, and learn positive ways to interact
with their families and peers." Barker will facilitate a new adolescent
girls group beginning September 30. In addition, Family Service has other
psychotherapy groups targeting teens, including "Rights of Passage" which
focuses on the special needs of Afro-American adolescents.
Other types of supportive groups may target bereaved parents, children of
alcoholic parents, sexually abused women, or people dealing with drug or
alcohol abuse. These groups provide a safe and open forum for individuals
dealing with similar life challenges or concerns.
Other psychotherapy groups are more heterogenous in make-up, including men
and women, young and old, married and single who may wish to develop their
interpersonal skills or work on emotional problems like anxiety or depression.
These heterogeneous groups mirror the larger world in which we live.
Guided by the leader or facilitator, participants in psychotherapy groups
meet regularly to share their feelings and thoughts, recent experiences
and life events, and problems they have tackled. Others in the group react
to these comments and provide feedback while sharing their own thoughts
and feelings. This feedback can help participants become better aware of
certain behaviors or points of view that are causing problems in their lives.
It also provides a safe haven to practice new behaviors and work out solutions.
The group often becomes a source of support and strength for each other
while providing a sense that their problems are shared by others.
"Psychotherapy groups are particularly effective for individuals who are
struggling with relationship issues such as intimacy, trust and self-esteem,"
says Lanny Charles, LCSW, clinical manager at Family Service. "The group
helps focus attention on the ‘here and now' and by its very nature encourages
participants to face and work on changing unhealthy life patterns."
Located at 120 S. Marion, Oak Park, Family Service & Mental Health Center
of Oak Park & River Forest is a not-for-profit social service and mental
health agency that provides counseling, psychiatric and prevention/education
programs to men, women, youth and families. To learn more about our programs
or to make an appointment, contact us at (708) 383-7500.
