Group Therapy vs Individual Therapy

The benefits of group therapy are numerous for people fighting for their mental health. There are a number of reasons to seek out a support group, ranging from addiction to mental disorders to troubled family members to grieving the loss of a family member. The concept is simple. People who are like-minded or in similar life situations come together in one place to help each other through their hardships. Their model of therapy has been around for over a century and has proven very effective in helping people cope with life’s difficulties in a healthy manner.

The time spent sharing testimonies and struggles is very important to the group’s purpose. By relating to one another’s experiences, group members have the opportunity to compare their situation with other people’s and learn how others have dealt with similar circumstances. People who are experiencing particular problems within themselves or within their relationships often feel alone in their problems. An enormous benefit to the sharing that takes place at group therapy is that it negates the feeling of being alone in coming to understand that other people have been through what you have been through.

Even if your situation is somewhat unique, organized support groups have an ethic of being non-judgmental and supporting to all members. One can expect to attend a group therapy session and acquire support for what they are going through. Those who attend regularly and do their part to support others can also expect to form friendships with other members of the group. Some friendships formed in group therapy and support meetings become lifelong, and many people attest to their success in recovery being owed to the people from their support groups who held them accountable. If you are going through a difficult life circumstance of any sort, chances are there is a support group that has been created specifically for what you are going through. Do not suffer in silence on your own. Reach out to a section of the mental health services network in your area and ask what is available to you.