Group Therapy
 
Human beings are fundamentally social, and our existence in relation to others can bring us a sense of connection, purpose, and belonging. Our experiences in families, schools, peer groups, communities, workplaces, culture and society, past and present, all have a profound impact on how we perceive ourselves and others. However, any group dynamic inevitably includes difficulty and complexity, and rather than feeling a sense of safety in connection, we can feel isolated, excluded, unwanted, disconnected. We can struggle with fear of getting too close or not close enough, and we can fall into unhelpful patterns that push people away and cause us to be misunderstood. Experiences such as abuse, neglect, bullying, exclusion, discrimination, or persecution particularly damage our sense of trust and safety in others and can make groups feel fundamentally threatening. 

Individual therapy often involves exploring these experiences in relationships and groups, making sense of what happened, and helping to change and resolve the unhelpful ways of relating to ourselves and others. Often this can include recognising, understanding, and learning from dynamics that arise in relation to your therapist that mirror what happens in relationships outside of therapy.

This way of learning about yourself in a therapeutic relationship can be amplified in powerful ways within a therapeutic group. Inevitably, the relationships you develop in group therapy, with the group as a whole, the therapist, and other group members, will have parallels with your relationships with people outside of therapy. You will be supported within a safe, therapeutic group of people, to understand when this happening and why, and you will have the benefit of others present to learn about their experience of you and to work through and resolve difficulties that arise. This can be a powerful, dynamic way of learning about yourself and changing the way you relate and carry yourself in a social world. 

Group therapy includes a membership of eight people, all of whom will have an assessment with the group therapist to ensure suitability before joining. Group members are asked to commit to weekly 90 minute sessions, and to attend regularly for at least a year. This is because in order to see the benefits  of group therapy, there needs to be time for people to get to know each other and for dynamics to arise and be worked through. 

The cost of group therapy is lower than individual therapy because more people are seen at one time. This can be helpful to those who struggle to afford therapy and can make the long-term commitment more achievable, but it does not mean that group therapy is less worthwhile than individual therapy. 

If you are interested in group therapy, a new group is currently being formed, so please get in contact to find out more.