Therapy Groups are a wonderful example of how less expensive does not always equal second best. The group format offers a number of advantages. Remember that groups (e.g. family, school, work etc.) have shaped us and this same potential can be used to positive ends. Entering a group is a real life experience and our old and, often unconscious, patterns unfold as the group proceeds. This allows an opportunity to grow through seeing your own patterns reflected in other members and from understanding them through other peoples’ eyes.
Deep work is achieved as other members begin to symbolise individuals from the past thus enabling one to work through these relationships as they are mirrored in the present. It’s not uncommon to discover that other members in the group share similar life experiences and fears to yours, and this goes a long way towards reducing isolation or shame.
A functioning group also provides honest and respectful feedback that is helpful, particularly when the same messages are received from several members. Experiences like this allow the members to get a sense of how they are experienced by others. This allows a new sense of self and ways of being to be thought about, practiced in the group, and ultimately established.