Group Therapy

What is Group Therapy

Group therapy is a form of counseling in which a small number of people come together under the guidance of professionally trained facilitators to help themselves and one another.

Group therapy is a powerful tool for growth and change.
Not only do people receive tremendous understanding, support, and encouragement from others facing similar issues, but they also gain different perspectives, ideas, and viewpoints on those issues.

We find out that we are not alone

Often people don’t know that others are also having problems, let alone exactly the same problems as they are. Frequently the people you meet in the group in some way represent others in your past or current life with whom you have difficulty. They may look similar, speak similarly or just have the same general “feel” about them. In group therapy you have the opportunity to work through these situations with those present at the workshop rather than those people living or dead with whom you have the actual issue. The resolution is just as profound when done this way.

Scary at first, yet well worth the risk

Most people, though somewhat apprehensive at first, report that the group experience was helpful far beyond their expectations and far more helpful than individual therapy.

A little history about group therapy

This type of therapy has been widely used since its first use in 1906 for a group of tuberculosis patients in a hospital. The patients were in isolation and their doctor found that if they talked to each other about their illness they felt better psychologically which aided their physical healing. It is now common practice for people living with life-threatening or chronic illnesses to participate in group support meetings. Statistics show that survival rates are higher for those who do so than those who do not.

Group therapy has been a popular and effective counselling option for over 50 years. In Europe during the 1920’s, Dr. Alfred Adler, used group methods to help his patients as he realized most issues arose early in life within the family or in another social setting with others and so he used the social setting of group therapy to resolve them.

Later, group therapy was used in hospitals to help Vietnam veterans who suffered from drug addictions, anxiety, depression, anger management problems and post -traumatic stress disorder. It was found that healing together happened faster than healing alone. From this grew the idea of having support groups for all kinds of people with mental and emotional problems, for example, Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12 step programmes.

Most personal problems are interpersonal in nature

Group therapy offers the rare opportunity to explore and understand how you relate to others and get specific immediate feedback on how others react to you.

The group interactions help the participants to identify issues, get feedback, and change the patterns that are sabotaging all their relationships, including how they relate to themselves. The great advantage of group psychotherapy is working on these patterns in the “here and now” - in a group situation more similar to reality and close to the interpersonal events.

Our experience with groups

In our experience most people find that groups are more effective and produce quicker results than individual counseling. The lessons group members learn from each other and the chance to work through problems with other people who share similar concerns are what make groups special.

Only in group therapy can you directly work on how you relate to others with others. The group environment of trust and safety can help you build the skills you need to create the same kind of trust and safety in your real life at work, with friends, family, and intimate partners.

Intimacy Issues

The group experience can help you learn about your style of relating, your ability to be close and emotionally intimate with others, and your personal effectiveness in relationships. The group therapy experience gives you the unique chance to see how others also struggle with these concerns. It also offers the opportunity to explore a broad range of personal concerns.

When participating in any of our groups at The Sanctuary, you will not be required to talk, or reveal intimate issues when you do not want to. However, it is clear that the more you can participate, be open and talk about yourself, your feelings and thoughts - the more you can gain from this experience.

We look forward to welcoming you at The Sanctuary ~ Lane Cove