Group Sessions
A powerful opportunity to practice building and sustaining satisfying, intimate relationships.
Group Therapy
Let’s state the obvious that we might not always want to believe: relationships are hard work.
And there is no shortcut for building and sustaining satisfying, intimate relationships.
There is no pill you can take. No surgery you can undergo.
The only way to get better at relationships is through consistent effort, practice, and hard work.
Group therapy is a powerful opportunity to practice and cultivate extraordinary relationships.
This process is not meant to be easy. It is meant to be worth it.
How Does Group Work?
We all have habitual relationship patterns that block us with friends, lovers, coworkers, and family. Group is the ideal social environment to evoke your interpersonal patterns and learn to overcome them. You’ll practice being vulnerable, feeling your emotions, and having deep, honest conversations with other group members. As this process unfolds, all of our
unconscious relationship patterns play out in real-time. Members are given the opportunity to examine how they relate to themselves and others, and receive direct feedback about their impact on others.
Each individual begins to understand their relationship expectations and uncover the strategies they deploy as mechanisms for protection from vulnerability, emotional closeness, and intimacy.
As individuals become conscious of relationship patterns, they begin to notice similarities between the relationships formed within the group and those outside it. Group acts as a reflection and recreation of each participant’s outside world relationships. It also becomes evident that relationship dynamics are reflections of moments from our past and childhood.
Over many months and years, group unearths the root causes of the challenges we face in relationships, allowing individuals to overcome the patterns that are keeping them stuck in the past. Instead, individuals begin to relate to themselves and others in healthier, more adaptive ways. As daunting as this may sound, the essence of group lies in the cultivation of a sense of community and belonging. Both the group leader and fellow members offer support every step of the way.
What Does A Group Session Look Like?
Groups are typically 8-12 members in size, meet once per week for 90 mins, and have a fixed rate per session. The group meets in a private room where chairs are arranged in a circle so that members can see each other clearly. Free-flow dialogue is the main focus; this means that the direction of the group session is decided by the members and the therapist helps to facilitate.
No topic is off limits. Group members work to understand themselves and the other group members by communicating their thoughts and feelings towards other members and the leader, and discussing why they have them. Participants are empowered to connect by taking a portion of the talking time each week. They share the emotionally significant story of their lives and discuss important aspects of life with the group.
Group members are encouraged to express their thoughts and feelings out loud, fostering intimate connections with others in the group. This is the material through which the group session flows and in which lasting transformation occurs.
Want To Learn More?
Whatever path you decide to take, healing takes time. It takes consistent effort, hard work, and practice. If you are interested in learning more give me a call! I can help answer any additional questions you may have and guide you in making the best decision for yourself.
Click here for an additional resource if you wish to deepen your understanding into why/how group might be helpful.
Click here to view a video for a new TV series about being in group.