Group Therapy
Group therapy can be an extremely effective part of addiction treatment. Group therapy sessions can be conducted in varied therapeutic settings and levels of care, that includes hospital-based inpatient programs, residential programs and outpatient recovery programs. For someone committed to ending their drug use and beginning a period of recovery, group therapy is an option that can be as effective as individual sessions.
People interested in attending a therapy group will need to be matched up with a group that suits their individual needs. Before placing a recovering individual in a group, a provider will consider the individual’s treatment preferences, unique needs, emotional stability and stage in recovery.
Advantages
Group therapy has a number of advantageous elements that equal or surpass individual therapy, such as the ability to:
- Offer members education about the recovery process.
- Provide support and motivation from peers to maintain recovery goals.
- Give members the opportunity to observe issues encountered by others in recovery and observe their methods of problem-solving.
- Empower group members by encouraging them to offer assistance and feedback to other members.
- Teach healthy coping skills to manage daily stressors without resorting to substance use.
- Boost structure and routine in the lives of group members.
- Build a sense of optimism, self-worth, and belief in the group members.
- Develop relationships between group members that can be used outside of sessions for support and encouragement.
- Effectively treat many individuals simultaneously with one therapist, allowing those clients quicker access to therapy.
- Utilize therapeutic tools (such as challenging irrational beliefs and confronting poor decision-making) to modify behaviors.
