If you have never been in group therapy, you might not understand how healing it can be to sit in the room with other people and bear witness to them. But believe me, it can be one of the most cathartic experiences you will ever have—to be vulnerable with others about your struggles and realize that you are not alone in them.
Working as a group therapist for the past three years, I can promise you that group therapy is profound. I work with teenagers and run an intensive outpatient group three times a week with 6-10 kids who are 13-18 years old. In the group, the teens find a safe space where they can open up about their struggles and work with other teens to find healthier solutions to their problems. Though it might feel simple—sitting on a couch with other teens, eating snacks, and talking about life—group therapy can create a space of healing and growth.
The Specific Benefits of Group
In group, the kids realize that they are not alone in struggling with their mental health. This concept, known as universality, describes how “individuals in the group can feel less alone in their struggles when they realize that others are going through similar experiences” (Lawson and Hollander). Learning that you are not the only one is one of the most fundamental healing factors of the group.
Another important factor of the group is altruism. In group, the teens find meaning and purpose in helping their fellow group members. Say a teen in my group is having a particularly rough week. I will often hear another group member say to them, “I am here for you if you need me.” Offering support to others helps kids be more selfless and empathetic. This is an antidote to depression, which can be a mental state where one gets stuck in thinking a lot about themselves. In being altruistic to fellow group members, teens realize they are capable of making a change for themselves and others too. Through the impact of altruism, their self-esteem grows.
Though there are so many beneficial factors to group therapy, another one I will touch on is the instillation of hope. Many teens who struggle with their mental health can feel hopeless and believe that there is no possibility of healing. But in group, the instillation of hope “creates a feeling of optimism about one’s future and the ability to cure that which need not be endured and endure that which cannot be cured” (Lawson and Hollander).
In other words, witnessing other group members get better provides hope and inspiration for fellow group members to heal. For instance, when a teen in group witnesses their fellow group member succeed in going 90 days without using marijuana, they might find hope that they could achieve a goal that might have before seemed impossible. Having the support of the group also helps group members endure difficulty. When they know they are not alone as they work through painful experiences—such as parents divorcing or losing a friend—group members feel more able to endure challenges.
Building Community
Finally, group creates community for teens who feel isolated in a way that individual therapy does not. Talking with other teens can help kids feel more connected and supported. It is no secret that the pandemic and the ubiquitous expansion of smartphones made tweens and teenagers feel more isolated than ever. Group therapy is the perfect antidote to this issue. I have had teens in my group who felt completely socially isolated before joining share that group helped them talk to people and gain more confidence to connect with people in their “real life.”
When teens and parents ask me what group is like, I tell them it is a safe and comforting space to find connection and healing. It is not fancy or medical. It is a room full of kids laughing, crying, and eating pizza (every Thursday), talking about every subject from celebrating that the girl they asked out said yes to sharing that they feel like their parents “just don’t get them.”
The kids feel seen by each other and find hope in each other, and I feel an immense privilege to be supporting these teens in my group as their therapist. Every week I am astonished by the power and the sanctity of group therapy.
A Group Therapy Skeptic
When I first attended social work school, I did not foresee myself becoming a group therapist. I had grand aspirations (like many social work students) to be an individual therapist. Then I took a Group Treatment course led by the hilarious and inspiring Thomas Hurster, LCSW. In the class, we learned about the power of group therapy. We studied the scholarly research of renowned group therapist Irvin Yalom and explored the real meaning of the “mutual aid” found in group treatment.
Throughout the semester, Professor Hurster consistently hammered it into our heads that group therapy could change people’s lives. And it could not only be as effective to foster change as individual therapy, but possibly even more effective. At first, I was very skeptical of this possibility.
I had a hard time wrapping my head around what group therapy was until I participated in an experiential group as part of the group course. We only met for 10 sessions in 10 weeks, but by the end of the experience, I felt as though the group had taught me more about myself than I had learned in years.
I was struck by the skill of my professor as a group facilitator and how he helped us engage with each other to learn about ourselves and how we interact with others. By the end of the course, I realized I wanted to hone this skill as a group therapist and find a way to harness the power of the group. Turns out my professor was right after all.
Need Help? You Are Not Alone
Recent studies show mental health disorders are increasingly common among adolescents. Research indicates that 50% of all lifetime mental health illnesses begin by age 14, and that 60% of youth with major depression do not receive mental health treatment.
If your teen is struggling with substance use or their mental health, ETHOS can help them heal and thrive. Email us at info@ethostreatment.com, call us at 267-551-5060, or visit https://www.ethostreatment.com/contact/ to learn more.
About Ethos Treatment
Ethos Treatment LLC is a behavioral healthcare provider accredited by The Joint Commission to treat mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Licensed clinicians lead Intensive Outpatient Programs in Pennsylvania via telehealth and at seven locations: Broomall, Collegeville, Jenkintown, Philadelphia, Plymouth Meeting, West Chester and Wyomissing. Ethos accepts most insurance.