GROUP THERAPY

Group Therapy

Group Therapy

Introduction

Group Therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group. The term can legitimately refer to any form of psychotherapy when delivered in a group format, including Cognitive behavioural therapy or Interpersonal therapy, but it is usually applied to psychodynamic group therapy where the group context and group process is explicitly utilised as a mechanism of change by developing, exploring and examining interpersonal relationships within the group. The broader concept of group therapy can be taken to include any helping process that takes place in a group, including support groups, skills training groups (such as anger management, mindfulness, relaxation training or social skills training), and psycho-education groups.

Section A: Subjective Experience

Q1: Compare your experience of session one, three and six

In the first group session I was excited, nervous and anxious of the unknown group environment and a sense of discomfort in sharing issues and emotions as my level of trust and comfort was low.

When it came to third group session, I had mix feelings of being complacent, comfortable and other times I felt I was still holding back even though my level of acceptance was much higher comparing to previous group sessions.

In session six, I felt attentive, where my level of confidence has grown tremendously, and my self- awareness has slightly developed, where receiving and giving feedback felt very natural to me.

Q2: Compare with other memebers of your group, how would your rate your level of self-disclosure? How would you rate your level of comfort with providing direct feedback to another group member?

I felt more confident to express my feelings and sense of freedom to disclose more, comparing to earlier stages of group therapy where I was hesitant. I also felt a sense of group belonging, unexpectedly healing and more supportive.

Session 1

In the first group session I was exited, nervous and anxious of the unknown group environment and a sense of discomfort in sharing issues and emotions as my level of trust and comfort was low. I had lots of questions and concerns such as, what am I going to get out of this? Will I be accepted by the group for who I am? What if I do not like the people in my group? There are eleven of us in the group and after some time in the circle I became more comfortable with the session and spoke freely to other group members.

Working through process, I felt more confident to express my feelings and sense of freedom to disclose more, comparing to earlier stages of group therapy where I was hesitant.

Session 3

In the third group session, it felt more natural and I felt more relaxed than the previous two weeks. I personally felt my level of acceptance was higher and I was paying more attention to others. I felt compassion and the urge to help one member who told a particularly disturbing story about her drug ...