Many people, when they think about therapy, think about individual therapy. A therapist and you—alone in the room. Sometimes they think about couples seeing a therapist to work on their relationship—also, the couple and a therapist, alone in the therapy room.

Often, when asked about group therapy, many people feel nervous, uncomfortable, even frightened, at the idea of being in a room with strangers and discussing intimate details of their lives. And yet, we humans are part of a group from the moment of birth. We grow up in our families, spend many years in schools with our peers, then often work in settings that include colleagues. Those are only some of the group settings we belong to, and many of us do not talk about the parts of our lives we struggle the most with or what gets stirred up inside of us when someone does or says something thoughtless, thoughtful, or deeply intimate. Most of us feel at a loss as to how to react and often try to ignore all of that experience. Group therapy can offer you the opportunity to learn to use those reactions in a way that can deepen your relationships with others and with yourself.

Group therapy can also help people feel less alone with their struggles, whether it’s a troubled family, depression, anxiety, illness—a variety of issues—in discussing those problems with the other people in the group. Part of the agreement is that all members keep the identities and shared information confidential. It is a critical aspect of the group so that members can feel safe enough to engage having some measure of safety that their personal information will be held in confidence. There is also an agreement not to have outside contact between members, and, if unplanned interactions occur, members are expected to talk about it with the group at the next session. Again, this is to help all members feel safe in the group and to trust that it is not being discussed outside the group setting.

Group is a long-term commitment. I want you to have an experience that helps you grow as a person, understand yourself and your relationships, and to take that growth into your everyday life so that those relationships can be rewarding. I am deeply committed to my work as a group leader, therefore I participate in on-going training in group therapy as well as belong to an on-going psychotherapy process group. I have found it rewarding both as a therapist and as a human being.

I hope you’ll consider it for your life.

(CGP Certification is conferred by the American Group Psychotherapy Association. To attain CGP, one must have at least 300 hours of group therapy experience, professional references, and commit to continuing education in group therapy practice. I am honored to be among the psychotherapists who hold this certification.)