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Group Therapy by Chicago Therapist, Richard Gleiner Group therapy is one of the most effective forms of psychotherapy and can be one of the most enriching as well. The special benefits of Chicago Group Therapy include: - Group members may bring up issues that strike a chord with you, which you might not have been aware of or known how to bring up yourself.
- You learn that you are not alone and that you are not the only person having difficulties in certain areas. It is encouraging to hear that other people have similar difficulties and can grow past them.
- A natural process of enhanced acceptance of yourself and others occurs as you learn to relate more honestly and directly with other group members.
- The group provides an opportunity for personal experimentation - it is a safe place to risk enough to learn more about yourself.
- Group therapy members benefit by working through personal issues and new ways to relate and interact with others in a supportive, confidential atmosphere and by helping others to work.
Frequently Asked Questions In group therapy, six to nine people meet face- to- face, usually once a week, with me as the facilitator, and talk about what is concerning them most. Members listen to each other and openly express their thoughts and feelings about what someone does or says or what they are experiencing in the group. These interactions give members an opportunity to increase their understanding of themselves, try out new ways of being with others, and learn more about the ways they interact with other people. What makes the group unique is that it is a closed and safe place. People can talk freely and not have to worry about repercussions in the outside world. Members work to establish a level of trust that allows them to talk personally and honestly and to care about and help each other. Group trust is enhanced when all members make a commitment to the group. The content of the group sessions is confidential; what members talk about or disclose or who are the other members of the group is not discussed outside the group.
Most people find that they have important things in common with other group members, and as others work on concerns, you can learn much about yourself. In the group environment, others serve as mirrors that reflect aspects of yourself that you can recognize and explicitly choose if you want to modify or change.
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