What is group counseling?

Group counseling involves a small group of people (usually 6-10) who meet together weekly, along with one or two trained Counselors from the staff, to talk about their struggles and problems. These groups can take a variety of forms. Some focus on a specific topic or problem, while others address a number of different concerns.

What makes group counseling work?

When people come into a group and interact freely with other group members, they tend to recreate those difficulties that brought them to counseling in the first place. Under the skilled direction of the group facilitators, the group is able to give support, offer alternatives, or gently confront the an individual. In this way, the difficulty is resolved, alternative behaviors are learned, and the individual develops new social skills or ways of relating to people. Group counseling has been found to be a very effective means of treatment and, in some cases, the best form of treatment for a particular individual or a particular type of concern.

What are the benefits of group counseling?

In a group, you can:

• Learn more about how you are perceived by others.
• Experience a sense of acceptance and belonging.
• Discover that you are not alone in the difficulties you are experiencing.
• Hear ideas from others which enhance your ability to make decicions and solve problems.
• Benefit from the experience of being helpful to others.
• Learn to constructively express your feelings and ideas to others.
• Gain encouragement by observing the successes of others.