Group Therapy in Greenville, NC
What is Group Therapy?
Group Therapy provides a unique space to allow for healing that cannot be found on your own.
Human beings were not made to be alone. That’s a fact that we all know deep down on the inside. Some issues we encounter and some phases in life we go through require us to seek healing via connection. There is something unique about the way you can find healing in Group Therapy. When you can get past yourself and connect with others who have experienced something similar it can be life altering.
Open Groups
Open groups are as the name states, open for new members to join at any session. They will have a core theme (for example dealing with stress as a new mom), but each session will basically be able to stand on it’s own. This means that you can gain insight & grow even if you cannot commit to every session.
Closed Groups
Closed groups are, as the name states closed to new members after the start of the group. What this essentially means is that you’ll start and end with the same members. These groups will have a theme that is very concrete and tend to be delivered in a very structured format. Closed groups give you the greatest potential for growth when you attend every session.
In Person & Virtual
Groups can be held either strictly in person, strictly virtually or a hybrid combination of both where some members choose to attend in person and some choose to attend virtually. Each specific group will stipulate what is allowed for that group.
Camaraderie
One greatest gifts of Group Therapy is learning that there are others like you suffering from the same thing. Often times we feel alone, as if we are the only ones experiencing what we are experiencing which can make seeking professional help difficult. With group therapy, you are with people who are dealing with the same or similar issues. This common understanding of difficult experiences nurtures trust and makes any judgment a lot less likely. Sharing thoughts & feelings in Group Therapy can also help relieve the pain or stress you may be feeling.
Different perspectives
Group therapy, due to its nature, involves input from a variety of perspectives. With different personalities and experiences coming together, people tend to look at issues and problems differently. By seeing how other people handle these issues and problems, you can learn to incorporate different strategies to address your own. Plus, it is likely that members of the group will be at different stages in addressing their problems/issues and will be able to offer to others their experiences and ways of coping.
Accountability
While peer pressure is not typically thought of as positive, with group therapy subtle forms of it can be. Now, this does not mean that the group will engage in judging others or aim to make others feel guilty or attempt to bully them into behaving a certain way. But with other members of the group providing positive feedback and advice for addressing challenges, a feeling of accountability occurs from wanting to please and be accepted by the group, which can help push you forward toward reaching your goals of healing and wholeness.
Confidence
Having the camaraderie, fellowship and support of group members provide a type of safety net that builds confidence. This confidence enables you to push yourself outside of the group, knowing that even if you stumble, you’ve got others to fall back upon.
Self-discovery
All of us have blind spots about ourselves, some of which may hold us back from truly addressing those things that may be at the root of our issues. Through interacting with members of the group, you will see reflections of yourself from their perspectives, allowing for those blind spots to be uncovered and enhancing your ability to cope with the situations you’re facing.
Frequently Asked Questions: Group Therapy
Groups are unique and you may have some questions like others have
Does insurance cover Group Therapy?
At ZOE we only take cash payments for our groups. If you would like to receive a superbill (click here to learn more about those) to submit to insurance for a possible reimbursement one can be provided to you.
What is the cost of Group Therapy?
Group therapy’s cost varies based on many factors including whether or not it’s an open or closed group, what age group is the focus, what subject matter is the focus, how long the group runs, etc. Please check out the specific pages of each current group to see the specific details.
How many people are in these groups?
This is something with no fast and hard answer, however groups may be practiced with more than two members and less than 15. However, the optimum number for group therapy is 8-12 members.
But what about confidentiality?
I get this question, who wants all of their business out in the streets? NO ONE! But just like with individual therapy, group therapy requires participants to maintain confidentiality outside of the group. Granted, members of the group aren’t subject to the same ethical constraints as licensed therapists, but members are required to sign a confidentiality agreement. Of course, such agreements can be broken but, given the shared experiences of group members, there is a real ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ feeling. Also, first names only will be used to provide further comfort.