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What is group psychotherapy?
Why having the experience of group therapy?
How does group psychotherapy work?
Who can benefit from group therapy?
What are the different types of groups?
What is expected of group members?
Technical details
What is interpersonal group psychotherapy?
Interpersonal group psychotherapy offers many unique and important benefits for our clients and some of these benefits are quite distinct from individual psychotherapy.
Group psychotherapy, like individual psychotherapy, is intended to help clients who would like to improve their ability to cope with difficulties and problems in their lives. While in individual therapy the client meets with only one person (the therapist), in group therapy the meeting is with a whole group and one or two therapists. Group therapy focuses on interpersonal interactions, so relationship problems are addressed well in groups.
Interpersonal group psychotherapy is mainly deriven from the standpoint of interpersonal theory. This theory was initially developed by Sullivan (1955) and was later refined for group psychotherapy by Yalom (1985). According to this theory,in group psychotherapy clients learn effective interpersonal skills and transfer those skills to outside relationships.
Interpersonal group psychotherapy can even be considered as an “applications” phase of psychotherapy. The sense of self is strengthened and dysfunctional relationship patterns are identified in individual therapy. Group therapy offers clients the opportunity to change these dysfunctional patterns as they occur with peers and to further raise their self-esteem by increasing positive interpersonal skills.
The aim of group psychotherapy is to help with solving the emotional difficulties and to encourage the personal development of the participants in the group. The therapist chooses as candidates for the group people who can benefit from this kind of therapy and those who may have a useful influence on other members in the group. Top Page
Why having the experience of group therapy?
Human beings are born in groups, live in groups and have their being through groups. The group combine and collaborate people who have already been shaped and affected by theor previous group experiences. Therefore, the group therapist function in this environment in a way which facilitate the potential for growth.
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How does group psychotherapy work?
Members of the group share with others personal issues which they are facing. A participant can talk about events s/he was involved in during the week, her/his responses to these events, problems s/he had tackled, etc. The participant can share his/her feelings and thoughts about what happened in previous sessions, and relate to issues raised by other members or to the leader's words. Other participants can react to her/his words, give her/him feedback, encourage, give support or criticism, or share their thoughts and feelings following his/her words. The subjects for discussion are not determined by the leader but rise spontaneously from the group. The member in the group feels that (s)he is not alone with her/his problem and that there are others who feel the same. The group can become a source of support and strength in times of stress for the participant. The feedback (s)he gets from others on her/his behavior in the group can make her/him become aware to maladaptive patterns of behavior, change her/his point of view and help him/her adopt more constructive and effective reactions. It can become a laboratory for practicing new behaviours.
Frequently the people you meet in the group represent others in your past or current life with which you have difficulty. In group therapy you have the opportunity to work through these situations.
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Who can benefit from group psychotherapy?
Group psychotherapy is suitable for a large variety of problems and difficulties, beginning with people who would like to develop their interpersonal skills and ending with people with emotional problems like anxiety, depression, etc. There are support groups for people in the same situation or crisis (e.g. groups for bereaved parents, groups for sexually abused women), but usually the recommendation for the therapeutic group is to be as heterogeneous as possible and represent a micro-cosmos. For that reason in building the group, the leader will try to include men and women, young and old people, married and singles, etc. The group is especially effective for people with interpersonal difficulties and problems in relations. Whether these difficulties are in social, working, couple or even sexual relations, the participant can benefit a lot in these areas.
Groups are ideally suited to people who are struggling with relationship issues like intimacy, trust, self-esteem. The group interactions help the participants to identify, get feedback, and change the patterns that are sabotaging the relations. The great advantage of group psychotherapy is working on these patterns in the "here and now" - in a group situation more similar to reality and close to the interpersonal events.
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What are the different types of groups?
There are many kinds of groups in the group-psychotherapy field. The techniques used in group therapy can be verbal, expressive, psychodramatic etc. The approaches can vary from psychoanalytic to behavioral, Gestalt or encounter groups. Groups vary from classic psychotherapy groups, where process is emphasized, to psychoeducational, which are closer to a class. Psychoeducational groups usually focus on the most common areas of concern, notably relationships, anger, stress-management etc. They are frequently more time-limited (10 to 15 sessions) and thus very appealing in a managed care environment. Each approach has its advantages and drawbacks, and the participant should consult the expert which technique matches her/his unique personality. Top Page
What is expected of group members?
The participant in the group is expected to be present each week and come on time. It is required that the information brought up by members of the group and their names be kept confidential by all the group members. In some groups, the participant is asked to commit for a specified length of time at the beginning of the group. The usual commitment is between 3 to 6 months. This facilitates getting a sense of how the group works. When participating in a group, you will not be required to talk, or reveal intimate issues when you do not want to. However, it is clear that the more you can participate, be open and talk about yourself, your feelings and thoughts - the more you can gain from this experience.
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Technical details
Usually, there are between 8 to 12 members in the group. This amount of participants allow tzach to create a therapeutic atmosphere and have enough time for each member to work personally.
Each session goes for two hours. There is a 10 minute break at the middle.
The frequency can be once to twice a months. The duration of the group depends on many components such as the nature of the group and the targets sought. It can be from 3-12 months. You should allow 4 to 6 months to pass in order to feel the effect of the group. Top Page
For registration and inquiry please email tzach maya or call.
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