Group therapy involves meeting with a group of people who have all dealt with similar issues. This can range from people who have depression, PTSD, body image issues, anxiety, addiction, and trauma. Group therapy is beneficial in making you feel you are not alone and getting all of the support you need as you are on the road to recovery.
One benefit of group therapy is realizing that by sharing stories and connecting with other patients in the group, you are not alone in your issues. For example, someone in your group can talk about a time when they went to a concert and felt tempted to relapse after watching concert-goers drink beer. People in the group might have had similar situations and can give advice on what to do if that happens again. You may feel more comfortable sharing with those in the group than friends or family who have not had the same experiences as you. If you are having a specific problem in your life, you can get opinions from a variety of people in the group and a number of support.
You can also feel inspired by the people in your group when they talk about their success stories in overcoming their fears and challenges and you can try those same methods yourself. Group therapy can help you make friends and improve your social circle since you are encouraged by your therapist to turn to each other for support and feedback. The people in your group can teach you things about yourself that you did not know and better help you on the road to recovery.
There are conversational, sit-down interactions like reading and sharing stories. There are also physically engaging team-oriented exercises and games. Ice breakers let members in the group know one another in a fun, playful way. Small objects like balloons or beanbags can be used such as when you catch the item, you say something about yourself and then pass the item to the next person. Other fun activities such as dancing, cooking, and knot tying can make people work in groups to achieve a desired outcome. These games will help patients learn about trust, respect, and collaboration. There are other games to gain trust as such role-playing and wilderness activities to help members gain confidence in their peers and themselves. Group therapy encourages patients that we are all in this together.
Smarmore Castle Private Clinic in County Louth, near Dublin was founded in 1988 as a residential rehabilitation hospital treating people suffering from drug and alcohol purposes. Group sessions are led by a therapist twice a day. Patients work together, confront one another, empathise, support and, over time, witness very positive changes in the group members. For more information, please call 041-214-5111. For those who live out of the country, the international number is 00353-41-214-5111.
