Group therapy is an addiction treatment method used to help people struggling with various addictions. It involves five to 15 patients and one or two health professionals. The health professionals guide the group through conversations and activities targeted at tackling a specific problem varying from substance abuse, panic disorder, social anxiety to chronic pain. Group therapy is primarily beneficial due to the subsequent support network and soundboard formed. Midwest Recovery Center offers both individual and group therapy options to suit different individuals.
What to Expect
Group therapy creates a forum that encourages its participants to share their everyday struggles, temptations, triggers, and how to overcome them. The first few sessions establish trust between the participants and create an open environment that makes everyone feel comfortable. Therapists or group leaders direct each member to offer an introduction that states who they are and their struggles. They guide the members through a series of activities that create an air that supports agreements, disagreements, encouragement, feedback, and diverse perspectives in a confidential and safe environment. Notably, group therapy is not the same as a support group or a self-help group. The difference is that every group therapy session is led by a qualified healthcare professional to teach various skills, concepts, and diverse, effective practices.
Benefits of Group Therapy
Like any other form of therapy, you get as much as you give, and to those who are willing and put in the work, group therapy has many benefits. For example:
- The group also serves as a support system for the various participants.
- Group members can also serve as a sounding board and a source of ideas and solutions to improving a life challenge.
- The group also promotes accountability, and in some set-ups, members can pair up and have a more engaging accountability partner in maintaining sobriety.
- The idea of talking and sharing with others often puts your problems into perspective, showing you that you are not alone in your struggle. Neither are you the only one experiencing such difficulties.
- Diversity of the members in terms of experiences, backgrounds, personalities, opinions, and strengths offers multiple solutions to a problem that may have seemed monumental.
To achieve the best results from group therapy, you must define your goals for attending therapy, participate in the discussions, learn, and develop new strategies for managing stress. Additionally, there are gender-specific rehab programs that seek to address struggles that may be specific to different individuals. However, to ensure participant benefits form the group therapy, there are a few rules to the group:
- It is frowned upon to give advice on what someone else should or should not do.
- It is encouraged to give constructive feedback that is not hurtful to allow the individual to see the flaws of their ways without feeling victimized.
- Everyone should listen to the other with genuine interest and show respect to all.
- The discussions ought to find solutions and possible ways of solving a problem instead of focusing on the problem’s cause.
Group Therapy at Midwest Recovery Center
When choosing the best group for your recovery approaches, there are a few factors to consider. Is the group open or closed, how members are in the group, how similar are the members, how much would you like to share, and would you like to pair it with another addiction therapy, or is group therapy sufficient. Midwest Recovery Center offers various recovery approaches that can be administered in combinations and curated to fit each individual. Additionally, there are gender-specific rehab programs that seek to address struggles that may be specific to different individuals. Contact Midwest Recovery Center at 833.627.0039, or contact us online and start your journey towards recovery.
