Clients typically participate in a combination of group therapy and individual therapy according to their individual treatment plans.
Individual therapy is the treatment of psychological problems in a private setting where a counselor works one-on-one with a patient whereas Group therapy involves more than one client and/or counselor at a time and is more community oriented.
Each has its specific benefits.
During group therapy, participants interact with each other and share their problems and concerns. It fosters an environment of mutual respect and understanding where participants can gain a better understanding of themselves, strengthen their self-respect, and improve interpersonal relationships.
Advantages of Group Therapy
Group therapy offers some specific advantages. According to scholarly sources, such as The Handbook of Group Counseling and Psychotherapy, these are benefits of individuals working together in groups (see below):
- Individuals begin to understand that they are not alone in their issues, and other people have similar issues and struggles. This results in the development of a sense of identity, belongingness, and the release of tension and stress.
- Individuals in group therapy receive support from other people and are also able to give support to other members. Receiving and giving support develops a broader therapeutic alliance and a shared sense of goals that fosters improvement.
- Individuals in group therapy find that they often have fewer reservations about discussing their issues with others because they can identify with the members of the group.
- Individuals in groups develop insight into their own issues and greater self-awareness by listening to others who have similar problems.
- Being in a group fosters the development of communication abilities, social skills, and results in individuals being able to learn to accept criticism from others.
- Group therapy sessions are generally more affordable than individual therapy sessions.
- Individuals in groups often make lifelong connections with other members of the group.
Advantages of Individual Therapy
Some advantages to participating in individual therapy sessions:
- The client receives the full attention of the therapist and is able to work with the therapist on a one-on-one basis. This results in a very focused and intense therapeutic experience.
- The client gets direct feedback on their progress from the therapist, and the therapist has a more complete understanding of the client’s progress.
- The therapeutic alliance is strongest in individual sessions.
- The client can be assured that the therapist will maintain the confidentiality of the treatment sessions and that no one else will learn about their issues.
- Treatment in individual sessions is much more comprehensive and intense.
- The pace that the therapist and client work at can be tailored to suit the needs of the specific client. This cannot be achieved in group sessions because the pace is often adjusted to meet the needs of the slowest members.
- Meeting times for therapy sessions can be arranged to fit the client’s schedule and can be adjusted depending on specific circumstances, whereas this is not the case for group sessions.
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