Group Therapy

We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness

-Thich Nhat Hanh-

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Group Psychotherapy: We can't make it through life alone, humans are attachment oriented and need connection to feel secure and fulfilled. Deep connection feeds our souls and is an essential aspect of self-care, emotional growth and a rich life. Loneliness or lack of connection contribute to depression and anxiety. In the words of therapist Judith Herman (1997), "The solidarity of a group provides the strongest protection against terror and despair, and the strongest antidote to traumatic experience."

Group therapy enhances our capacity to develop healthy relationships and avoid toxic ones. It is a powerful method for growth and change particularly in our relational world. In group therapy up to 8 individuals meet face to face to share their lives, support and challenge each other, and practice new and better relational skills. Over the course of months and years group participants establish deeply authentic and connected relationships. All manner of past and current experiences are processed; losses are grieved, accomplishments are celebrated together in the group. Participants generally eschew advice giving, political debate, chattiness and analytical dialogue and instead attune to each others' vulnerabilities, feelings and emotional expression. The power of these process oriented therapy groups lies in the unique opportunity to receive multiple perspectives, encouragement and feedback from other individuals in a safe and confidential environment. With facilitation from therapists, participants work on:

verbalizing feelings
sharing time and space
compromise and sacrifice
active expressions of love and caring
assertiveness
conflict resolution
establishing healthy interpersonal boundaries
and many other relationship skills.

During group therapy sessions the joy of connection is palpable as enhanced relational skills evolve organically through the experience, rather than via lecture or handouts. Many clients find that group therapy is more effective than individual therapy in producing the tangible behavior and quality of life changes they seek. Many of my clients who begin with Individual therapy later add or change to Group Therapy.

From group therapy you should discover:

a happier relational life with less despair, anxiety, lonliness and strife and more joy
diminished judgmentalness while increasingly love will loom larger role in your life.
empowering (non-aggresssive, non-passive) ways to express and channel your anger, impatience, frustration and irritation
trauma based and dysfunctional behaviors being supplanted by more satisfying behaviors.
healther boundaries in all relationships, particularly in your difficult and dysfunctional relationships
more compassion and understanding around your's and other's limitations and shortcomings
a deeper connection and profound intimacy with your loved ones