Group Therapy: Collective Subconscious

When to go it alone and when not to. The benefits of group therapy.

By Matthew Hutson, published on July 01, 2007 - last reviewed on June 26, 2009

When might group therapy be a better choice than one-on-one counseling? We asked the experts in Psychology Today's Therapy Directory for their advice.

Reenactment: Interpersonal problems are group therapy's forte, according to Geoffrey Steinberg. "The way clients respond to their social worlds will get acted out within the here and now of the group process. Focusing on those interactions is the active ingredient in group therapy."

In the Same Boat: Jamie Snethen always hears the same thing from her anxiety group members: "It is so helpful to know that I'm not alone, and that other people can relate to what I'm going through.' "

Many to One: Steinberg suggests group therapy as preparation for individual work: "Some people have an allergic reaction to the closeness of individual therapy but become very involved and active members in a group. The group can prepare a client to be able to engage in individual work for the first time."

A Note of Caution: "For people who have complicated intrapsychic problems to work through, nothing beats one-to-one," Gibbs Williams counsels. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."

There are over 1,500 therapy groups listed in the Therapy Directory—the largest such resource in the world. Nearly every topic is covered. Just go to the directory, type in your ZIP code, and see what's on offer near you.