What’s the Point of Substance Abuse Group Therapy?
What is Group Therapy?
Group therapy, in a nutshell, is therapy that involves two or more individuals at the same time – in addition to the therapist – rather than one person in recovery working one-on-one with a therapist. Participants in a therapy group take turns talking about their struggles, feelings, experiences, and goals. Therapy groups may be tailored to a specific recovery topic, such as how to recognize and avoid triggers, or they may be general, such as how to handle difficult family, peer, work, or other interpersonal relationships. This form of counseling can be extremely beneficial for patients because it provides a safe place to share experiences and hear contributions and feedback from other group members who have similar experiences.
Similarly to individual counseling, these meetings are led by a group therapist, and the same standards of confidentiality and ethical boundaries apply. Additionally, members are screened by facilitators to make sure they’re well suited for group counseling work.
Overview of Group Therapy
Allows people to share experiences with others who are dealing with similar issues.
Consists of 3 to 10 members.
Generally held once weekly for 1–2 hours.
Type of group is determined by the therapist and can include support groups, skills development, and psychoeducational.
Introduction: Sessions often begin with members introducing themselves and briefly stating why they are attending group therapy.
Updates: Regular members may share their progress and experiences since the last session.
Group discussion: The therapist then decides how the meeting will proceed, whether it be through member dialogue or more of an educational session.
Learning aids: Different types of learning material such as memory improvement techniques, visual aids, written projects, audiotapes, role playing, homework, and review sessions may be used as well.
What Should I Expect In Group Therapy?
Group therapy sessions may be open or closed – meaning new members may join at any time (open) or the group membership remains the same from beginning to end (closed). The role of the therapist is to set and reinforce group rules and guidelines, lead the group process, and ensure the atmosphere is cohesive, healthy, safe, and productive for all participants. The therapist will ask questions, encourage participation, give feedback when appropriate, and observe how participants interact in the group. The primary goal is to help all participants benefit in a way that moves them closer to reaching their individual treatment goals.
Therapy groups are lead by the therapist and confidentiality is an important part of treatment . For everyone to feel safe opening up in group therapy, all participants are expected to honor the confidentiality of everyone in the group.
Types of Groups Used in Substance Abuse Treatment Groups include:
Psychoeducational groups focus on feelings and anger management, conflict resolution, prevention, trauma (e.g., abuse or violence), health and wellness, culture, and family roles.
Cognitive behavioral groups focus on building new skills, conflict resolution, anger/feelings management, relapse prevention, and early recovery.
Skills development groups focus on the same factors as the cognitive behavioral group, as well as relaxation training, meditation, and life skills training.
Interpersonal Process group psychotherapy focuses on trauma and different forms of abuse, psychodynamics and humanistic/existential topics.
Specialized groups in substance abuse treatment in the form of 12-step programs, expressive therapy, gender-specific topics or adventure-based activities
Expressive groups focus on different forms of therapy such as art, dance, drama, etc.
Cost of Treatment
The cost for substance abuse treatment varies depending on your individual case (treatment goals, insurance, length of treatment, etc.)