About Group Work

In the face of a loneliness epidemic and increasing rates of isolation, group work offers healing through relationship. In a relational process group, members and therapists work together to experience and share their thoughts, feelings, and impulses in the here-and-now. While different than individual therapy, group work is equally potent.

Who is group for?

Group is for anyone facing problems with their relationships with others, their relationship with their self, social challenges, or blocks to self-knowledge or self-expression. Group is also for people who might not think their problems are relational— people struggling with depression, anxiety, and behavioral or existential concerns. Additionally, it is an effective modality for people who have done individual therapy and want to try new ways of working that can open different avenues of change and learning. For dharma practitioners, working in a present-moment focused group is a powerful way to open up to one’s self as “no self,” meaning our “self” is fundamentally relational in nature.

Individual therapy is usually a better fit for people in active crisis, those who are going through a major loss or life event (i.e., if what’s happening in your life needs 100% focus in therapy), or people whose life circumstances make consistent weekly attendance a challenge. Some people choose to do individual and group therapy simultaneously.

What is group like?

In group, members are asked to share their reactions, feelings, fantasies and impulses as they arise in the present moment, in the relative safety of a therapeutic container. Over time, members share about themselves and their lives, give and receive support and feedback, navigate conflict and closeness, learn about old relational patterns, and try out new ways of relating. Each group is unique, and the group learns who it is and what it means together as it unfolds.

Does it work?

Yes! There is ample research evidence to support that in many to most cases, group therapy is just as effective is individual therapy. It is also more cost effective for members.