Frequently Asked Questions
Group therapy can be highly effective and can provide many benefits that individual therapy cannot. Depending on the nature of your concern, group therapy may be the ideal choice for receiving support, increasing understanding about the problem that is impacting you, and working toward change.
Counseling Services offers a variety of groups. Some are more unstructured and allow members to explore their struggles and identities with each other and heal and grow together. Others are more structured and focused on developing new skills such as to improve coping or communication. These groups can include semi-structured discussions, exercises, and activities.
Depending on the particular group, it may be led by 1 or 2 therapists and may include 4 to 10 members. Although groups differ, many meet weekly for 1 to 2 hours and run for the duration of the semester.
“It was a really impactful experience, and it honestly kept me from quitting grad school. I’m going to use the things I learned here to try and improve myself and (hopefully) find some happiness.”
“I thought that it was difficult at first and there were times I didn’t want to come. After a while, I was happy for coming and glad I did.”
“It was so helpful, insightful, challenging, rewarding, powerful, and enlightening and I'm so glad I participated in it.”
“I got to actually practice uncomfortable scenarios with others rather than talking about them. I have done years of individual therapy but have never had the ability to get direct feedback on my interactions with others.”
“I enjoyed how much of a safe space it was. It allowed me to receive feedback on what I needed to work on, and I was able to practice improving in group.”
“Even though I knew of counseling services, I was hesitant and did not know about the groups offered. I really appreciated group and wish I knew about groups sooner in my academic career.”
“The overall experience this semester was wonderful. Despite personal challenges, both facilitators made me feel very comfortable within the space and like my voice mattered. It helped me get through some very awful times this semester.”
“It was just such an amazing experience getting to know my peers more and to hear their stories. Challenging myself to be more vulnerable was much needed.”
“I am incredibly thankful that groups like this exist and can help people.”
“I improved my socializing skills in a fun way and made a lot of connections through the group.”
“This group gave me skills to love my body for the rest of my life.”
“I enjoyed most the amount of support everyone had for each other, presence of serious, humorous, and fun discussions that each week felt impactful in every way. The members and facilitators made group feel belonging, that it was something I looked forward to each week, no matter how good or bad my week was.”
You control what, how much, and when you share with the group. No one will force you to reveal your deepest, most personal secrets. Most people find that, as they gradually feel safe to share what is troubling them, a group can be very helpful and affirming.
Individual and group counseling have different benefits and help in different ways. Although research studies have shown that neither form of therapy is more effective or better than the other, some therapy goals are better suited for group. Group therapy may be especially great for improving communication, practicing new behaviors or skills, obtaining social support, and understanding how you form relationships and impact others.
Adapted from DePaul University Counseling Services, "Myths about group counseling"
Many people feel anxious at first about talking or even being in a group, and this anxiety is okay. Some people fear that they won't have anything to say or won't know how to respond to others. These are valid concerns, and group therapists work hard to help members find their way of participation in group. Members are encouraged to share at a pace that feels right for them, balancing feeling comfortable and challenged. Participation includes more than talking: we observe, reflect, and listen. As the group progresses, many people report that they feel more connected and comfortable with other members and share more.
Adapted from DePaul University Counseling Services, "Myths about group counseling"
Television and movies are made for entertainment and often overly dramatize therapy, including intense confrontations, judgmental responses, and ineffective group therapists. We strive to make group therapy a healthy and beneficial experience for all and adhere to the highest ethical standards, using evidence-based treatments.
Adapted from DePaul University Counseling Services, "Myths about group counseling"
It is very important that all group members feel safe and cared for. Group therapists make it their priority to create an environment conducive to growth for everyone involved. Feedback is often difficult to hear, from leaders and members alike. As group members come to trust the group, they generally experience feedback, and even confrontation, as if it were coming from a good friend. One of the benefits of group counseling is the opportunity to receive feedback from others in a supportive environment. It is rare to find friends who will gently point out how some of your thoughts or behaviors hurt yourself or others, but this is precisely what group can offer. Group strives to do this in a respectful, caring way, so that you can hear it and make use of it.
Adapted from Loyola University, "Common misperceptions about group counseling and how to respond"
Groups operate in such a way that many people are working on their own concerns at the same time. When two, three, or more people interact, they are all learning about themselves and their life experiences from the interaction. In addition, by sharing therapeutic time and space with others, group participants learn how to balance caring for others and asking for help and care for themselves.
Adapted from DePaul University Counseling Services, "Myths about group counseling"
Coming into a group setting can understandably feel overwhelming when one's own life circumstances seem unmanageable. Many group participants, however, describe hearing about the experiences of other members as extremely helpful. Focusing on the life experiences of others helps them feel less alone in their struggles and helps them understand their difficulties from a different perspective. For those who tend to take on problems of others at their own expense, group will also provide opportunities to practice boundary setting around how much care and energy to devote to others.
Adapted from DePaul University Counseling Services, "Myths about group counseling"
As with any other form of therapy, your active involvement and effort to change will ensure group is helpful to you. In group, therapists and participants work together to make it work. Therapists help define the structure of a group and establish a sense of safety, provide guidance, and help members learn how to help and be helped by one another. Group members, on the other hand, support and challenge each other, take risks, and come to care for one another in a way that deepens over time. These efforts together facilitate therapeutic growth and change.
Adapted from DePaul University Counseling Services, "Myths about group counseling”