If you’re new to group therapy, you may wonder what group therapy topics are safe for discussion. In adult therapy sessions, you are free to discuss topics that may seem heavy, painful, or uncomfortable. Your group counselor will step in if the conversation begins to feel harmful, offensive, or unsafe. Yet, when it comes to deep discussion, it’s important to keep your guard down, as healing can often feel out of your comfort zone. Let’s examine some helpful group therapy discussions you can bring to the table when engaging in psychotherapy with your peers.
What Is Group Therapy?
Group therapy is a form of traditional talk therapy where conversations occur in a group. It’s different from individual therapy, which is one-on-one with a therapist. Along with the members, group therapy includes one or two therapists to lead the discussion and encourage self-reflection. Group intervention for addiction and mental health has been a proven method of treatment since the early 1900s. Engaging in therapy as a group has many benefits for individuals and the group at large. Notably, group counseling can bring together peers with the same struggles or family members working through family therapy.
Group therapy can be an effective form of treatment for mental health conditions like:
- Social anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Eating disorder
- Personality disorder
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
Group therapy can also help with things like improving mental health, overcoming fear, building coping mechanisms, improving family dynamics, stress management, anger management, conflict resolution, building healthy relationships, developing social skills, goal-setting, effective communication skills, and a number of other positive changes that help someone explore emotions that upset them.
How Does Sharing in Group Therapy Help?
You might not know what to talk about in group therapy, but that’s okay! It can feel daunting to share anything with a group at first. Fortunately, your therapist will be present and facilitating the discussion. There is space for the group to set the topic, as well as space for the therapist to lead the conversation if it’s slow to begin.
The fact is that sharing in group therapy is a highly beneficial step for you to take in healing. It will show you others who understand what you’re going through and foster accountability amongst peers with the same rehab goals. For some people, sharing with a group is an important step in developing confidence and facing their fears.
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Speak With Our Admissions TeamWhat Does Group Therapy Treat?
Group therapy treats any issue that individuals carry with them into treatment. Nothing is off the table, whether they face addiction, mental illness, or a combination of multiple issues. Topics for group therapy can include struggles surrounding mental health as well as addiction.
Mental Health Disorders
Group therapy for mental illness is beneficial in showing individuals they aren’t alone in their symptoms. Rather than feel “wrong” or “other,” they find community amidst their self-isolation. Mental health group therapy topics lead individuals to adjust their thinking and behavior patterns.
Addiction Treatment
Group therapy for substance abuse and addiction is a valuable step in recovery. Discussion topics surrounding addiction can include relapse prevention, triggers and cravings, shame and guilt, abstinence, and self-resilience. Yet, any topic about how an individual feels while coping with substance addiction can be raised in the group.
What Are the Benefits of Group Therapy?
Group therapy has many benefits for individuals and the group at large. Significantly, each person realizes they aren’t alone in their situation. Although they might have felt isolated and different for a long time due to their issues, they find peers who understand what they’re going through. In the process, they gain more perspective and a supportive community they can trust. Some of the deepest bonds in a client’s life may be formed during their time spent together in treatment.
Group therapy offers a unique lens through which an individual gets to see themself and their life. They will realize there are others who understand, and as each member shares, each member grows from the group’s realizations.
Group Therapy Topics to Discuss in Treatment
It’s important to understand that therapy sessions are safe spaces where you can discuss anything. You will be surrounded by supportive peers, so any group therapy topics for adults are acceptable to bring up. Notably, your therapist will ensure that the environment stays safe for all by barring any negative, aggressive, or biased language that could be offensive. They’ll also steer the conversation back to productive topics when necessary. Often, people in group therapy discuss issues in the following categories.
Family Issues
Whether you have a good relationship with your family or not, there are often family issues that individuals want to discuss in therapy. Sometimes, they enter treatment with a negative experience of family, or perhaps they feel a level of unsupportiveness towards their treatment. Family issues are safe topics to discuss as a group, and many peers will likely relate in some capacity.
Isolation
Feelings of loneliness and isolation often come up in group therapy. When you struggle with mental health issues, you can feel a sense of “otherness” from the world around you and those you love. Your therapist may prompt the group to share whether they’ve ever struggled with loneliness. Remarkably, this helps clients realize they aren’t alone in their experience and fosters greater trust within the group.
Co-occurring Addiction and Mental Health
In treatment, many individuals are working through rehab for more than one issue. These are called co-occurring disorders, and roughly 21.5 million Americans have this diagnosis. Co-occurring disorders can look like symptoms of more than one mental illness. Further, they can also look like a substance use disorder (SUD) and mental disorder. Rehabilitation is the best place to heal from co-occurring addiction and mental health issues. Group therapy is a good place to discuss the difficulties of having dual diagnoses.
Grief
Grief is a difficult emotion that can only properly be healed by talking about it. In fact, there are counseling groups specifically for dealing with grief and loss. You are free to explore all kinds of grief in therapy, whether for a person, a place, the past, or a future that doesn’t look as expected. The best way to work through the emotions surrounding grief is to safely access them until they feel more manageable.
Trauma
Trauma is caused by highly distressing or dangerous situations that are outside of the normal human experience. As such, the brain often struggles to process the effects of trauma. Many people essentially store trauma in their bodies or brains until they access it and unpack it. You can discuss any type of trauma in your group therapy sessions.
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Check Your CoverageTips for Successful Group Therapy
When preparing for your first group therapy sessions, maintain an open mind. It can feel weird and uncomfortable to be vulnerable with strangers. Yet, evidence proves that group therapy often starts in a place of disconnect but ends with great healing results.
Your therapist will manage the session to ensure the conversation stays inviting and safe. Yet, know that the session is a space to go deep into hard topics. Try to let down your guard and sit with any uncomfortable feelings that arise, as these can be the gateway to growth. Also, perhaps come prepared with some topics you’d like to discuss.
Finding Professional Group Therapy and Counseling
Group therapy and counseling may feel like a foreign concept at first, but the more you understand how it helps, the more you’ll be open-minded. At Aliya’s treatment centers, group therapy is a productive and beneficial step in treatment. Whether you face mental illness, addiction, or co-occurring issues, professional help is the best move toward recovery. In each session, your counselor will steer the group therapy discussion topics towards ones that aid in greater self-awareness and restoration. Therapy activities like group therapy help improve things like coping skills and emotional wellness.
You can find professional help through us, so please don’t hesitate to reach out about treatment for mental health conditions.