Group Therapy

Group Therapy Creates Both Support and Accountability

Recovery requires two key elements — support and accountability. Support enables recovering individuals to work on critical areas of improvement, while accountability stresses the consequences of leaving problems unaddressed. While therapists and family members can positively contribute to both of these necessary attributes for recovery process, it is often the relationships with their peers that mean the most and provide the greatest benefit.

Clients often feel more comfortable sharing with their peers than with therapists or family members since there is less risk of judgment, and this can lead to greater trust, self-confidence and breakthroughs. They often feel more comfortable asking for help from their peers when they need it as well. This helps ensure they can continue on the path to recovery without incident. These benefits make group therapy a unique and valuable part of rehab for almost all clients.

Group Therapy Builds Community and Communication

One of the most challenging aspects of recovery for many individuals is returning to their job and home life after treatment. Individuals may find it incredibly difficult to communicate or socialize, even with people with whom they are very familiar, for a variety of reasons. For example, some might only feel comfortable socializing while using drugs or drinking.

Although enrolling in rehab is always the right decision, if you have a drug or alcohol problem, recovering individuals may also feel stigmatized as a result of their choice. Individuals may also feel nervous or anxious about returning to settings fraught with triggers which may have exacerbated problems for them in the past and may do so again in the future.

Recovering individuals are not alone in these feelings or concerns, and group therapy can be a way for many individuals to regain their confidence and self-esteem and ease their re-acclimation to the lives they briefly left behind for rehab. What makes group therapy especially powerful and effective is that clients can interact with their peers who understand the challenges, stakes and rewards of recovery.

Bayview Recovery’s approach to group therapy also makes these sessions as comfortable as possible for participants by setting up clear expectations and guidelines which take the stress out of group, helping make meetings predictable, safe and rewarding. Group also provides positive feedback and affirmation so that individuals can grow from every session. The more confident a client feels after treatment, the more likely they will be to navigate social situations successfully, manage everyday stress and avoid relapse.

Group Therapy Allows Clients To Support Others in Their Recovery

Recovery can be frustrating and often leave individuals feeling helpless. Group therapy changes that, allowing individuals in recovery to assist others and foster their own feelings of empowerment and value. In group therapy, individuals can share their own experiences, positive and negative, and receive support and validation while also building relationships of support and trust, boosting their self-confidence. By doing so, patients can reinforce their own newfound understanding and practices and improve the quality of their own recovery. Group therapists will provide on-going support throughout this process to support all participants in the progress.