Services

Group Counseling

What is group counseling?

Usually a small group of clients who meet together weekly or bi-weekly with one or more Banyan Tree Counselors, to explore their struggles and concerns in a  comfortable and confidential environment. Groups are typically 90 minutes in length and  focus on  the concerns of a particular population such as young professionals or specific concerns and challenges such as anxiety or depression.

Why is group counseling effective?

There are a number of reasons why group counseling is considered and effective treatment modality and can be a powerfully therapeutic experience:

  • Many times individuals feel isolated with their problems.  During group counseling, clients begin to see that they are not alone.  It is encouraging to hear that other people have similar feelings or difficulties, or have even worked through a problem that deeply disturbs another group member.

  • When individuals come into group therapy and interact freely with other group members, they usually re-experience some of the difficulties that brought them to group therapy in the first place. Under the skilled direction of a group therapist, the group is able to give support, provide new perspectives, and/or offer alternatives to the member in such a way that the difficulty becomes resolved.

  • Group is an ideal setting for exploring social or interpersonal difficulties, and most of the concerns that bring clients to counseling have an interpersonal component. The group experience  allows an individual to better understand their interpersonal concerns, and to develop new ways of relating to people.

  • In a climate of trust, individuals feel free to care about and help each other. New members are often amazed at how much their contributions help other members.  In turn, by helping others, we learn about and help ourselves.

What are the benefits of group counseling?

In a group, you can find many benefits including:

  • Learn more about how others see you
  • Find that you no longer have to feel lonely about your difficulties, because there are others who are struggling also
  • Experience how emotionally comforting the support of others can be in your life
  • Here what methods others in your situation have used to either help or hurt them in there pursuit for getting through their problems
  • Feel what is like to strengthen and improve the lives of your fellow groups members in giving them advice and ideas
  • Feel the freedom of finding out how to constructively express what you are feeling about yourself, others, and the world. 
  • Learn to find similar support in your life outside of group counseling.