Is Group Counseling Right for Me? Yes!

Despite the dread that may come when a professor announces that there will be a group project, group work is necessary for higher education and everything that comes after. An African proverb says, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." (For the record, I don't love attributing a proverb to an entire continent, but it seems like many people more knowledgeable than me have not been able to trace its origins: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/07/30/487925796/it-takes-a-village-to-determine-the-origins-of-an-african-proverb.)

As an undergraduate, imagining my future life, I pictured a solitary existence and did not imagine much work with others. My imagination was far from the reality of my life as a therapist. I need a lot from other people. I need to work closely with my colleagues to consult about my therapy techniques and whether they are the best for the students I am working with. I depend on the researchers who verify that our field's practices are evidence-based and genuinely work. I depend on our team at RIH, who can treat and support different elements of the student experience. I think you're getting the gist. Life, for better or worse, is a group project. 

The learning and growing that best prepares us for the rest of our lives can happen in groups. Otherwise, we would not be assigned these group projects year after year. This applies to therapy as well. Often, the concerns that people come to talk about in therapy are related to the "interpersonal" (i.e., our relationships with others). Difficulties making friends, keeping friends, trusting others, and trusting ourselves with others, are all very human and interpersonal concerns. Getting to explore these concerns as they are happening within the boundaries of ethical group therapy practices can be a powerful group project, but it's one that you get to choose for yourself. 

At RIH we offer a wide variety of group counseling. We have skills-based groups such as Skills Training in the Application of Interpersonal Regulation (STAIR), which I often explain to students as an excellent entry into group therapy and, at times, might feel more like a class. You will learn concrete skills to understand and regulate emotions, become more mindful, and approach relationships in new ways. We also have more open-ended process groups, such as Reflecting Retrievers. In this type of group, you can explore how you show up for yourself and others and try out different ways of approaching relationships. There is something for everyone within our group program. If you are interested in joining a group, please call our main line (410-455-2542) to request an initial consultation appointment.