Essential Notes On Group Therapy Tulsa Residents Should Keep In Mind

By Mattie Knight


In group therapy, a number of people gather together to listen and be listened to by a therapist as form of psychological treatment. This concept can broadly be taken to include support groups, skills training such as relaxation, anger management among others. Non verbal forms of the same may involve art, music or even dance. These are among the important points on group therapy Tulsa residents can benefit from.

Every program has its own arrangement when it comes to frequency of meeting, number of people in the unit and the duration of each session. Typical classes are made up of at least five people and not more than fifteen meeting for two hours a week. One or more therapists may be involved depending on need. There are several factors to be considered when choosing the right class for therapy.

One of the factors to take note of is whether the unit is open or closed. Members who start therapy all at the same time belong to a closed set whereas individuals who are at different levels of treatment within a group belong to an open set. Persons wanting to join a group do not qualify for an ongoing closed unit. On the other hand, joining an open class requires a period of adjusting in the course of getting to know other members already in the program.

The number of people in a session is important when deciding which one to join. While small sized classes provide maximum attention to every person, large size units are good at providing wider perspectives on issues. One disadvantage of large classes however is the issue of confidentiality and trust as people are naturally wired to trust only a few people if not one.

Cost of therapy is another key factor in the decision making. One needs to weigh the quality against the cost as the two may not always match. Some centers give free counseling with good results while the reverse may be true for other centers. Individual patients should be sure that they can afford to pay for all the sessions to avoid the dangers of cutting the treatment short. Individual therapy is usually more expensive.

The universal nature of issues discussed in the group sessions is a crucial form of healing. Individuals in the set can recognize various emotions expressed during the meeting. This not only validates their own experiences but also raises the self esteem. In addition, members no longer feel isolated since they now have a family they can identify with.

In a setting where members are in different levels of therapy, individuals who are in a better place can play as role models to those who are still struggling for cure. They get encouraged that if their predecessors made it through then they also have a chance of better people in the future. Also members can get additional information from others in the set about different ways of coping or dealing with certain situations in the real world.

In a nutshell, the important principles regarding this treatment is that patients should learn about are the advantages that come with learning as a unit. These are mainly development of social skills and the sense of belonging. Some of the challenges including confidentiality should also be considered. However, provided a good setting, the treatment can be successful. Other treatments may also be administered simultaneously.




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