Maybe you have heard of group therapy, but the idea of sitting in a room with strangers and talking about your life feels… awkward. Maybe even a little scary.

That is completely normal.

But here is what it is: a group of people, each dealing with something hard, such as anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and coming together in person or on a video chat to talk, listen, and heal.

A licensed therapist is there to guide the process, but the magic often comes from the group itself. People start to realize they are not alone in what they feel. And sometimes, just hearing someone else put your pain into words can be more healing than any advice.

It is real. It is powerful. And for many people, it works.

Efficacy of Group Therapy

Part 1

According to an article published in the APA Monitor, research suggests that group therapy works as well as individual therapy. Group therapy helps people heal as it allows people to interact with one another and gain insight from each other.

One study suggested that peer interactions tap into many therapeutic factors. In most cases, group therapy provides a sense of social support and improves feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Group therapy can be most beneficial in cases such as trauma or abuse, where people may need peer interaction to not feel so alone or isolated. The author also discusses the findings of the book The Theory and Practice of Group Psychology. The book mentions that sometimes hearing from others can be more effective than individual therapy. This is because peers can identify with one another.

The author mentions that in a meta-analysis of five studies, Kelly L. Callahan of Harvard Medical School found that sexual abuse survivors improved markedly after participating in group therapy. Group therapy goes beyond helping people and gaining essential skills, but it also shows people that they are not alone in their struggles. Hopefully, by seeing others confront and cope with their struggles, they too will get better. The article also mentions that in group therapy, members can be agents of change for each other, and that seeing the progress of others can ultimately help you.

Part 2

An article in Medical News Today discusses the 11 primary factors underpinning the therapeutic value and efficacy of group therapy.

  • The first factor is the installation of hope. This refers to the idea that watching people cope and recover from problems gives other people in the group hope that they too will recover and feel better.
  • The second factor is universality, meaning bringing people together. Group therapy brings people with similar problems together and shows them that they are not alone.
  • The third factor is imparting information, meaning sharing information. Since this is a group setting, members get to share ideas, advice, and information with each other and help each other.
  • The fourth factor is altruism, which means doing things that bring advantages to others. Group therapy allows others to help each other, give each other reassurance, and support.
  • The fifth factor is corrective recapitulation of the primary family group. This means that because group therapy helps people challenge their early childhood experiences, people can learn what specific experiences shaped who they are.
  • The sixth factor is the development of socializing techniques. Since group therapy involves sharing thoughts and ideas and listening to others, people can learn how to communicate and interact with others.
  • The seventh factor is imitative behavior, which refers to group members learning appropriate behaviors and how to model them.
  • The eighth factor is interpersonal learning. This refers to creating better relationships between people. Through observations, listening, and feedback, one can gain more awareness about his or her interpersonal behavior.
  • The ninth factor is group cohesiveness, which refers to group therapy having the same common goal in mind. Since all members have a common goal in mind, this creates a sense of belonging, acceptance, and comfort.
  • The tenth factor is catharsis, which means the release of strong emotion. Through sharing experiences and listening to others’ experiences, this process helps people release their emotions.
  • The last factor is existential factors, which refers to providing people with a time and space to discuss difficult topics such as grief and loss.

There are many benefits to group therapy, which demonstrate its effectiveness and success. This article discussed 11 primary benefits of group therapy; however, there are so many more!

Part 3 (A Brief Look Back: Where Group Therapy Began)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5844165/

The idea behind group therapy, that healing can happen in the presence of others, is older than most people realize.

Long before therapy rooms had couches or Zoom links, a physician named Dr. Joseph Hersey Pratt noticed something unexpected.

In 1905, while working with tuberculosis patients, he began holding informal meetings simply for conversation. He gathered his discharged patients to talk about their fears, their symptoms, and their daily struggles.

And something remarkable happened.

They began to support each other. They shared not only tips for coping but stories, encouragement, and even moments of laughter. Emotional healing began to accompany the physical recovery. Patients left these gatherings lighter, more connected, and more hopeful.

Dr. Pratt realized that medicine alone was not enough. These patients needed something more human: each other.

That insight, that people get better when they feel less alone, planted the seed for what we now know as group therapy. As time passed, the concept took root.

By the 1930s and 1940s, it had spread into psychiatric hospitals, where group sessions helped patients with anxiety, trauma, and depression. During World War II, therapy groups became vital in treating war veterans who were struggling to process the horrors they had experienced.

From those early days to now, group therapy has continued to evolve. It has been used with survivors of abuse, those recovering from addiction, people navigating grief or chronic illness, and individuals facing conditions like PTSD, OCD, or social anxiety.

When people feel seen, heard, and understood, they begin to heal.

How Group Therapy Works?

Registration for Healthy Minds Group Therapy

A Different Kind Of Mirror

In everyday life, we often walk around carrying invisible weight. Anxiety, shame, trauma, loneliness. These things isolate us. But in a group therapy setting, something different unfolds.

You walk into a room or log into a virtual space, and you hear someone else describe the very thing you have been afraid to say out loud. Maybe it is a fear of failure. Maybe it is grief that still stings. Maybe it is something you have never been able to name until now.

Suddenly, you are not alone. That connection, that moment of recognition, is not just comforting. It is healing. And it is one of the first signs that group therapy works.

Structure With Room To Breathe

Most group therapy sessions follow a pattern. There is a trained therapist who facilitates the space, keeping it safe, respectful, and productive. Depending on the group’s style, the therapist may lead with a theme, a question, or a skill. In more structured groups, like CBT therapy, DBT therapy, or psychoeducational groups, there might be worksheets, activities, or techniques to practice.

But the real power often comes from the group itself.

The Therapist's Role

The therapist is not the star of the show. Think of them more like a skilled host: they set the tone, protect emotional safety, and step in when needed. They notice who has not spoken, who might need a gentle nudge, or when something unspoken is hanging heavy in the room.

In structured formats like cognitive behavioral group therapy, they will introduce tools and frameworks to help members challenge negative thoughts or develop coping strategies. But even then, the magic is often in what happens between members, not just what the therapist says.

Benefits Of Group Therapy

Here is what the research, and more importantly, real people, say about the benefits of group therapy.

  • It is effective. Studies show that for many conditions, depression, anxiety, and PTSD, group therapy works just as well as individual therapy.
  • It is affordable. Because you share the therapist’s time, it is often far more cost-effective than one-on-one sessions.
  • It reduces isolation. You do not just get support, but you also give it. And that creates a real sense of connection.
  • It builds real-world skills. Especially in cognitive behavioral group therapy, you learn how to cope, communicate, and regulate your emotions.
  • It offers perspective. Sometimes, listening to someone else is what finally helps your struggle make sense.

The Different Types Of Group Therapy

Just like people, groups come with different energies, goals, and preferences. This is why there are different types of group therapy as well. While some are structured and skill-based, there are those that are intimate and raw.

The right type depends on what you need, whether that is learning tools, sharing experiences, or diving deep into personal patterns.

Here are the most common types of group therapy, explained.

1. Psychoeducational Groups

Psychoeducational groups are essentially classes for people that focus on various psychological topics. They usually involve a therapist leading the group through a pre-planned curriculum.

Think of these as part classroom, part support circle. These groups are led by a therapist who introduces a specific topic each session, like managing anxiety, understanding trauma responses, or improving communication. The content is structured, sometimes even with handouts or slides.

But this is not just lecture-based. Group members are encouraged to share how these topics show up in their own lives, ask questions, and practice skills together. For example, if the topic is setting boundaries, you might learn what healthy boundaries look like, then role-play a difficult conversation with another group member.

2. Support Groups

Support groups are meant to provide people with a safe and comfortable place to share their experiences with other people who may also be going through something similar. In support groups, people also receive feedback from one another or help if desired.

These are less about instruction and more about shared experience. Our Online Anxiety Support Group groups bring people together who are dealing with similar issues, such as grief after loss, caregiving stress, chronic illness, addiction, or recovery from abuse.

There is no formal curriculum. The structure is built around open sharing, validation, and mutual encouragement. The simple act of hearing someone else say, “I’m going through that too,” can lift a weight you did not know you were carrying.

3. Condition-Specific Therapy Groups

These are therapeutic groups designed for a particular mental health issue or diagnosis. The therapist uses targeted strategies based on the condition that the group is centered around. These can be highly effective when you want to work on specific symptoms while being supported by others who truly understand what you are dealing with.

4. Open vs. Closed groups

Group therapy can look a little different depending on its members. For example, groups can be closed or open. Open groups mean that new members are allowed to join at any point, while closed groups refer to all members starting at the same point.

5. Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous groups

There can also be homogeneous groups or heterogeneous groups. Homogeneous groups refer to members having the same or similar characteristics. For example, all adults or all adolescents. Heterogeneous groups refer to members having different characteristics, such as differing age or issue.

6. Process groups

Process groups are usually unstructured, meaning there is no topic for each session. People attending process groups typically bring up any topic that the group feels is necessary to discuss. It is said that the power of process groups lies in the unique opportunity to receive multiple perspectives, support, encouragement, and feedback from other individuals in a safe and confidential environment. People are encouraged to offer feedback to each other and offer support.

7. Skills-Based groups

Skills-based groups usually have structured content with a limited time frame. People who come to skills-based groups typically come together to learn skills. Some skills may include meditation, how to communicate in a healthy manner, and more. Skills-based groups are beneficial as people are learning beside their peers.

8. Self-Help groups (12-Step Program)

A 12-Step Program is a plan to help overcome addictions and compulsions. The 12-Steps include:

  1. Admitting powerlessness over the addiction
  2. Believing that a higher power (in whatever form) can help
  3. Deciding to turn control over to a higher power
  4. Taking a personal inventory
  5. Admitting to the higher power, oneself, and another person the wrongs done
  6. Being ready to have the higher power correct any shortcomings in one’s character
  7. Asking the higher power to remove those shortcomings
  8. Making a list of wrongs done to others and being willing to make amends for those wrongs
  9. Contacting those who have been hurt, unless doing so would harm the person
  10. Continuing to take personal inventory and admitting when one is wrong
  11. Seeking enlightenment and connection with the higher power via prayer and meditation
  12. Carrying the message of the 12 Steps to others in need

Indications for Group Therapy

Some indications that a person may benefit from group therapy include struggling with the following conditions:

If you are in individual therapy, your therapist may specifically recommend that you also join a group. When this happens, it is because he or she feels in their professional opinion that the skills, support, or social dynamic introduced in a group are critical to your healing or your growth in therapy. This is usually something that cannot be gained through individual therapy alone, and enhancing your existing therapy by also attending a group provides the optimal experience to further you on your journey to where you want to be.  

People should consider group therapy if they feel they would benefit from being surrounded by peers. One of the primary benefits of group therapy is the fact that people can affect change in one another. Learning, listening, and providing feedback to one another are some of the most beneficial factors of group therapy.

Is Group Therapy Right for You?

The idea of opening up in a room full of people, especially about things that hurt, is not something most people feel excited about. For many, the thought alone can bring up anxiety. What if they judge me? What if I cry? What if I have nothing to say?

Those fears are common. And they are okay.

You do not have to be comfortable with vulnerability to benefit from group therapy. Many people walk in guarded, unsure, and skeptical. They sit quietly in the first few sessions, just listening. And slowly, sometimes unexpectedly, they begin to open up.

Because something changes when you realize the people around you are not there to fix you or compete with you, they are just… there. Listening, relating, nodding, and holding space. That experience alone, that of being witnessed without judgment, is powerful.

Final Thoughts

Healing is not always about solving everything at once. Sometimes, it is simply about showing up and saying, “This feels overwhelming,” and hearing another person respond with quiet understanding: “You are not alone in that.”

That is the heart of why group therapy works. It is not some complicated formula or quick fix. Rather, it is human connection, shared insight, and the courage to sit together in vulnerability.

People come not to fix each other, but to listen, relate, and grow alongside one another as they learn how to navigate their challenges in life.

Even if you are uncertain, that uncertainty does not disqualify you. You may not feel ready, but readiness is not required. All you need to bring is a willingness to take that first small step. If even part of you is curious, there is something worth paying attention to.

Interested in exploring group therapy for yourself? Reach out today, and we would be honored to help you begin.

Key Studies

This specific study looked at which type of therapy reduced the symptoms of schizophrenia in adult patients. The study assessed improvement in mental state, quality of life and social functioning. It was found that:

Group psychotherapy was significantly more effective than individual psychotherapy at improving subject outcome ratings at both 12- and 24-month follow-up. However, neither treatment was found to be more effective at preventing subject relapse, re-hospitalization, or likelihood of discharge.

This study discusses numerous studies examining group treatments for interview-diagnosed drug use disorders. It included 50 studies that reported on the efficacy of group treatments for adults with drug use disorder. Group treatment for cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, opioid, mixed substance, and substance use disorder with co-occurring psychiatric conditions was reviewed. It was found that group treatments seem to have more of an effect on improving positive outcomes, such as abstinence and use rates, when compared to standard care with no group aspect, as well as those who refuse or drop out of treatment.

This experiment tested whether patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are more likely to experience an improvement in symptoms if they participate in group psychotherapy as opposed to treatment typically offered in the community. Results indicated that “treatments that include group psychotherapy lead to greater symptom improvement for patients with BPD than treatments typically offered in the community.”