Group Therapy Activities

It is usually not the first type of counseling that people consider, but group therapy is an efficient and powerful way to address many of life’s difficulties. Group therapy occurs when one or more therapists facilitate discussion within a group of people on a specific topic or a more general process. Most often, group therapy is targeted toward a particular population. For instance, a group may revolve around helping people with substance abuse or depression.

Groups are either content-focused or process-oriented. Content-focused groups have a structured protocol. These include groups that aim to provide psycho-education or skills training. Process groups may also be formed around a particular topic but are more unstructured. In these groups, members have a more prominent role in leading the discussion. Process groups may include interpersonal groups and support groups. You might wonder why someone would seek group therapy rather than individual therapy, but there are some distinct advantages. Let’s explore what makes group therapy such a desirable treatment modality.

Advantages of Group Therapy

• One of the main strengths of group psychotherapy is how it instills a feeling of universality. In other words, the feeling that you are not alone in dealing with your problems. This is a powerful aspect of group work because coping with various difficulties can make us feel like we have been left isolated on an island. Universality can provide clients with hope.

• Similarly, group therapy offers peer support that cannot be matched by individual therapy. Even groups that are more psycho-educational provide support by other members. The importance of support can’t be underestimated. It can make the difference between success and failure in therapy and in life.

• Another important aspect of group therapy is how much you learn. It may be obvious that you will gain education from a content-focused group but you will also learn a lot from process groups. For example, other group members will present ideas for coping measures that you can adopt in your own life. You can also learn from group leaders or other members who role-model how they handle similar problems.

• An often overlooked part of group therapy is how it helps in overcoming shame. Many people feel shame over their mental illness and/or their behavior. However, when you are surrounded by people with similar difficulties, you find acceptance and support. You realize that there are people who will embrace you rather than shun you. Groups can give you the confidence to face the world.

• Group psychotherapy tends to be cheaper than individual psychotherapy. For some people, it may be the only type of treatment they can afford.

 

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Yeah, But Does It Work?

The advantages of group therapy appear to be substantial but does it help with mental health issues and can it be as effective as individual therapy?

• Group therapy exceeds the American Psychological Association’s Society of Clinical Psychology standards for efficacy for many disorders, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, bulimia nervosa, substance use disorder, schizophrenia, and borderline personality disorder. And for many mental health issues, group therapy is as effective as individual therapy.

• For example, in a review of multiple studies, sexual abuse survivors exhibited significant improvement after a group therapy protocol.

• And group therapy has been found to significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. What’s more, in this same study, group therapy was found to be as effective as individual therapy.

• Lending credence to the importance of peer relationships within group therapy, it has been found that the ability to interact with group members is largely responsible for its effectiveness. 

• Group therapy also has benefits for the therapist. It provides counselors the opportunity to see how clients relate to other group members rather than rely on client self-report about how they interact with people in their life.

Group Therapy Activities

There are literally hundreds of group therapy activities that therapists utilize to promote growth and healing. The following are some of the most popular, broken down into several categories.  These include activities for adults, children, and two common problems often treated by group therapy: addictions and anxiety/depression.

Adults

Fun Facts is a popular ice breaker. Clients fill out a slip with a fun fact about themselves. Then group members must figure out who wrote it.

People Search involves a list of traits, talents, or experiences, as determined by the therapist(s). Each member receives the list and is given a certain amount of time to find someone in the group who is a match. When the match is found, that person will then sign off for that item. The first person to have their list completely signed wins. This can serve both as an ice breaker and a jumping-off point to explore the qualities of group members.

Affirmations are one of the most used group therapy activities with many variations. In one version, the therapist gives each client a sheet of paper. Clients write their name on it and then all the papers are passed around so each group member has the opportunity to write affirmations for that person on their sheet. Once their original paper is returned to them, they can read and explore the meaning with the group. This can lead to a therapeutic discussion about how others view them and how they feel about themselves.

Children

In Stand Up, Sit Down, the group leader makes a statement about a characteristic of a person. For example, they could say, “anyone with blonde hair”. If that statement is true for the child they stand up. Kids remain seated if it’s not true for them. This can be a simple ice breaker but therapists can also create more relevant statements that lead to deeper group explorations.

In Hot Potato, children pass the potato (or any object) around the group until the music stops. Whoever is holding the potato at that point has to share some information about themselves. Depending on the topic, they may have to share a bad experience, a family memory, etc.

We have probably all played Charades, the game where you act out a phrase about a certain topic (e.g., a TV show or movie) and other people have to guess what it is. Charades is also highly adaptable for group therapy. Therapists or group members can come up with topics to be acted out. For example, children may be asked to guess about topics related to their families or interpersonal problems.

Addictions

A common activity for groups dealing with addiction involves Triggers. In this activity, you have the group identify and discuss common triggers for their particular addiction. Group members and leaders can then suggest different coping strategies they could use to stay sober when triggered.

This next activity, Most and Least Likely to Relapse, is done further into a group when you feel you have supportive group members. Clients receive blank pieces of paper and are asked to write the names of who they think is most likely and least likely to relapse. Group leaders then read the names aloud. Clients selected as “most” and “least likely” have the opportunity to process this information with other members of the group.