Overcome 4 Challenges of Group Therapy – Cliffside Malibu

Worried about having to do group therapy? We get it. Few people like speaking in public, and even fewer like sharing personal things about themselves.

However, this form of therapy is one of the most powerful and effective healing tools there are. At our Malibu drug and alcohol rehab center, our team helps guide our patients through carefully curated group sessions, sharing stories and experiences as we build happy, healthier lives together.

Sometimes, though, it can be challenging. Disruption, hard feelings and anxiety are just a few of the challenges therapy groups face. However, these challenges can be met, ensuring this process is effective, respectful and safe for everyone involved.

What Are 4 Major Challenges of Group Therapy…and How Are They Solved?

Treatment centers like Cliffside Malibu make extensive use of group therapy for a simple reason: it works. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), group therapy is as effective as one-on-one therapy and more efficient. The APA also cites studies showing it’s an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

But like other forms of treatment, there are occasional difficulties that arise during group therapy sessions. It can be everything from participants being reluctant to engage with the group to having stronger personalities trying to dominate (or derail) the session.

If you’re someone looking to participate in a group therapy session, these problems can make the process feel much harder than it is. If you’re conducting group therapy, these problems can contribute to burnout. Fortunately, each of these issues has multiple solutions that can make group therapy better for everyone.

Here’s a look at a few of the more common challenges of group therapy.

Group Therapy Challenge: A Lack of Participation

Maybe it’s the person with their hoodie pulled tightly over their head. Or it might be the person who’s distracted by something in the room. Or it could be the person who just seems anxious and uncomfortable, counting down the minutes until the session’s over.

A reluctance to participate in group sessions is easily the most common challenge faced by group therapy. It’s also understandable why some people are initially hesitant to engage. Anxiety is a very common emotion to experience early in treatment, particularly when it involves talking about difficult personal experiences.

Trust is another issue that keeps people from participating in group therapy. Trauma and addiction can damage a person’s ability to trust in others, which is why recovery centers like ours help people rebuild their sense of trust during treatment.

Group Therapy Challenge: Group Conflict

It’s also common during group therapy for members to have intense disagreements. These disagreements can result from conflict over personal experiences, unresolved personal issues and more.

Here’s the thing, though: Unlike other challenges of group therapy, conflict is often a natural byproduct of this form of therapy. Group therapy is where boundaries get tested, difficult experiences get realized and painful memories get examined. As difficult as this sounds, it’s also when genuine breakthroughs can happen.

However, group conflict can disrupt a group therapy session and even derail it completely. It’s why group therapy meetings tend to be very structured, ensuring that the environment is safe and respectful for all.

Group Therapy Challenge: The Dominator

If you’ve ever been in a group therapy session, you might’ve run into a person who always speaks longer than everyone else, regularly interrupts other members, and always seems to be tying up the therapist with their own issues. Whether you’re a therapist running the group or a participant, this probably left you feeling burnt out and not wanting to participate in the group anymore.

Some people have personalities that can’t be easily turned off. Without even intending to, they can tie up the therapist’s attention, leaving other people in the group feeling like they’ve been cast off or ignored. If this isn’t addressed, it can lead to people deciding not to participate in the group or even leave it completely.

Dominating personalities can affect the group in other ways, too. Intrusive questions or questions that feel intrusive or too personal for a group setting can also derail the session.

Finally, being bombarded with advice after speaking about personal challenges or experiences can feel overwhelming and another source of conflict during group therapy.

Group Therapy Challenge: Privacy Issues

We’re living in a culture that increasingly seems like it’s always on 24/7. If you check your social or news feeds, it can feel like there’s a spotlight on people that never, ever gets turned off.

This can include group therapy, too. It’s easy to worry that someone is privately recording the session for social media clout, potentially turning a painful, highly personal revelation into a meme that’ll be posted for years on social sites. No wonder many people are filled with anxiety before attending a group session.

Many of the things discussed during group therapy are highly sensitive, involving painful memories and airing difficult emotions. Unfortunately, we live in a society where leaks of confidential, private information are common. The fear of leaks and a loss of privacy can be one of the primary challenges of group therapy.

How to Meet the Challenges of Group Therapy

The good news is that every one of these challenges can be met. With a little preparation, group leaders and participants can have a safe and effective environment to achieve lasting growth.

Here’s how.

Encouraging Active Participation in Group Therapy

It’s not always easy to bring people out of their shells for group therapy. For some, it’s simply a matter of time, letting them feel safer at their own pace. For others, it’s trust-building activities.

If you’ve been having the butterflies before (and during) your session, here are some quick tips on how to settle your nerves:

Take it Gradually: Everybody’s different when it comes to new situations. Therapists understand that it’s always a good idea to let some people find their own pace. If you’re anxious, a slow, gradual approach is going to feel a lot better than being thrown into the deep end. Talk to your therapist and let them know your concerns.
Establish Safety: Gaining trust is critical at every stage of recovery, and group therapy is no different. Your therapist will let the group know that group therapy is confidential, speaking about it with others isn’t okay, and that everything said in the room stays in the room. This goes a long way to establishing a trusting, safe environment.
Break the Ice: Recovery is (and should be) fun! Many groups organize icebreaking activities before a group therapy session to make you feel welcome and on an equal footing. It can be as simple as playing catch or asking everyone what their favorite movie is.
Talk About the Upside: Group therapy might be a tough sell for you, and you’re not the only one who might feel this way. The thing is, there are a ton of benefits to group therapy. Group sessions can help you feel less lonely and isolated. And while it’s never easy, sharing difficult experiences can be very liberating. Also, however difficult group therapy can seem to you, it’s an important part of the healing process.

Conflict Resolution: Addressing Conflict Constructively

Conflict during group therapy can be unpleasant, creating hard feelings and causing people to retreat away from the group. However, conflict can also cause people to learn about each other, work together to find a solution, and explore new ideas and concepts they may have been resistant to.

Conflict is never easy, especially for someone who’s survived trauma. What we’re getting at here is that conflict is often an opportunity rather than a setback, provided it’s managed properly. Here are some ways conflict is managed during group therapy:

It’s All About Boundaries: Successful support groups always have clear boundaries. Therapy groups understand from the jump that communication and behavior need to be respectful. Also, they address issues revolving around race, culture, and identity. Helping to defuse these tensions goes a long way to keeping group therapy welcoming and safe.
Talk Openly, Listen Actively: Everybody, not just those of us in treatment, needs help learning how to actively listen, and express their thoughts and emotions openly. Active listening involves listening to a person without interrupting them, responding to their emotions, and avoiding distractions.
Problems Are the Focus, Not People: Nothing derails a conversation faster than personal attacks. If you’ve got a disagreement with a fellow group member, always focus on the problem instead of the individual.
Realize That it’s Often Not Just the Group: Outside issues can influence how a group functions. It’s why groups recognize and address these outside tensions to minimize the effects they may be having during your group session.
Encourage Emotional Intelligence: Emotional intelligence involves managing your own emotions while recognizing the emotions of others. It’s an extremely useful skill to have: Emotional intelligence helps us think before we act and makes us more resilient. It also makes group therapy even more efficient and beneficial.
Foster Empathy: Empathy doesn’t involve just being nice to others – empathy offers some crucial skills in group therapy, like genuinely understanding the experiences and perspectives of others.

Strategies for Managing that Dominant Personality in Your Group

It’s never easy if you have a person in your group who seems bent on dominating the talk no matter what the subject is. Dominant personalities can seem impossible, but therapists know how to gently bring them back to earth and use that energy for the good of the group.

Everybody Gets to Share: Most therapists start off group therapy sessions by letting the room know everybody gets to share in the conversation.
Keep Things Moving: Some of the strategies can seem very subtle. Therapists will wait for a dominant person to pause or catch their breath, and then say something along the lines of “you made some really good points, does anyone else have something to add?” By keeping things moving, they’re able to create space for others to participate.
Go One-on-One: It’s always best to let the therapist handle the situation directly. If you’re concerned about someone else’s behavior, let your therapist know. They can gently pull the person aside and tell them while they appreciate their input, it’s important to give others a chance to participate.
Other Techniques: Some groups use props like “talking sticks” to give the group a physical reminder of whose turn it is to speak. Some therapists even use body language, like positioning themselves between the dominant group member and others.

Privacy Concerns: How to Keep Things Confidential While Sharing

Issues about confidentiality and privacy are major concerns, especially for people who are nervous about participating in group therapy. It’s understandable: group sessions can occasionally go places that involve difficult revelations and memories. This is often where group therapy can be extremely effective, though.

Therapists are required to follow the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which keeps your healthcare information private. However, during meetings, it’s possible to disclose protected health information (PHI) during therapy sessions as HIPAA considers it a treatment disclosure. It’s why group therapy often includes principles like:

Security Measures: Group therapy sessions generally take place in secure environments. People who aren’t participating in the activity are kept away from the group and some groups even use noise machines placed outside of the door. Telehealth groups use platforms that are HIPAA-compliant.
Ground Rules: Part of establishing some ground rules for the group is agreeing on privacy and confidentiality, along with respect, empathy, and non-judgment.

Interestingly, some therapists seem to think that talking about what happened in a group session contributes to healing, provided it’s done with respect to the rights and privacy of others.

Group therapy is both highly efficient and effective in helping people recover. While yes, there can be occasional concerns or roadblocks, these can all be easily met. Also, remember that it often can take a while for a group to find its footing. Eventually, all groups find their footing, creating a welcoming, safe environment for true healing.

How Cliffside Malibu Supports Effective Group Therapy

Cliffside Malibu recognizes how effective group therapy can be for a successful, lasting recovery. Every person who enters our doors receives a highly personal treatment plan that meets their needs holistically. We carefully select our group sessions, ensuring our patients are matched with people working through the same issues together.

This ensures that the typical day at Cliffside Malibu meets your needs to the fullest. Our team at our luxury rehab is fully committed to your success, bringing in a wide range of experience and expertise. Our programs are based on the effective Stages of Change model, helping you heal in mind, body and soul.

We’ll ensure that you have every resource you need to craft your best life.

Want to learn more about our treatment programs? Reach out today at (833) 411-0781 to learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Group Therapy?

According to the American Psychological Association, group therapy is a form of therapy involving one or more therapists leading a group of up to 15 people. Many groups focus on a particular subject, such as depression or recovering from addiction.

What are Some Benefits of Group Therapy?

Group therapy has many benefits for the people who participate in it. It allows people who are struggling with the same issues to support and encourage each other. Group therapy can show others that there really is hope for lasting recovery as group members advance through recovery. It’s also efficient, allowing therapists to focus on a group rather than a single individual.

What is a Group Therapy Session Like?

Although group therapy sessions can be very different depending on the group’s purpose, they generally involve sitting together as a group, with the members facing each other. Each session is led by a therapist, who guides the subject being discussed. Activities like role-playing are very common.

Is Group Therapy Right for Me?

Group therapy is an effective and safe form of treatment. At Cliffside Malibu, we’ll carefully match you with a group that’s suited to your needs and journey. Sometimes, you may need to try a few groups to find the right one, but that’s part of the process.

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Group Therapy & its Challenges – Cliffside Malibu