Ron Kimball, PhD, CGP      202-452-6257 

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Group Therapy

Group Therapy is a powerful and extremely useful form of therapeutic interaction.  It is important to remember that human beings are basically “hard-wired” to grow within the context of interpersonal experience. We are born into a family group (of some form), we find or develop peer groups, and we usually seek to create our own new family group at some time in our lives.  Along the way, we are generally required to interact with others in various ways throughout our lives.

Group therapy both takes advantage of that “hard-wiring” and also seeks to help us deal with problems that occur in our abilities to relate to others as we would wish.  In the context of a therapy group, we see ourselves through others’ eyes -- a rare occurance in our culture. We see and hear how others deal with interpersonal difficulties. We give and receive support, feedback, nurturance, and (occasionally) gentle confrontation.

By its very nature, group pulls for a re-creation of some as yet unresolved or even unrecognized family issues and allows us to experiment safely with possible resolutions. And, always, there is the support of others who have come to care and be invested. I have found that group is particularly useful for many of the men I see in therapy. This is especially true when the format is an all-men’s group. It provides support and a source of new ideas and strategies for coping with the difficulties men in particular have with understanding themselves emotionally. With no women present, the competition that is almost second nature tends to diminish and uniquely male support can grow and flourish.

At some point in the therapeutic journey, virually all of those who see me individually -- depending, of course, of the nature of their specific issues -- are invited to consider joining a therapy group. Those who accept usually are pleased at their decision.

For further information on group therapy, you can connect directly with the information available at the American Group Psychotherapy Association’s website by clicking the icon below.
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