Okay, So Who Should Avoid Group Therapy?

Most People With Eating Disorders

For some people with eating disorders, hearing about the experiences of others may be helpful. For many people with the disorder, however, it can be counterproductive, helping to normalize the maladaptive behavior that the therapist is seeking to change. Additionally, many patients with eating disorders experience anxiety, which may be heightened in a group setting. A preferable treatment for patients with eating disorders might be a one-to-one approach of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy combined with psychotherapy.

Patients With Social Phobia

Throwing a group of people with social phobia together into a Group Therapy setting can be highly stressful and counterproductive. It's like expecting an aracnophobe to hold a tarantula on their first therapy session, with no preparation. While enabling an individual with social phobia to feel comfortable talking in a social setting  is the aim of therapy, this will rarely be achieved without at least several preparatory sessions of one-to-one Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Teens With Behavioural Problems

Research has found that placing a group of teenagers with behavioral problems into a group therapy setting is counterproductive, leading to a vast increase in behaviors such as drinking and smoking. This is because teenagers are psychologically-underdeveloped and easily-persuaded, and so perceive that the high incidence of problem behavior among other members of the therapeutic group means such behavior is normal, and not a problem to be treated.

People With Most Personality Disorders

The Narcissist will quickly subvert Group Therapy by seeking to establish themselves as the most important member of the group, derailing the therapeutic process for everyone else and overriding the therapist where possible. The Antisocial personality will take the opportunity to play games with any vulnerable members of the group, and the therapist.

What Do I Do If Group Therapy Doesn't Work?

If you've tried Group Therapy and it hasn't worked for you, examine the reasons. Have you not fully-engaged with the process; therapy is an interactive process that requires your participation and commitment. If you can't fully engage, consider why: do you find it hard to be in that kind of group setting, is the way the therapist works right for you?

Not every therapist works the same way, either in individual or Group Therapy. If you don't have a problem sharing insights with the group, the problem may be that the way your therapist chooses to work just isn't right for you. If that's the case, it's advisable to seek another therapist who runs group sessions in your area.

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If you find, however, that you simply don't enjoy Group Therapy, that you find it hard to be vulnerable in front of strangers, or if you feel you're not experiencing any benefit, it might be time to find a therapist who will see you on a one-to-one basis. Although the Group Therapy model of sharing pain and insights works for many people, it might not work for you.