The Power of a Therapeutic Group

Imagine Being In A Space Like This

I have news… The group, which was started in the back room of Endeavour House, Torquay, with no participants for several weeks, has now become a constant safe space for many people. 

I am pleased to announce that my peace and ability to deliver a professional service like open group therapy has been made available to the community who have found a point in their week where they fit in. 

Now, it is time to think about the next stage of the self and professional development path. 

Since beginning work in the community, I have come to appreciate the power of groups to bypass the length of time people wait on low-cost or community mental health team lists. And sadly, with serious mental health illness, access to services is restricted due to diagnosis or comorbidity of more than one diagnosis. 

I can’t lie by saying this makes me feel disappointed in the health and social system. 

Challenges of Group Work

I feel that each person who attends the group should be given the opportunity to do the ‘meet and greet’ where they meet the professional, space and be on time as the room is set up. This has helped with dysregulated and complex trauma in the individuals to date. 

“Why?” I hear you ask….. 

We have a difficult time hearing people’s stories without the need to rescue, fix or resolve in the world. Of course, no one should witness hours, weeks, months or even years without support. However, as our healthcare system is stretched to breaking point, we have to question how limited support possibly impacts a story.  

When difficult stories arrive, it is common for non-qualified or less-than-adequate care to push stories away. Or turn to artificial intelligence, as there is no assessment criteria. And don’t get me wrong, ethical concern and consideration for appropriate care are vital in healing from within. I suggest that groups are seen as less than ideal for multiple reasons, including fitting in, rejection,  pressure and that peers are rarely attachment figures. 

Would you say this feels similar to the schooling experience? 

I do. And that is why it is created as a space which welcomes external environment experiences and life experiences of any gender and sociocultural influences. 

How does it work then? 

To start us off, there has to be a balance of influences. This means the right environment for visual and auditory reasons. Then the circle set up helps see gestures, mirroring and any irritations. It is important that language - verbal and non-verbal - is witnessed as authentic language. This formula helps build positive experiences and social learning. 

For What Reason? 

This group formula is based on reducing emotional dysregulation. I pay particular attention to psychobiological influences to improve stress reactivity. I find my strength - and sometimes somatic weaknesses as a man - is noticing autonomic nervous system arousal. This type of awareness helps support emotional regulation. When it presents in session, each person is invited to consciously pay attention to the unconscious cues to learn about their implicit and potentially explicit defence mechanisms. I am a keen advocate of using humanistic techniques to promote awareness of early development and perhaps childhood imbalance in family systems, such as middle child bias. 

What is next? 

Based on the clinical expertise from nearly two years of building a successful community group, I will be working to deliver this in the evening for clients who can afford low-cost talk therapy. The sense of belonging and the power of social situations is reason to make a start. 

I would like to offer an exercise: what does it feel like to mentally and emotionally picture yourself where friendship groups form with those who have lived experiences that are similar and different to your own?