Group Therapy
Group Therapy in Margaret River
Individual therapy is a great way to overcome lifelong patterns, improve functionality, restore relationships and foster more peace, happiness and freedom. At Seva Counselling in Margaret River, I use encounter therapy and shadow work to help group members undo those parts of themselves that are in the way of attaining peace and happiness in everyday life. Group therapy is recognised in the mental health industry as a highly effective way to take personal work to the next level. Working in a group setting with a small cohort of 6 to 10 people meeting as part of a regular structure gives participants the chance to give and receive feedback under expert guidance in a safe but also profoundly honest environment. Group work is ideal for those who have already undertaken a degree of personal exploration and now want to extend and expand themselves in a shared forum with others.
When to Consider Group Therapy
- Wanting to grow connection with others
- Wanting to expand focus on personal development
- Improve skills in communication and conflict
- Develop abilities in group leadership
- Build confidence and overcome introversion or isolation
- Personal work has stalled or a refresh is needed
Group therapy is a fast track to developing advanced skills to manage conflict, improve communication, and deepen connection with others. My mild approach to encounter therapy brings participants into the therapeutic process itself to share and reveal inner truths and obstacles that create the unhelpful dynamics causing suffering. Shadow work is a way to sharpen our awareness of those obstacles and unhelpful dynamics by seeing them in others. As Jung knew, what we find difficult or irksome in others always reveals deep truths about ourselves.
How Group Therapy Works at Seva Counselling
I host regular intake rounds for those interested in joining a regular group. Participants then usually undertake a regular 90-minute weekly or fortnightly meeting, depending on the preference, in a group sized between 6 and 10 people. Those meetings follow a set calendar (usually during the school term). Participants can join for one course or take breaks during holiday periods and resume with the same group thereafter. When numbers permit, I also run an online group for my telehealth clients and those interested in joining a regular online space to build community and develop greater skills and self-awareness.
Frequently Asked Questions About
Group Therapy in Margaret River
Working in groups is a different, but highly effective way to approach many of the issues that drive individuals to seeking personal counselling for mental health challenges. There is an extra element in the dynamic aspect of working in a group setting that greatly assists insight and growth. Group therapy takes participants out of the more comfortable setting of individual one-on-one work with a psychotherapist or counsellor. The “gold” is in overcoming the challenges to do so.
After the initial intake session, participants are urged to commit to a term of group work which is usually 10 weeks attending either weekly or fortnightly, depending on the terms of the group. There is no obligation to continue in group work. At the same time, many participants are members of a regular group that has met long-term. They report deep connection and comradeship with these “fellow travellers” even when their interactions are confined to the group session. Yet other members report developing lifelong friendship with members outside of the group setting after sharing and receiving at the deepest level, and finding a degree of trust and acceptance that is difficult to experience in everyday life.
Group work expands capacities already developed in individual therapy or couples counselling. Group therapy takes personal development work to the next level. Group therapy requires participants to step away from the safety of privacy and undertake a level of exposure that can is as rewarding as some find challenging. In so doing, group work expands the capacity of the individual and has many carryover effects for everyday life including greater comfort in social settings, improved communication and conflict resolution skills, and greater sense of acceptance towards others.
It is perfectly understandable to be nervous entering a new setting with people you haven’t met before. That’s also an excellent reason (among others) to consider group work! Many participants report the work they have undertaken in a group setting has supported them in greatly reducing social anxiety and improved their ability to relate to others in a calm, peaceful and skilled way. Those same participants cite that personal growth was an added benefit to what they gain as a result of group therapy with Seva Counselling in Margaret River.
The concept of encounter therapy arose from the earliest forms of group work pioneered in the middle of the 20th Century. In a group setting with members working with and guided by a single therapist, participants are recruited into the therapeutic process itself by giving and receiving feedback. The therapist leads the group, and in so doing fosters the capacity of participants to offer insights as well as take those insights on board for themselves. Encounter therapy is an “encounter” of the self, with the self, by the self, in the safe and trusting connection with others.
Famed Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung coined the term “shadow” to describe those parts of the psyche we reject or do not recognise in ourselves. As human beings, we are often not able to see ourselves as clearly as those close to us because our experience of being ourselves is highly subjective. However, we often react negatively or find characteristics difficult in others that we reject or do not accept in ourselves. So working with the “shadow” in a group setting involves taking those reactions in ourself to dig more deeply into why and how those feelings arise towards group members.
Yes. Alongside in-person sessions in Margaret River, I provide secure online group therapy. If you are interested in joining an ongoing group therapy community, please get in touch to discuss.
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Book a free 15-minute consultation to see if group therapy in Margaret River feels right for you.