By Mattie Knight


Group counseling involves a set of clients sharing their experiences under the guidance of a professional who in turn gives them appropriate feedback, all with the aim of providing treatment. The clients vary from those in support groups to those that need behavioral change (such as anger management). Non verbal forms of therapy include dance, music and art remedies. These are some of the crucial points about group therapy Tulsa patients should note.

The counseling involves one or more psychologists guiding a set of individuals ranging from five to fifteen people. The meetings are usually held for about two hours every week. However this varies from one class to another. With the help of a psychologist or a physician (some hospitals offer therapy), one can arrive at a suitable group to fit in depending on a number of factors.

A therapy group can be closed or open based on period of commencement. Open classes take in new members regardless of level of recovery for older members. The disadvantage of this, however, is the adjustment period required in getting to know other people in the set. Individuals in closed classes all begin at the same time and move together in the subsequent stages. A person seeking to join a class is therefore not eligible for a closed group that is already in the course of treatment. This may delay the process of treatment as they have to wait for a new unit to be formed.

The number of people in a session is important when deciding which one to join. While small sized classes provide maximum attention to every person, large size units are good at providing wider perspectives on issues. One disadvantage of large classes however is the issue of confidentiality and trust as people are naturally wired to trust only a few people if not one.

Cost of therapy is another key factor in the decision making. One needs to weigh the quality against the cost as the two may not always match. Some centers give free counseling with good results while the reverse may be true for other centers. Individual patients should be sure that they can afford to pay for all the sessions to avoid the dangers of cutting the treatment short. Individual therapy is usually more expensive.

One of principles of class sessions as a form of therapy is universality of issues brought out in the meetings. At some point in their lives, every individual in the unit has worn the same shoes or walked the same path. With the newly found family, members are able to fight feelings of isolation and regard themselves in high esteem.

Members can be in varying stages of recovery, as such, those at the peak are looked up to by those still trying to stand on their own two feet. Those in higher stages do not necessarily have to take up the responsibility of those still struggling since their improvement in the different levels can easily be observed by the latter while taking lessons as they go along. Also, members may pick up information (in their daily lives outside the group) which may come in handy to individuals in the set when shared.

In summary, group counseling focuses on a given number of individuals meeting regularly to discuss issues that affect their lives. These persons usually identify with various issues shared is crucial in the process of healing. The advantages and disadvantages of this treatment are diverse and should be considered when choosing which class to join. It is common practice for the treatment to be provided alongside other therapies such as cognitive behavior therapy and pharmacotherapy.




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