Group Work: What's Missing in Your Mental Health Journey
You have already done something brave: you reached out and started therapy. Maybe you've made real progress with your therapist. Maybe you feel stuck in a few places. Either way, there may be one piece of healing that individual therapy alone can't give you: being seen, heard, and supported by other people who truly get it.
That is what a therapy group offers. At Alba Wellness Group, we are inviting our current and past clients to consider adding a group to their care. Here is why.
Why groups work: what Dr. Irvin Yalom found
Dr. Irvin Yalom, a Stanford psychiatrist, spent decades studying what actually helps people heal in group therapy. His classic book, The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy, is still the standard text for group therapists today. He identified eleven factors that make groups powerful:
Hope. Seeing someone a few steps ahead of you get better shows you that change is possible and tangible.
You are not alone (universality). Many people believe that they are alone in their struggles, feeling shame, despair and loneliness about their issues. In group, you hear others say what you have been afraid to say out loud. The relief can be enormous.
Learning useful information. Facilitators teach skills and explain how anxiety, trauma, anger, or grief work. Members share what has helped them, too.
Helping others (altruism). When your experience helps someone else, you rediscover that you have something valuable to give. That lifts self-worth in a way few things can.
Healing old family patterns. A group can feel a bit like a family. You may notice old roles showing up, like the peacemaker or the one who stays quiet. This time you can try something different and try new ways of being in a safe, supportive environment.
Building social skills. Group is a place to practice listening, speaking up, setting boundaries, and handling conflict, with honest and kind feedback.
Learning by watching. You see how others cope, communicate, and take risks. You can borrow what works and experiment with others.
Interpersonal learning. Yalom saw this as one of the most important factors. How you relate in group often mirrors how you relate in life. Group lets you see it, understand it, and change it as it happens.
Belonging (cohesiveness). Over time, the group becomes a place where you are accepted as you are. Yalom found this sense of belonging to be as central to group as the relationship with your therapist is in individual sessions.
Release (catharsis). Saying what you feel, and having it received with care, can lift a weight you have carried a long time. We get hurt in relationship and we can heal in relationship.
Facing life's big questions (existential factors). Groups help people come to terms with hard truths: life is not always fair, pain is part of being human, and we are each responsible for our own choices. Facing these together makes them easier to carry.
Individual therapy helps you understand yourself. Group helps you practice being yourself with other people.
"But I'm nervous about group"
That is completely normal. Almost everyone feels nervous before their first group. Here are the questions we hear most.
Do I have to share everything? No. You decide what to share and when. Many people listen for the first few sessions, and that is welcome.
Is it confidential? Yes. Every member agrees to keep what is said in group private. Your facilitator sets and protects those ground rules from the first session.
What if I don't fit in? Groups are built around a shared focus, like anxiety or life after 60, so you will be with people facing similar challenges. Many members say feeling understood was the biggest surprise.
Will group replace my individual therapy? Not unless you want it to. Most clients do both, and the two support each other.
Is group "second best"? No. Research consistently shows group therapy works as well as individual therapy for many concerns, including anxiety and depression. Yalom's work shows it offers healing that one-on-one sessions can't fully recreate.
Groups now open at Alba Wellness Group
Anxiety Skills Group, Thursdays at 2:00 pm, facilitated by Jessica Cortes, APCC, cost $30/session
Dialectical Behavioral Skills Group, Wednesday at 2:00 pm, facilitated by Jessica Cortes, APCC, cost $30/session
Anger Management Group, Saturdays 10-11 (Women) and 11-12 (Men), facilitated by Christine Stark, ASW, cost $30/sesssion
Senior Processing Group, TBD, facilitated by Tonya Washington-Hendricks, LMFT, cost $30/session
Gottman Couples Coaching, Saturdays 12-1:30, facilitated by Tonya Washington-Hendrick, LMFT, cost $375 for all sessions.
Ready to try it? Here's how to join
Healing doesn't happen in isolation. It happens in connection. If you have been doing the work in individual therapy and want to take the next step, a group may be exactly what is missing.
Talk with your therapist at your next session. They can help you choose the group that fits your goals.
Call/text us at (818) 741-2906 to ask questions or reserve your spot.
Come to your first session. You only need to show up. You can share as much or as little as you like.
Spaces in each group are limited to keep them small and supportive. We would love to have you join us.