Group Therapy: A Cheaper Alternative

Group Therapy: A Cheaper Alternative

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

filed under: cara gardenswartz

More and more people are choosing group therapy during these challenging economic times.

Dr. Cara Gardenswartz: Recent news stories in the Wall Street Journal and on "Good Morning America" have highlighted the benefits of group therapy for a wide range of issues for adults as well as children. Studies show that group therapy often has either equal or better outcomes when compared to individual, one-on-one therapy. In addition, insurance companies typically reimburse well for group therapy.

Why Group Therapy?

Group therapy is beneficial for people who are struggling with almost any type of life or relationship issue. Whether you are experiencing depression, anxiety, grief/loss, relationship issues, intimacy, assertiveness, parenting issues, identity issues, codependency, childhood trauma, or financial hardship, group therapy can help.

Group therapy can also be extremely effective when coupled with individual therapy. Often, issues and insights arise in the context of a group that might not have surfaced in individual therapy. Group members can bring such realizations into individual therapy and continue to work through them on a deeper level, moving more quickly toward resolution.

Finally, while there are general groups, there are also topic-based groups focusing on such issues as domestic violence or eating disorders.

To find a group in your area, you can visit the American Group Psychotherapy Association online at www.agpa.org. Every group therapist on this site has met strict guidelines to become a Certified Group Therapist.

Dr. Cara Gardenswartz is a licensed clinical psychologist who provides therapy to adults and couples, and specializes in relationships, mental illness, and group therapy. She has over 16 years of education, training, and experience in her field. She received her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and went on to earn her Master's and Doctorate in Psychology at the UCLA. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.

6 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

I feel so embarrassed to share my problems with other people- do other people feel that way?

- Carolyn

Posted 05/26/09 02:00 PM

Carolyn, a benefit of group therapy is feeling you are not alone in your struggles.

- Dr Gardenswartz

Posted 05/26/09 02:21 PM

My insurance covers 90 percent of group and only $25 of individual therapy

- jen

Posted 05/26/09 08:40 PM

this is a really interesting article. I think Dr. Gardenswartz brings up some very good points. There are a lot of benefits of group therapy, many of which she highlighted.

- Elise

Posted 05/29/09 03:13 PM

Another major resource for finding Group Therapy is FindGroupTherapy.Com at www.findgrouptherapy.com

- Linda

Posted 06/20/09 03:24 AM

To find a certified group therapist, You have a better chance of finding someone qualified through agpa.org. Other websites do not guarentee your therapist is credentialed (e.g. 10 years of group work approved by the national board).

- Dr Gardenswartz

Posted 07/27/09 10:41 PM