“As two therapists with years of group experience, we have come to recognize that a primary motive for seeking group treatment is to move from essential loneliness into comfortable interpersonal intimacy. Entering the group setting is a search for a so-called second-chance family or for an opportunity to do it over and do it right.” Phyllis F. Cohen and Ellen Lack Wright, Bridging the Gender Gap: Men and Women in Group
I am committed to offering group therapy not only because it is a lower cost alternative to individual or couples therapy, but also because it can be a very powerful and effective process of self realization. At a recent seminar on group therapy, the presenter laughed while asking, “Why would any of us want to get together with a group of total strangers and reveal vulnerable parts our ourselves?” For many, it is a frightening idea.
Once again, as in individual or couples therapy, our vehicle is language. We put our feelings into words and engage in an intimate process. Inevitably, conflicts arise, and that process of naming our experience in the group can be an insightful and healing experience of self.
We are social beings. We need one another to survive. In group therapy we do open ourselves to strangers, and bring our pattern of relationship right into the therapy circle. It can be very challenging and bring up powerful feelings. I have experience with groups and advanced training in the group therapy process. It is my job to maintain safety in the group.
The group I am currently offering is Women and Boundaries. As women, we are sometimes more focused on the needs and issues of our family members, co-workers, or friends than on ourselves. We may have a hard time acknowledging our own feelings. The core of healthy boundaries is our capacity to feel these feelings, and our individual sense of voice and choice; in other words, a healthy sense of "I". In this group we will explore our sense of self in relation to others, and experiment communicating in "I" statements. The group is limited to 5 participants. Please call and set up a free pre-interview to see if this is the right group for you.
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