Psychotherapy: An Overview of Group Therapy

Group therapy is one form of psychotherapy that may be especially helpful, depending on an individual’s concerns. For many people, it offers an effective way to work through challenges and create positive changes in their lives (American Psychological Association [APA], 2023).  Group therapy usually involves one or more psychologists or trained mental health professionals working with a small group of approximately five to fifteen participants (Yalom & Leszcz, 2020). Sessions typically last one to two hours and are held weekly. Some individuals combine group therapy with individual counseling, while others participate exclusively in group sessions. Many groups focus on a specific issue, such as depression, anxiety, substance use, chronic pain, or weight management (APA, 2023). Other groups are more general and aim to improve social skills or help individuals cope with concerns such as anger, loneliness, shyness, or low self-esteem. There are also bereavement groups designed to support people coping with loss, including the death of a loved one.

Benefits of Group Therapy

Although joining a group of unfamiliar people can feel intimidating, many participants report that the experience becomes meaningful and supportive over time (Yalom & Leszcz, 2020). Group members often provide encouragement, accountability, and practical feedback as individuals work through challenges. Listening to others share their experiences can help participants gain perspective on their own situations. Because many people struggle privately with mental health concerns, hearing others speak openly can reduce feelings of isolation and normalize emotional experiences (Corey, 2021). Another advantage of group therapy is diversity. Group members bring different backgrounds, perspectives, and coping strategies, which can expand problem-solving options and foster personal growth (Yalom & Leszcz, 2020). Unlike informal support groups, group therapy is led by trained clinicians who use evidence-based approaches to address specific concerns (Corey, 2021). For example, anger-management groups often teach structured techniques for identifying emotional triggers and regulating responses, helping participants develop skills that extend beyond the group setting.

Finding and Choosing a Group

Group therapy may be available through hospitals, community mental health centers, private practices, or referrals from physicians and therapists (APA, 2023).

When choosing a group, several factors are important to consider:

• Open vs. closed groups: Open groups allow new members to join at any time, while closed groups begin and end together. Each format offers distinct benefits depending on structure and continuity.

• Group size: Smaller groups may allow for more individual attention, whereas larger groups provide broader perspectives.

• Similarity among members: Groups are often most effective when members share similar concerns and levels of functioning (Yalom & Leszcz, 2020).

• Combination with individual therapy: Some individuals benefit most from participating in both group and individual therapy, particularly when progress in individual sessions has plateaued.

• How much to share: While confidentiality is emphasized, members are encouraged to share at a level that feels safe and appropriate. Open communication supports group cohesion, but self-disclosure should always remain voluntary.

Over time, fellow group members often transition from strangers to a trusted and supportive part of the healing process.

What Is Trauma-Informed Care?

Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and intentionally structures services, policies, and environments to support healing while avoiding re-traumatization (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration [SAMHSA], 2014). Trauma-Informed Care is an organization-wide framework that treats trauma as a universal consideration. Similar to universal precautions in healthcare, being trauma-informed means adapting interactions, procedures, and environments to reduce the risk of harm. Organizations that adopt this approach integrate an understanding of individual, historical, racial, and systemic trauma into all aspects of their work (SAMHSA, 2014). This reflects a paradigm shift from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”

What It Means to Be Trauma-Informed

Becoming trauma-informed requires an ongoing organizational commitment to:

• Maintaining foundational knowledge of trauma and adversity

• Reflecting on how beliefs and worldviews influence decision-making

• Prioritizing workforce well-being

• Developing and sustaining an organization-wide implementation strategy

This commitment applies to leadership, staff, and service recipients alike (SAMHSA, 2014).

Understanding Re-Traumatization

Re-traumatization occurs when interactions, practices, or environments resemble past traumatic experiences, activating stress responses associated with the original trauma (Bloom & Farragher, 2013). This process is often unintentional and can occur at individual, interpersonal, or systemic levels. While some re-traumatizing practices are overt, such as restraint or isolation, others are subtle. Sensory cues, dismissive communication, lack of choice, exclusion, microaggressions, or cultural insensitivity can all trigger trauma responses, particularly for individuals impacted by historical, racial, or intergenerational trauma (Bryant-Davis et al., 2017). Re-traumatization is associated with lower engagement in services, increased risk of harm, staff burnout, reduced morale, and higher turnover (Bloom & Farragher, 2013).

Core Values and Principles

Trauma-Informed Care is guided by five core principles:

1. Safety

2. Trustworthiness

3. Choice

4. Collaboration

5. Empowerment

These principles are most effective when grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and justice (SAMHSA, 2014).

Building a Trauma-Informed Organization

Organizations working toward trauma-informed practice integrate these principles across physical spaces, policies, communication styles, service delivery, and evaluation processes. This transformation is ongoing and typically requires several years to fully embed trauma-informed practices into daily operations (Harris & Fallot, 2001). Trauma-Informed Care offers a pathway for reducing harm, strengthening resilience, and fostering environments that support healing and well-being.

Beyond Trauma-Informed Care: Healing-Centered Engagement

Over time, the youth-serving field has evolved through several frameworks. In the 1990s, resilience-focused approaches emphasized adaptation and recovery. In the early 2000s, positive youth development reframed young people as assets rather than problems (Lerner et al., 2005). While these approaches advanced the field, they often failed to fully address how race, identity, and systemic inequality shape the experiences of youth of color.

More recently, trauma-informed care has gained widespread adoption across education, mental health, and youth-serving systems. This approach emphasizes understanding how trauma influences behavior and learning and encourages supportive responses rather than punitive ones (SAMHSA, 2014). For example, trauma-informed schools often replace harsh discipline with counseling and emotional support. Despite its strengths, trauma-informed care has limitations. One concern is that it may inadvertently define young people by their trauma, reinforcing deficit-based perspectives. As one young person expressed, “I am more than what happened to me” (Ginwright, 2018). Additionally, trauma-informed care often conceptualizes trauma as an individual experience, despite the collective nature of trauma rooted in racism, poverty, violence, and historical injustice. Addressing trauma without transforming the systems that produce it limits long-term healing (Ginwright, 2018). Reducing symptoms alone does not ensure well-being; healing also involves hope, joy, meaning, connection, and purpose.

Healing-Centered Engagement

Healing-centered engagement (HCE) expands upon trauma-informed care by emphasizing holistic well-being, cultural identity, spirituality, and collective action (Ginwright, 2018). It views young people as active agents in their healing rather than passive recipients of care.

Key distinctions of healing-centered engagement include:

• Political, not just clinical: Healing involves addressing structural inequities through advocacy and collective action.

• Culturally grounded: Culture, identity, and belonging are central to healing processes.

• Asset-based: Focuses on strengths, creativity, and possibility rather than deficits.

• Supportive of adult healers: Recognizes the need for care and healing among practitioners and caregivers.

In practice, healing-centered engagement emphasizes empathy, imagination, critical reflection, and meaningful action. Healing is understood as an ongoing process rather than a fixed outcome. Ultimately, shifting from trauma-informed care to healing-centered engagement offers a more expansive and humanizing vision of healing; one that honors identity, fosters agency, and creates conditions for individuals and communities to flourish.

References

American Psychological Association. (2023). Group therapy.

Bloom, S. L., & Farragher, B. (2013). Restoring sanctuary: A new operating system for trauma-informed systems of care. Oxford University Press.

Bryant-Davis, T., Adams, T., Alejandre, A., & Gray, A. A. (2017). The trauma lens of police violence against racial and ethnic minorities. Journal of Social Issues, 73(4), 852–871.

Corey, G. (2021). Theory and practice of group counseling (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Ginwright, S. (2018). The future of healing: Shifting from trauma-informed care to healing-centered engagement. Medium.

Harris, M., & Fallot, R. D. (2001). Using trauma theory to design service systems. Jossey-Bass.

Lerner, R. M., Almerigi, J. B., Theokas, C., & Lerner, J. V. (2005). Positive youth development. Journal of Early Adolescence, 25(1), 10–16.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach (HHS Publication No. SMA 14-4884).

Yalom, I. D., & Leszcz, M. (2020). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (6th ed.). Basic Books.