The Centre at present has two psychotherapy groups, each of which meets once or twice a week and is conducted by a specially trained Group Analyst.
A person may be offered a place in one of these groups or in a counselling group at the time of the first appointment, as described above, or after a period of time working in individual therapy.
Normally, the psychotherapy groups would be regarded as a place for longer-term therapy.
Being in Group Therapy is a good way of working out what can go wrong in relationships and provides a safe space to help you explore and understand these issues. It will give you an opportunity to learn more about yourself and how to relate to others.
The thought of talking about oneself in a group can be scary, but people who have joined the group have found it to be an empowering experience. We often think that talking about issues that are worrying us will leave us exposed and vulnerable. However, everyone in the group feels this way in the beginning and it does take time to feel safe enough to talk openly.
Being with other people who have had similar experiences, who can share and understand such feelings, even the difficult ones, can be extremely re-assuring. With this support, it helps one to feel less lonely and isolated.
The Group is led by an experienced Group Analytic Therapist trained to listen and to help the group explore their feelings, thoughts, behaviours and to interact in a safe, confidential and non-judgmental way.
The aim of Group Therapy is to enable each member of the group to have greater awareness and understanding which encourages more effective ways of coping and enabling them to have greater control of their lives and to experience more rewarding relationships with others.
Group counselling is normally a short-term option. A person may take a place in a counselling group and feel after a short time that this is sufficient. Or the group may be regarded as a place where useful work may be done while waiting for a place in longer-term individual therapy, or on one of the psychotherapy groups.
