How Can Your Child Benefit from Group Therapy?

If your child or teenager suffer from anxiety, mental health issues of any kind, grief, or any other mental health troubles, then group therapy is a plausible and good option to consider. Even though individual therapy is very resourceful and helpful for children, group therapy has been proven to be far more helpful. Why? You will find out by the end of this article.

Even though individual therapy helps children explore their stressors, emotions and expressions in a safe and secure environment, it does not address specific issues and problems that kids may face in social situations like speaking in a classroom, speaking on stage, playing with other children or any other form of social anxiety. Group therapy gives children an opportunity to interact with other children. This specifically helps children who suffer from poor social skills, inattentiveness etc. Group therapy also serves as a great source for children to deal with problems such as bullying, grief, anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.

Group therapy has proven to be very effective. In group therapy, a child has the opportunity to work on the skills he lacks with other children who may or may not suffer from the same problems. When a child meets other children who are undergoing problems, they feel comforted by the thought that they are not suffering alone and that they have met somebody who understands. This plays a pivoting role in helping a child out of antisocial behaviours and that is what group therapy offers your child.

What kind of groups are available for children?

Different kinds of groups address different issues. Primarily, a small group of children are placed together in a group, usually 8-10 children, under the guidance of a child psychologist and they either work on a specific issue or a cluster of different issues. Some of the groups include dialectical behaviour therapy, process groups, social skills groups, cognitive behavioural therapy and more.

How does your child benefit from group therapy?

Group therapy can achieve what probably even the best child psychologist Mumbai has to offer cannot achieve. Not because the child psychologist cannot break through walls with your child but because when children meet other children, that’s when healing begins. Group therapy helps your child build and enhance their self-confidence and assertiveness as well as equips your child with tools that help them manage their stress levels, anxiety and emotions.

Some of the main things that your child achieves from group therapy are:

·       Improved social confidence

·       Improved emotional intelligence and responses

·       Feeling supported, understood and heard

·       New social connections and friendships

·       Improved communication skills

How can you find a fitting group for your child?

Some support groups are open which means that children or teens can join that group at any point in time while some other groups are closed and have a pre-set start and end date. The best way to get in touch with a group or a counselor is by getting in touch with your child’s school counselor or checking with your general physician for referrals.