Is Group Therapy Suitable & Beneficial To Children?

Children have an inbuild ability to express themselves and through the means of play, resolve conflicts as they arise. Keeping this in mind, group therapy for children is designed to incorporate the aspect of play like role playing, drawing together or indulging in board games. Group therapy for children primarily uses a combination of talk therapy and structured activities that motivates similar aged peers to mingle and work as a team. Group therapy, in a nutshell, is extremely suitable for children for it does all good and no harm.

Here are a few benefits of group therapy for children:

Expression & Sharing: Group therapy encourages children to indulge in appropriate activities that help them articulate their thoughts and feelings and share them to elicit social feedback that encourages them to be expressive.

Universality of Problems: Children may often feel like they are the only ones who face problems and that their problems are unique to them which may cause them to feel lonely. Attending child therapy in Mumbai or group therapy may make them feel like they belong as they meet other children who face the same/similar problems and makes them feel validated & understood.

Social Interactions & Relationships: Group therapy is a safe, structured and full proof environment that allows children to encounter positive and healthy social interactions that may result in the formation of supportive bonds and lasting friendships.

Social Skills: Group therapy provides a setting that encourages children to learn through their social interactions. They are taught how to listen, provide constructive feedback and offer their unwavering support to other children and are also taught how to receive feedback from other children on their social behaviour.

Self-Esteem & Coping Skills: In group therapy, children learn that their support and help play a pivoting role in their peers’ lives and this can be a therapeutic experience for them as well as significantly boosts their self-esteem. Furthermore, through structured activities, a group therapist helps children develop coping strategies that help them incorporate these to their daily life.