Theory And Practice Of Group Therapy In Substance Abuse Treatment

While researching and coming to understand why group therapy is the most widely used approach in substance abuse treatment, I had to conclude some reasons why this is so. What are the benefits of group therapy I asked myself? I found some interesting answers I would like to share. In the book called “Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy (1),” written by Irvin D. Yalom, he outlines 11 specific key therapeutic principles that have been derived from self-reports from individuals who have been involved in the group therapy process; I would like to mention 4 of these principles:
“1. The instillation of hope: The group contains members at different stages of the treatment process. Seeing people who are coping or recovering gives hope to those at the beginning of the process.
2. Imparting information: Group members can help each other by sharing information.
3. Altruism: Group members can share their strengths and help others in the group, which can boost self-esteem and confidence.
4. Development of socialization techniques: The group setting is a great place to practice new behaviors. The setting is safe and supportive, allowing group members to experiment without the fear of failure (1).”

Another reason …show more content…
A person may have difficulty expressing themselves in a group of people, especially with sharing their innermost feelings and perhaps information difficult to share (trauma, sexual abuse). Perhaps the individual has a hard time expressing themselves and may shut down in a group setting. An individual who lacks social skills may have difficulty communicating in a group. There also exists the possibility of group members clashing (not that this can’t happen in individual counseling) about group subjects. The possibilities of group members disagreeing and maybe even hostilities and or aggression are more likely in a group