When people think of seeking professional help to heal from trauma, they probably imagine seeing a therapist for individual sessions. While several forms of individual therapy have been identified as beneficial for treating trauma, this is not the only available treatment modality.
Group therapy is another intervention to consider if you’re healing from trauma. Rather than meeting one-on-one with a therapist, group therapy requires you to participate in treatment in a group setting with other people. If you’re recovering from the effects of trauma, you’ll participate in a group with others facing similar challenges, and a trained clinician will lead the group.
If this sounds like something that might interest you, you’re probably wondering if group therapy for trauma is actually effective. We’ll explore the answer below.
The Effectiveness of Group Therapy for Trauma: What the Research Says
One of the best things you can do when seeking effective mental health treatments is look at what the research says. Before a new treatment modality becomes widely accepted, trained researchers conduct studies with human participants to ensure that the modality is actually effective.
Fortunately, there is plenty of available research that has evaluated the benefits of group therapy for trauma. In fact, a report published in a 2019 edition of the academic journal Psychotherapy Research reviewed the results of 20 different studies that evaluated the effectiveness of group therapy for trauma.
Overall, results showed that group therapy significantly reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when compared to no treatment. Furthermore, results revealed that there was no difference in effectiveness between group therapy vs. other forms of trauma treatment.
While the report above concluded that group therapy is a suitable treatment option, not all therapies are created equal. Group exposure therapy in particular has been found to be effective for treating trauma, according to the report. Exposure therapy requires people to confront feared stimuli, such as people or places associated with their trauma, with the guidance of a trained therapist.
Benefits of Group Therapy for Trauma
So, we know, based on research, that group therapy is beneficial for conducting therpay for trauma. We also know that there are some specific benefits that can come along with participating in group therapy. These include:
- Experiencing a sense of belonging
- Realizing that others are experiencing similar challenges
- Gaining social support from others
- Feeling understood
In addition to treating trauma symptoms, group therapy can help people establish social connections, which can buffer some of the negative effects of trauma.
Finding a Group Treatment Program for Trauma
If you’re convinced that group therapy is a suitable option for you, it’s important to select a quality program. Before signing up for a trauma group, it’s important to ask questions about the methods the clinician will use. There’s nothing wrong with asking about the specific therapy modality used, and you can even ask for evidence that it works.
It’s also important to keep in mind that for some people, group therapy may not be sufficient for treating trauma. Group therapy simply isn’t as well-researched as individual trauma treatments. While research shows group therapy can be beneficial, some people may find that they need to meet with an individual therapist, too.
If you’re looking for trauma treatment, Bridge to Balance is here to help. We have office locations in New Jersey and Maine, and we also offer telehealth services. Our therapists are trained in trauma-based therapeutic modalities. We also offer several different forms of group treatment. Visit our webpage or contact us today to learn more about our service offerings.
Sources:
1)https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10503307.2017.1405168
2)https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/prolonged-exposure