Associates in Christian Counseling

Therapy Groups - An Interview with Dodie Caudill

Groups come in two main categories: therapy groups and support or self-care groups.
Therapy groups may focus on therapy or be educational but would be led by a professional. Support or self-care groups would have lay leadership and focus on a shared experience.

Why might someone choose a therapy group over individual therapy?
Individual therapy is best for complex situations or to provide complete confidentiality. A group setting does not work for people dealing with a number of different issues at the same time. A clinician might actually suggest a group after working with a client as a follow-up or as a compliment to individual therapy.

What advantages do you see in a group setting?
People are more vulnerable when they share with others and peer feedback is very powerful. It can be a very healing experience. People may even feel affirmation more strongly from peers than a therapist.

Can you explain that?
As positive as a client/clinician relationship can be, some people feel a “supposed to” sense of how they should respond, how they should react, etc. In a group, the peer reinforcement is different. A group member may say the same thing a therapist has suggested but it will be heard differently coming from a peer.

You are in the process of starting a women’s group dealing with self-esteem. Why have you chosen this topic?
Self-esteem is central to nearly everything else. When a person’s self-esteem improves, any other emotional difficulties with which they struggle also improve. People with poor self-esteem are prone to more mood and anxiety disorders, more addictive behaviors as well as more marital problems.

The group will meet for 1 ½ hours, once per week, for 10 weeks. A fifteen hour investment will provide great benefits for women who are struggling with low self-esteem.

For more specific information on this Self-Esteem Group,
please see the ad in this edition of the newsletter.