5 Reasons Group Therapy is a Great Option For Struggling Teens

Individual therapy is a wonderful tool for helping teenagers overcome fears, improve moods, and explore feelings. But many teens can only go so far with individual therapy because the anxieties they have socially don’t always emerge in individual sessions.
Socially-anxious kids frequently relate well, demonstrate a high degree of intelligence and have a great sense of humor with their therapist. But because they don’t experience the same level of anxiety with their therapist that they encounter in social settings with peers, they aren’t often challenged enough and progress can slow. Here are 5 reasons group therapy is a great option:
1. Social Confidence
Group sessions provide a safe place to incorporate new ways of relating and developing better social behaviors that translate to being more comfortable handling situations in daily life.
2. Better Communication Skills
Many teenagers find it hard to communicate and tend to bottle up their feelings. This triggers moodiness, irritability, and defiance. In group therapy, teens get the opportunity to feel supported in exploring feelings and fears with other teenagers.
3. Positive Peer Influences
Peer pressure influences young people’s lives in many ways both positive and negative. But when kids are in a group with others trying to develop healthier ways of relating they feel not so alone. Self-doubt reduces and they begin to take more social initiative.
4. Improved Relationships
Isolated teens are more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression (which foster more isolation as a way to cope). Group sessions offer a chance to develop better quality peer relationships off school grounds where mutual-appreciation and empowerment are the primary goals, not popularity.
5. Reduced Stress
Stress and the pressure to succeed and perform is at epidemic levels for our teens. Group work gives them some relief by providing an opportunity to unburden themselves with peers who understand them. They learn to keep difficulties in perspective and develop a healthy sense of humor.
A New Beginning
Not all kids are equipped with good social skills. The sooner they become skilled at managing themselves in groups, the better. Group therapy offers teens a rare chance to develop social confidence and self-assurance. And that’s the best gift any teenager could ask for.
Arlette Kassel is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in Santa Clarita who works with adults and teens in individual, family, couples and group sessions. She can be reached at 661-464-0629, at arlettekassel@outlook.com or at www.arlettekassel.com

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