An Overview of Psychoeducational Group Therapy
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What Is Psychoeducational Group Therapy?

Sometimes, you may have a child in your classroom that is dealing with a psychological crisis. He or she may suffer from anxiety, depression or an eating disorder. Different types of therapy may help this child, and one type of intervention that can help is psychoeducational group therapy. What is psychoeducational group therapy? The purposes of psychoeducational group therapy include teaching the participants about their particular condition, such as depression, and reducing symptoms from occurring again. By being in a group setting, other patients who are going through the same difficulties can meet and discuss these issues. [caption id=“attachment_130955” align=“aligncenter” width=“640”]Psychoeducation group therapy can be extremely useful to students Group therapy can help students tackle tough issues[/caption] As the University of Southern Mississippi’s Student Counseling Services points out, several misconceptions exist that may make patients hesitant about participating without knowing what this type of therapy entails. For example, patients may think they will be forced into sharing their secrets. With psychoeducational group therapy and other types of group therapy, participants control what they share with other people. The group leader will also work to make the setting safe and comforting for the group.

Meetings and Logistics

The setting for psychoeducational group therapy may vary, but generally, the group meets on a weekly basis. The University of Nevada, Reno’s Counseling Services notes that these meetings last from 4 to 8 weeks, while the University of Southern Mississippi’s Student Counseling Services notes that these meetings last from 2 to 8 weeks. Each meeting is facilitated by a group leader, such as a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist. Each session focuses on a certain topic. For example, if the group’s focus is on anxiety, then one session may be on ways that anxiety affects students in school. During these sessions, participants can have discussions or participate in role-playing activities. Like other types of group therapy, this type of therapy does have rules that participants should follow. For example, patients in the group should treat each other with respect. Anything that is talked about during a group session should not be discussed outside of the session, and patients in group should refrain from socializing with each other outside of the group, according to the University of Southern Mississippi’s Student Counseling Services. By doing so, it keeps the group environment a safe one to open up about tough issues.

Benefits

Besides learning more about their conditions, patients who participate in psychoeducational group therapy can also learn skills they can use to manage their condition. For example, if the issue is anxiety, patients may learn deep breathing exercises and other relaxation techniques they can use when they start to feel anxious, such as during a test. This also teaches patients that they are not alone: There are other people going through the same issues. Since these group meetings are keep confidential, patients have a safe space. Image by Thanks for your Like • donations welcome from Pixabay