What is Group Therapy?

Group therapy is a form of counseling where a small group of people meet regularly to discuss, interact, and explore problems under the guidance of a qualified, trained professional.

Group therapy seeks to give people a safe and comfortable place where they can work out problems and emotional issues. Members gain insight into their own thoughts and behavior, and offer suggestions and support to others.

In addition, people who have a difficult time with interpersonal relationships can benefit from the social interactions that are a basic part of the group therapy experience. If you stop and think about it, each of us has been raised in group environments, either through our families, schools, organized activities, or work. These are the environments in which we grow and develop as human beings.

Group therapy is no different. It provides a place where you come together with others to share problems or concerns, to better understand your own situation, and to learn from and with each other.

Group therapy helps people learn about themselves and improve their interpersonal relationships. It addresses feelings of isolation, depression or anxiety. And it helps people make significant changes so they feel better about the quality of their lives.

Group works! In studies comparing group psychotherapy to individual therapy, group therapy has been shown to be "as effective and sometimes even more effective.”  For additional information, pleas read “Group Works!” from the American Group Psychotherapy Association. (Adapted from the AGPA, 2008).

What are the goals of group therapy?

People who participate in group therapy benefit in many ways: 
    --give and receive support  
    --gain understanding of problems and explore possible solutions 
    --practice interpersonal skills in a safe group setting
    --learn more about how you come across to others  
    --increase observation and feedback skills 
    --enhance problem-solving skills  
    --improve emotional expressiveness 
    --decrease social isolation 
    --develop good communication skills

Why group therapy?

Most personal problems are interpersonal in nature. Very often they stem from our relationships or from our personal patterns of relating. Group therapy offers the rare opportunity to explore and understand how you relate to others and get specific feedback on how others react to you.

For many people, groups can be more effective and produce quicker results than individual counseling. The lessons group members learn from each other and the chance to work through problems with other people who share similar concerns are what make groups special. Only in group therapy can you directly work on how you relate to others.

The group experience can help you learn about your style of relating, your ability to be close, and your personal effectiveness in relationships, and gives you the unique chance to see how others struggle with these concerns. It also offers the opportunity to explore a broad range of personal concerns ( Cornell University, 2006).

Current Groups:                                                                        

Women's Empowerment Group:


A unique and effective group that honors women's strength
in connection and exposes participants to the transformative power within each of us.


Goals of Group:
* To create the capacity to engage in mutually empowering relationships
* To help women find authenticity and voice within 
  connections
*To make the invisible visible.
*To honor connection by challenging the 'nice girl' role
  (and moving into a more authentic role)


By honoring what was previously protected and hidden, we can gain a new deeper level of connection with ourselves and others.
 
A pre-group initial consultation is required (free).
For more information: (360) 224-0110
This group is $30.00 per 2-hour session 

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A previous group member said:
"Seeking a women's group in Bellingham, I found Regan.  The notion, at first, was simply to find a mature group that would challenge my suppositions.  What I didn't expect in the bargain was to be welcomed into a nuturing embrace with so much depth of emotional intelligence.  
Regan proved to be an deft moderator, as well as, a caring ear.  Each one of us walked away from the group with a greater understanding of ourselves and a well of the extra courage one needs to tackle our modern world."   
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Please read "Group Works!"   for more information about Group Psychotherapy from the American Group Psychotherapy Association