Group Therapy

Group therapy can help you become the partner, parent, friend, professional you want to be.

Group Therapy, Salt Lake City, DMV, Virginia, Washington DC

Group is a great option for you if….

  • You find relationships stressful, but you don’t understand why or how to make them better.

  • You become reactive or lash out in relationships.

  • You withdraw or pull away from people when things get difficult.

  • You feel the need to be in control in your relationships.

  • You are a people-pleaser, or it’s hard for you to speak up and assert yourself in your relationships.

  • You struggle to be curious and listen when you don’t agree with what is being said.

  • You’re lonely, and you want to change that

“Often times our interpersonal patterns are like a metal rod — unyielding. The only way to bend it is to heat it up. Group therapy brings that heat.”

- Dr. Laura Kasper

Create Satisfying Relationships

Group therapy is a weekly confidential gathering of 6-8 people who are here working on the same thing…becoming more emotionally intelligent, self-aware, and capable of having (and enjoying) deeply satisfying and effective relationships.

If you want to improve your relationships with romantic partners, friends, parents, colleagues, or your children - group therapy is often a better option than individual therapy.

Life happens fast! When interactions go sideways, it’s often hard to recognize what happened, let alone go back and try to understand it.

People tend to show up in groups the same way they show up in life. So as you interact with each other in group similar patterns will emerge. As you run into interpersonal roadblocks, we can all slow down together, work to understand what is happening, and try again.

You'll learn about your long-standing interpersonal patterns in addition to how both culture and your relationship history have shaped those patterns.

Imagine a place where your true feelings (anger, joy, boredom, relief, annoyance) are not only welcome, but expected. Where your real reaction, thought or feeling is valued. Group therapy is place to learn how you are experienced by others, and vice versa. to learn what works and what doesn’t when you are trying to love and be loved. It is true freedom to get to a point where you know what you are feeling in the moment, and able to communicate it in a way that can be received by others, no matter what it is.

Group can serve as a weekly practice session for the relationships you want to have. It is much like having a consistent opportunity to get the do-over that is less available in daily living. This is a process that can help many grow and be able to show up differently in outside relationships.

Group Therapy, Salt Lake City, DMV, Washington DC, Virginia

Insights & Skills Gained in Group

  • Insight into the way others perceive you, and what they really think and feel as you interact with them

  • Skills to recognize and navigate your thoughts and feelings while facing other people’s reactions

  • Insight into what triggers you emotionally and how those triggers are influenced by relationship history and culture

  • Insight into how you respond or behave when you’re triggered (i.e. withdrawing or lashing out) and how that impacts your ongoing connections with others

  • Insight into how you regulate your feelings and skills to communicate them productively

  • Skills to give feedback to others and help them understand you better

  • Skills to connect effectively with others when you have differences

How Does Group Work

  • Group therapy is full of smart, successful, interesting, and caring people who struggle in similar ways, and just like you, are looking to become more emotionally intelligent, self-aware and have better relationships.

    Groups are inclusive. People of any gender, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, professional and financial background, relationship status and type, and age (usually from mid 20s to mid 50s).

    Groups can include up to 10 people.

  • Groups meet weekly, in person.

  • Wednesdays 12:00pm - 1:15pm

    Wednesdays 4:30pm - 5:15pm

    If you can't attend either of my current groups, but you'd still like to work with me, please fill out this form and I’ll get in touch.

  • Group therapy is a highly effective method of making changes in your interpersonal patterns. Since you have developed these patterns for a while, you will need time to change them. I take people in my groups who are ready to commit themselves to being in group for at least a year or two. Many people get so much by being in a group they stay much longer.

  • Fee is $125 per person / per session. Payment is charged to a credit card on file at the beginning of the month.

    You can receive statements to submit to your insurance company for out-of-network reimbursement.

  • Consistent attendance is how you will get the most out of group therapy. Like committing to a fitness goal (which you need to show up at the gym regularly to achieve), the same is true for your emotional and “social fitness.” Attending group therapy consistently (both showing up and being on time) is the best way to see results. Life does happen, though, so of course you can miss a group if needed.

  • I highly encourage people to have done at least some individual work – ideally individual therapy – before entering group therapy. Having an established sense of self and sufficient self-awareness is important to fully benefit from group therapy.

  • Members are encouraged to bring in emotional and relational dynamics that are happening in their lives to be worked on and addressed in the group. This can include any stressful work, romantic, familial, or friendship situation. It can also include discussing the positive aspects of life.

    Members share their thoughts and feelings, about themselves and other members in reaction to what’s being discussed. Curiosity about what you are feeling, or what a fellow group member is feeling is always encouraged over an attempt to be helpful or give advice. Each member’s honest experience in the moment, expressed in the spirit of curiosity is the most effective agent of lasting change.

    By expressing thoughts and feelings as they come up, members can learn what their typical reactions are and begin to understand which reactions build or get in the way of connection by hearing feedback from each other. The group leader will help members to both express and receive real and in-the moment feelings with each other and move toward open communication and connection.

    Members often encourage each other to put unpleasant or more socially risky thoughts and feelings into words, since they are typically more difficult to share with others and cause us the most emotional and interpersonal challenges. This might include feeling annoyed, bored, jealous, insecure or competitive, or having judgmental/critical thoughts or reactions. This allows for an honest and open environment where all feelings are welcomed.

    The group leader will be there to facilitate as group members navigate these brave, awkward or difficult conversations, and help members learn to do honest feelings in a way that builds connection.

    Members are encouraged to get curious about actions other members might be engaged in, such as frequent tardiness, not attending, being more withdrawn or quiet than usual, etc. as these might reflect feelings members aren’t fully aware of or are uncomfortable expressing without your feedback.

Want to know more about group therapy?

Schedule a 15 minute consultation with me to:

  • Help you figure out if group is a good fit for you

  • Find out if you feel comfortable with me

  • Talk about other options if group doesn’t feel like the right fit.