My work with groups

Group therapy allows you to work through your individual material whilst also exploring how you behave in a collective. This kind of therapy can be both challenging and deeply rewarding.

I run what are called ‘slow open’ groups which means I bring in new members at certain points, and people sometimes leave. Group members stay for at least 6 months, though many stay for years. This kind of group has a family feeling.

As Irvin Yalom states, groups can offer: “a sense of being in a family, only this time a more accepting and loving one.” (Yalom, 2005, p.84) As with all families, ruptures and misunderstandings occur. When this happens, I don’t see it as something going wrong. I see it as a healthy stage in the group’s growth and I encourage members to be self-reflective, and to work through issues in the here and now of the therapeutic space. This process offers learning and healing – especially for those who’ve not had the experience of ‘healthy repair’ after a rupture in their personal lives. This practice can also build a sense of resilience in relationships outside therapy.

The group also invites members to hold roles for each other and to notice what it feels like doing so. This can be enlightening and surprising.

The structure of a group session

Sessions start with a check in. This is followed by a warm up, some kind of therapeutic work in action and we always end sitting down and reflecting on the work we’ve done together.

Material tends to arise organically. Themes can permeate sessions over many months and group members tend to find that their own personal material is evoked within these broader themes. Examples of themes explored might be: identity, belonging, exploring notions of home, intimacy, connection and building resilience in a world that can feel polarising and unpredictable. 

Yalom writes that, provided the group members: “experience one another with as much spontaneity and honesty as possible” and that they “reflect back” to each other about this experience, that... “over time, the client’s deeply held beliefs will change.” (Yalom, 2005, p.30) Through ensuring a robust container for the work, I’m able to encourage group members to challenge each other with honesty and compassion.

Please get in touch to inquire about my availability for group sessions.