The field of mental health carries years of history and stigma. For centuries, mental health disorders were treated with the use of ineffective and dangerous methods, including water immersion, lobotomies, and electroconvulsive shock therapies. Not until the 1950s did approaches such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) enter the picture as safer treatment alternatives.
As decades went by, existing treatment options focused on appropriate medications, as well as talk therapies, which include CBT and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Such therapy approaches have both individual and group methods that are known to aid in positively rewiring brain chemistry. However, before choosing between these methods, it’s important to know how they work.
Therapy works from the inside out
Therapy is a viable pathway to our unconscious mind. The main goal of psychoanalysis is to make the unconscious conscious, in order to reorganize thought patterns. According to social psychologist Timothy D. Wilson and the famous iceberg theory developed by Sigmund Freud: although our experiences and traumas are stored in an unseen facet of the mind, they can directly influence our current actions and behaviors..
A trained psychologist or therapist will work with you to find the best method for your particular concern. You can choose between one-on-one sessions with a therapist or share your personal experience in a select group. Both individual and group therapy have advantages, and share a common goal: to help you develop insight and create long-lasting change in your life. Experts at the Baltimore Therapy Group provide individual and group therapy services to meet all patients’ needs, and below you will find the benefits of each option.
Individual therapy
Clients benefit most from a trusting therapeutic relationship in which they’re comfortable enough to express their emotions freely. Unfortunately, not all licensed therapists can foster a sense of trust with their patients.
Professionals at Baltimore Therapy Group work with a solid dynamic of collaboration, to promote growth and long-term change. The factor that makes individual therapy so beneficial is a warm and sensible therapist/patient connection. This connection ideally starts during the initial intake — during which the therapist focuses on learning about a patient’s reasons for seeking therapy, background, and goals for mental health — and grows all the way through developing powerful insights..
Responsive therapists can provide helpful techniques to tackle your struggles. The result is positive, lasting change.
Group therapy
Group therapy can be a more affordable option for treatment. Additionally, group therapy, above all, creates a sense of community among its members. It gathers people with similar concerns, whom may be from different backgrounds and perspectives, which is extremely valuable for a productive, expressive atmosphere.
With the guidance of a trained mental health professional, group members learn effective, evidence-based coping strategies, while also sharing their personal experiences. In addition to improving communication skills, this type of therapy may provide different perspectives, as well as a feeling of acceptance. Group therapy can help with the realization that there may be others going through a very similar struggle, therefore you’re not alone in this.
Therapy may at times involve some trial and error. You might discover you don’t feel at ease with members in a group, or perhaps you and a particular therapist just don’t click. This can be a normal part of the process for those seeking therapy. When planning your next appointment, bear in mind that you can most easily achieve long-term change when you feel understood and free to express yourself.
