Group Psychotherapy in Pasadena

If you are looking for group psychotherapy in Pasadena, Annandale Wellness offers group psychotherapy led by professionally trained and licensed therapists who are experts at guiding clients through the challenges of recovery.

What is Group Psychotherapy?

Group psychotherapy is a type of treatment in which a small group of clients with similar needs and issues meet together with one of our licensed psychotherapists. The goal of group therapy is to help people learn to make changes to aspects of themselves that have become problematic. Group therapy also allows people to explore emotions and past experiences in a safe, supportive environment.

Group therapy also promotes insight, which helps people identify and change behaviors, thoughts and beliefs that have consistently been barriers to leading a satisfying life.

What Should I Expect in a Session?

During a group therapy session, a therapist meets with group members for about an hour each session. The therapist or therapists help manage the conversation, but group members primarily interact with each other. A particular session may be structured around a particular topic, or some sessions may be more free-flowing.

Group members discuss the issues that brought them to therapy, as well as other challenging situations in life they may be facing, like anxiety and depression, relationship issues, and other life stresses.

But group therapy is much more than re-hashing the past. Members of a group learn how addiction developed in their lives, what sustained it, and how to manage it.

Group therapy is a judgment-free environment where you can give and receive feedback about the issues you’re dealing with. Members of the group have a lot in common, as they’re carefully chosen by mental health specialists based on their needs, conditions, and experiences.

During a group therapy session, how much you disclose about your situation, feelings, and thoughts is up to you.

Group therapy at Annandale Wellness typically meets for about an hour each day at our luxurious treatment facility

Benefits of Group Psychotherapy

Group therapy is highly effective for treating addiction and addiction with co-occurring disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder.

The following are some of the advantages of group psychotherapy.

1. Group therapy allows people to receive and give support and encouragement to other group members. Addiction leads to people becoming isolated and alone with little to no social support systems. Group therapy helps people rebuild those supportive bonds with others. It also promotes a sense of belonging, as people in a psychotherapy group have similar backgrounds and identical goals: to live a satisfying and addiction-free life.
2. Group therapy reduces shame. People who are seeking recovery from addiction often suffer from incapacitating feelings of shame. In group therapy, people re-learn to value themselves and build up healthy self-esteem that’s essential for recovery.
3. Group therapy gives the therapist greater insight into how group members interact with others. The ways in which people in group psychotherapy interact with others in the group often resemble the ways they interact with people in their personal lives. By identifying unhelpful communication patterns, therapists can assist patients in learning better ways to get their needs met.
4. Group therapy provides education about how addiction develops and what sustains it. Understanding how addiction works is a necessary part of getting into recovery and preventing relapse. Group therapy also helps people learn the sober living skills necessary to get into and maintain recovery.
5. Group psychotherapy helps provide insight. People learn to understand and change their own habitual maladaptive behaviors and challenge their irrational thinking by listening to others and observing their behaviors.
6. Group psychotherapy teaches people how to manage disorders like stress, anxiety, and depression. Most people who suffer from addiction typically live with at least one other disorder, such as a stress disorder, anxiety disorder, or depression. Group therapy teaches skills that enable people to learn how to manage simultaneous conditions. 

Annandale Wellness’s Group Psychotherapy Elements

The components of Annandale Wellness’s group psychotherapy program include:

• Effective Communication– Those in early recovery may have difficulty communicating appropriately. Together, in our effective communications group, we begin to explore CBT-based techniques, such as distorted thinking, assertive communication, and family styles of communicating, for a better understanding of your unique communication style. Then, we will work together to learn new ways of communicating our feelings. Better communication, in turn, helps us to decrease the chance of relapse.
• Family Systems– In the family systems group, clients begin to understand the following: 1. What their family system looks like. 2. Their role in the family system as the (IP), Identified Patient, and how the system keeps them stuck in this role. 3. What happens when the IP starts to make progress (patterns, need for family therapy). 4. Differentiating from the family system, (if needed), and how to find a new identity. Also, we provide an exploration into genograms, timelines, and other techniques to better understand any family history of drug/alcohol use and enabling behavior by the family. 
• Relapse Prevention– This group uses both Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral-based techniques to help clients understand the following: 1. Identifying emotional and environmental triggers. 2. Practicing Thought Stopping. 3. Learning new coping skills to deal with emotional triggers. 4. Identifying negative consequences of use, and motivation to stay sober.
• Early Recovery– The Early Recovery group uses both Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral based techniques to help understand the following: 1. Problem-solving techniques to decrease relapse. 2. Change Plan and explore changes that the client wants to make and steps to make the change happen. 3. Learning to identify beliefs and values, to assist with motivation. 4. Building a balanced life, which includes family/sober friends, recovery, work, and new coping skills.
• Addiction and the Brain– This group focuses on helping to understand how addiction is a medical issue. Individuals receive psychoeducation on how drugs and alcohol change the wiring and chemistry of their bodies and brain. Clients begin to learn more about mental health issues and physical symptoms caused by their addiction. Psychoeducation on specific disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and psychosis is also explored. 

Who We Treat

Annandale Wellness provides high-quality evidence-based holistic care for people suffering from mental health disorders and addiction in Pasadena, California. At Annandale Wellness, we treat clients wanting to find better ways to lead healthy fulfilling lives free of substance abuse and addiction.

We also understand the complexities that arise when addiction occurs along with other psychiatric issues and disorders and are pleased to offer quality evidence-based holistic dual-diagnosis treatment for people with substance abuse and addiction.

Join Group Psychotherapy at Annandale Wellness Today 

Annandale Wellness offers holistic, individualized treatment programs through group therapy in Los Angeles. Our highly experienced and trained treatment team will work with you to diagnose, assess and treat substance abuse or misuse disorders and any co-occurring psychiatric or medical conditions. Our programs are tailored to meet your specific needs to achieve the best possible outcome. To learn more about our group psychotherapy program, please contact us at 855-778-8668 for a free and confidential consultation.