PSYCHOTHERAPY

The American Psychological Association offers this formal definition of psychotherapy:

“Psychotherapy is the informed and intentional application of clinical

methods and interpersonal stances derived from established psychological
principles for the purpose of assisting people to modify their behaviors,
cognitions, emotions, and/or other personal characteristics in directions that
the participants deem desirable.”

Essentially what this means is that of psychotherapy involves the use of

psychological principles applied by an individual who is formally trained in the use of
these principles to assist others in modifying their behavior or thinking, or in dealing
with their emotions or with other significant events/issues.

References to using various types of talking cures have been found as far back as
ancient Greece. English psychiatrist Walter Cooper Dendy introduced the term psycho-
threpeia in the 1850s to describe a type of talking treatment. The person that is generally
acknowledged as the founder of modern psychotherapy is Sigmund Freud. Freud
developed psychoanalysis around the beginning of the 20th century, and following his
work, many other schools of therapy were formed.

1. INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
Individual therapy consists of a therapeutic situation where one individual (termed
the client for purposes of this article) is involved in the therapeutic process with at least
one therapist. A therapist can be anyone professionally trained in the use of therapy,
including a psychologist, social worker, counselor, psychiatrist, marriage and family
counselor, etc. For the purposes of this article, we will define the therapist as someone
who has received formal training in therapy and is licensed by the state they practice to
do therapy. Thus, therapy differs from getting advice from friends, family,
acquaintances, etc., as it is a professional service provided by a trained professional.

2. GROUP THERAPY
Group therapy is generally acknowledged as beginning when the physician J. H.
Pratt began group sessions to instruct individuals in the care of tuberculosis. Pratt found
that the groups benefited the members emotionally due to supporting one another in
shared experiences. Pratt eventually began referring to his sessions as group
psychotherapy. Group psychotherapy began to increase in popularity following World
War II when groups of combat veterans were treated together, and specific benefits from
these group sessions were observed.

Group therapy is loosely defined as having more than one client treated at the
same time by at least one therapist. Some groups will have more than one therapist; if
this is the case, most often, there are two therapists addressing the group at the same
time and very rarely more than that. Group sizes can vary depending on the type of
group therapy being employed. For example, couples therapy, a type of group therapy
that typically treats romantic partners, consists of two clients (most often), whereas
certain types of groups, such as substance abuse groups, may feature 10-12 clients in a
session. Researchers who study the effectiveness of group therapy generally
recommend that the ideal maximum number of clients in a group is somewhere between
6 and 12; however, some groups have even larger numbers of clients in them.

Situation under which group therapy is more effective than individual therapy:

 Individual therapy is typically more expensive than group therapy.

 Some clients may have a strong need to identify with other individuals who
share similar problems/issues. This need can be best addressed in a group
situation.
 Clients in individual therapy need to be motivated and are obviously in the
spotlight. Clients who are not committed to changing, doing the work, and
applying principles learned in therapy may struggle when they are the center of
attention.
 The research supports the notion that individual therapy is generally effective
for treating most nearly every different psychological disorder, condition, and
problem that is generally addressed in a therapeutic environment.

There are a number of advantages to being involved in group therapy. However, it

is important to note that many of these advantages represent actual strengths of the
group process as opposed to trying to make and evaluate a comparison that group
therapy is better than individual therapy.

ADVANTAGES

Some of the advantages that occur in group therapy include:

 Group therapy assures individuals that they are not alone and that other
individuals share similar problems and struggles. The famous psychiatrist Dr.
Irvin David Yalom, one of the acknowledged gurus of group therapy, terms this
the principle of universality.

 Group therapy offers the opportunity to both receive support from others and to
give support to others. Both of these notions are important in treatment.
Receiving support from others is part of the bonding or therapeutic alliance that
occurs in groups, whereas giving support to others allows for growth and
learning.
  The therapeutic alliance that occurs in groups is broader than the alliance that
occurs in individual therapy. This allows for the incorporation of many different
points of view.

 Group therapy helps individuals develop communication skills and socialization

skills, and allows clients to learn how to express their issues and accept criticism
from others.

 Group therapy allows individuals to develop self-awareness by listening to

others with similar issues.

 Sharing one’s experiences with others with similar problems is often itself
therapeutic.

 Group therapy provides a broad safety net for individuals who may otherwise
be hesitant to discuss their feelings, perceived weaknesses, etc.

 Individuals in group therapy can model the successful behaviors of other

individuals who have gone through similar experiences. Modeling is a form of
learning where individuals learn by copying or imitating the actions of others.

 Group therapy is typically less expensive than individual therapy.

In my opinion group therapy is more effective and useful but in general, the
research finds that both group therapy and individual therapy are relatively equivalent
in their effectiveness in addressing a large number of issues. Thus, there is no real
answer to the question of which is better.

This is an individual choice that can be made by clients who are able to try both
types of therapy and decide for themselves which is best for them.

The best-case scenario is to try and get involved in both types of therapy at the
same time. Unfortunately, this can be relatively expensive and time-consuming for
some individuals.

Nonetheless, both formats of therapy have advantages and disadvantages. Deciding

on which one to engage in is a personal choice that depends on one’s personal issues,
goals, and the types of therapists/groups that are available.

Thank You.