In All About Love, bell hooks writes, “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.”
That idea reflects something we know both intuitively and through research: connection is fundamental to being human. We are wired for connection, and healing often happens through our relationships with others.
One well-known series of studies by psychologist Harry Harlow demonstrated this powerfully. Infant rhesus monkeys were given a choice between a wire surrogate that provided food and a soft, cloth-covered surrogate that offered comfort but no food. Despite needing nourishment to survive, the young monkeys consistently sought the comfort of the cloth surrogate, turning to it for safety and security, especially when frightened.
While humans are far more complex than monkeys, the message is similar. We are wired for connection. Our relationships shape how we learn, grow, cope with adversity, and experience love. Comfort, healing, and resilience are often found in connection with others, making meaningful relationships one of our most basic psychological needs.
Why Connection Matters for Mental Health
Connection can take many different forms. We often think of it as spending time with friends or loved ones, but it can also be found in the teammates you see at every practice, the classmates you consistently study alongside, or even the friend who quietly “body doubles” with you while you work.
Connections aren’t always loud or obvious. Sometimes, it’s the unspoken thread that brings people together, creating a sense of belonging, safety, and community.
Community and connection can be deeply healing, but reaching for them isn’t always easy. During times of emotional distress, anxiety, or depression, we often feel pulled toward behaviors that are the opposite of what we need most. We withdraw, isolate ourselves, or convince ourselves that no one would understand.
Ironically, these are often the very moments when connection is needed most. While solitude has its place, prolonged isolation can make emotional pain feel even heavier, distancing us from the relationships and support systems that can help us heal.
You’re Not the Only One
Another beautiful thing about community is that it reminds us that we aren’t alone. There is power in knowing that what we’re experiencing is not only understandable, but shared by others.
My first son was born in 2019, just as COVID-19 began to reshape our lives. As social isolation became a reality, many of the communities we had worked so hard to build began to fracture. I remember feeling alone, anxious, and worried that I was failing as a father. Like many new parents, I had questions and concerns, but without the same opportunities to connect with others, those worries often felt heavier.
As virtual support groups became more accessible, I was able to connect with other parents and hear their stories. That connection helped tremendously. It validated many of my concerns, gave me strategies I could use to improve, and, perhaps most importantly, reminded me that I wasn’t alone.
Other parents were experiencing many of the same fears and uncertainties. We were all trying to navigate something none of us had experienced before, doing the best we could with the tools we had. Sometimes, knowing that someone else is walking through something similar can be just as powerful as having the perfect solution.
What Is Group Therapy?
Group therapy is a space where people have the opportunity to learn from a trained mental health professional while also learning from one another. Participants can gain new perspectives, hear different ways of navigating similar challenges, and connect with others who have shared experiences.
Group therapy differs from individual therapy in several ways. Individual therapy typically involves one client and a therapist, with occasional involvement from family members or other important people in the client’s life. Group therapy, on the other hand, brings together individuals who share a common concern, experience, or goal related to the focus of the group.
One of the biggest differences is the nature of the interaction. Individual therapy can feel more intimate because the conversation is centered around one person and their experiences. Group therapy may offer less individual attention, but it creates opportunities for connection and learning through shared experiences. Hearing someone else put words to something you’ve experienced can provide a perspective that individual therapy alone may not offer.
In both settings, the therapist’s role is to create and maintain a safe, supportive environment where participants feel comfortable being honest and vulnerable. Both approaches have their strengths and limitations, and neither is necessarily better than the other. Group therapy simply offers a different way to engage in the therapeutic process.
Because the conversation is shared among several people, there isn’t the same expectation that one person has to answer every question or carry the conversation. Instead, participants can listen, reflect, contribute when they’re ready, and learn from what others have to say.
Common Misconceptions About Group Therapy
“Everyone will judge me.”
It’s understandable to worry about being judged, especially when entering a room with people you don’t know. Group therapy is designed to be a supportive, nonjudgmental space where participants can give and receive support.
Everyone is there because they share a common concern, experience, or goal, which can create a sense of understanding and connection. The focus isn’t on criticizing others; it’s on learning, growing, and supporting one another.
“I’ll have to share everything right away.”
You don’t have to share anything you aren’t comfortable sharing. There is no expectation that you walk into your first group session and immediately tell everyone your story.
Therapists are trained to observe group dynamics and create opportunities for participation without forcing someone to disclose more than they’re ready to share. You can participate at your own pace and decide what feels comfortable for you.
“My privacy won’t be protected.”
This is a normal and valid concern. One of the important roles of a trained, licensed professional is to establish clear expectations around confidentiality, privacy, and respect from the beginning.
While confidentiality can’t be guaranteed because group members are ultimately responsible for what they do outside of the group, protecting one another’s privacy is an important expectation. Respecting the experiences and stories shared by others helps create the trust necessary for a healthy and effective group.
“My problems aren’t serious enough.”
Group therapy isn’t a competition to determine who is struggling the most. You don’t have to have the “worst” problem in the room to benefit from being there.
Groups are collaborative spaces where people come together to learn from a therapist, gain new perspectives, and learn from one another. Your experience is worth support, even if someone else’s experience looks different from yours.
“I’m too shy or socially anxious for a group.”
Being shy or socially anxious doesn’t mean group therapy isn’t for you. In fact, a supportive group can provide a safe place to practice social and communication skills at your own pace.
There’s no requirement for how much or how little you need to say. You can listen, observe, and participate when you feel ready. Over time, simply being around others who understand what you’re experiencing can make it easier to become more comfortable and connected.
The Benefits of Group Therapy
Group therapy offers emotional, social, and practical benefits because it gives people an opportunity to not only receive support, but also learn from the experiences of others.
Hearing someone else talk about something you’ve experienced can help you feel less alone, normalize your experiences, and reduce some of the shame that can come with mental health struggles. It also gives people a chance to practice communication, coping, and interpersonal skills in a supportive environment.
For someone already participating in individual therapy, group therapy can complement that work by creating a space to take what they’ve learned and practice it with others. Sometimes growth happens not just through what we learn about ourselves, but through how we learn to connect with other people.
Building Confidence and Communication Skills
Interacting with others in a therapeutic setting can strengthen communication and interpersonal skills. Group therapy provides an opportunity to practice new skills in a supportive environment, which can help build confidence over time.
Reducing Shame and Stigma
Shame often grows when we believe we are the only person experiencing something. Group therapy can challenge that belief by giving people the opportunity to hear others talk openly about their own struggles.
There can be something powerful about realizing that the thoughts, emotions, or challenges you thought made you different are actually shared by other people. That openness can reduce stigma, create a greater sense of connection, and help people develop more compassion for themselves and their experiences.
How Group Therapy Expands Access to Care
Group therapy can also help make mental health support more accessible within a community. Because a therapist can work with several people at once, groups create an opportunity to provide quality therapeutic support to more individuals.
This doesn’t mean that group therapy is a replacement for individual care. Instead, it gives people another way to access support, learn new skills, and connect with others who may be experiencing similar challenges.
Is Group Therapy Right for You or Your Family?
Group therapy can be helpful for people who want to connect with others, learn new skills, or feel less alone in what they’re experiencing. It can complement individual therapy by giving someone an opportunity to practice what they’re learning in a supportive environment, but it can also be a valuable form of support on its own, depending on a person’s needs.
There isn’t one right way to approach therapy. Group therapy is simply another option that can give people an opportunity to grow, heal, and connect with others along the way.
Group Therapy at ACGC
At ACGC, we believe that connection is an important part of mental health and healing, and we’re excited to expand opportunities for our community to experience that connection through group therapy.
As we develop future group offerings, we encourage you to stay connected with ACGC through our website and other communications for announcements about upcoming groups and opportunities to participate.
Fill out our Group Therapy Interest form to help us decide what the community most wants and needs for possible Fall group offerings.
Healing doesn’t have to happen alone.
