If you struggle with addiction or mental health issues, you are not alone. According to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 23.1% of adults 18 and older experienced any mental illness (AMI) in the past year. In addition, 17.3% of people 12 and older had a substance use disorder (SUD) in 2022.
Peer support during treatment, such as psychoeducational group therapy, allows you to share your experiences with others in similar situations. At Buckhead Behavioral Health, we understand the value of group therapy during our outpatient treatment in Atlanta.
What Is the Purpose of Group Therapy?
The purpose of group therapy is to bring peers together to work through similar issues under the guidance of a professional therapist. Group therapy involves targeting specific problems, improving life skills, or building coping mechanisms. For instance, a group could be structured around coping with grief or learning how to build healthy relationships.
Thus, during group therapy, you still get professional counseling from a therapist and also learn from peers. Although group therapy has some similarities with peer support groups, like Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous, there are some differences as well.
Is Group Therapy the Same as a Support Group?
Group therapy is not the same as a support group due to one key difference: the guidance of a licensed therapist. Thus, while peer support is a primary component of both, a support group is entirely peer-led. On the other hand, group therapy is facilitated by a mental health or addiction treatment professional.
In addition, most support groups discourage cross-talk or commenting on anything another member discusses. However, during group therapy, peers can offer feedback moderated by the therapist to ensure that it is helpful or relevant. Your group therapist will also prompt you to speak and share to keep the conversation flowing.
Types of Group Therapy Buckhead Offers
Buckhead Behavioral Health offers several types of group therapy for both substance abuse and mental health disorders. These groups are based on topics, skills, and therapeutic modalities.
Psychoeducational Groups
Psychoeducational group therapy is formatted more like a classroom, where an instructor discusses specific topics per session. Topics can vary from session to session, such as coping with uncomfortable emotions and the disease model of addiction. These sessions involve less sharing and more instruction.
Skill Development Groups
Skill development groups focus on specific skills to help you cope with stressors and relapse triggers. These groups could also be focused on building social skills, as you have the opportunity to role-play with your peers.
Process Groups
Process groups at Buckhead Behavioral Health refer to traditional group therapy. Unlike skills development or psychoeducation group therapy, process groups can be less structured by topic. Thus, peers can bring up issues themselves and the group discussion is more organic in nature.
Support Groups
As mentioned above, support groups aren’t exactly the same as group therapy. However, support groups offer the benefit of building a community in recovery and mental health treatment. Clients at Buckhead Behavioral Health are encouraged to visit the Atlanta Triangle Club for peer-run support groups.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy Group
During dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) groups, peers work on skill-building from DBT workbooks. DBT is a type of psychotherapy focusing on four modules: core mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Groups
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) groups are centered around topics from CBT, one of the most common types of psychotherapy. During CBT groups, peers work together on unhealthy thought patterns, core beliefs, positive affirmations, and cognitive restructuring.
Topics We Cover in Group Therapy
At Buckhead Behavioral Health, we cover the following topics in group therapy:
- Disease model of addiction
- Coping with uncomfortable emotions
- Relationships
- Family dynamics
- Grief and loss
- Communication
In addition to the above topics, our groups can cover a range of subjects about addiction, recovery, mental health, and socialization.
Check Out Our Mental Health Facility in Atlanta, GA
Check Out Our Mental Health Facility in Atlanta, GA
Tour
Our Programs That Offer Group Therapy
We offer group therapy during our outpatient treatment programs for mental health and substance use disorders. Each program includes group therapy as a critical component of treatment. This helps clients share their experiences and helps them feel less alone in their struggles.
Partial Hospitalization Program
Our partial hospitalization program (PHP) helps clients after they leave a residential treatment facility. While clients can live at home or in a sober living program during PHP, they still spend the majority of their waking hours in treatment. PHP programs include group therapy and weekly individual therapy sessions.
Intensive Outpatient Program
Our intensive outpatient program (IOP) is the next step down from PHP. While PHP programs involve participation for most of the day, IOP programs require about three to four hours daily. You still get a high level of support, however, you have more flexibility for other responsibilities, like work or school.
Evening IOP
At Buckhead Behavioral Health, we offer an evening IOP program for clients who need a flexible treatment schedule due to work or other obligations that occur during the daytime. During evening IOP, clients meet after normal work hours for group therapy and other programming. Evening IOP offers the same type of program as our daytime IOP program.
Outpatient Program
Our outpatient program (OP) is what most people think of when they talk about mental health or substance abuse treatment. You can continue working on specific issues or coping skills development during hourly sessions once a week or less. You can meet for individual therapy, attend a group session, or combine both.
Why Is Group Therapy Beneficial?
Group therapy is beneficial for several reasons, including the following:
- Lower costs compared to individual therapy. The costs are generally much lower than meeting a therapist one-on-one because the costs are split among the group.
- Gain new perspectives. While peers in group therapy share similar struggles, they come from diverse backgrounds and personal histories. This can offer a new perspective on the challenges you face.
- Increase self-awareness. Your peers and the facilitator can offer helpful feedback on what you share with the group. This helps to increase your self-awareness.
- Develop social and relationship skills. Group therapy can be a great place to practice social and relationship skills. Sometimes, your group therapist will ask peers to role-play to work on conflict resolution and boundary setting.
- Feel less alone. Struggling with a mental health or substance use disorder can be somewhat alienating. Friends and family members sometimes don’t understand what you’re going through. However, peers in group therapy can help you feel less alone in your struggles.
- Collaboration and problem-solving. Group therapy can help you learn how to collaborate and problem-solve with others.
- Boost Self-Esteem and Confidence. Sometimes, hearing that others have gone through similar struggles boosts your confidence to share your own story. In turn, sharing and being heard can help increase your self-esteem.
Overall, the new insights and support among peers combined with the guidance of a therapist during group therapy can greatly enhance your treatment program.
Meet Our Therapists
At Buckhead Behavioral Health, we have a diverse team of therapists and other treatment professionals to help you in your recovery from addiction and mental health disorders. Our therapists offer a range of experience and knowledge to meet your treatment needs.
Alberto Cappelletti, LAPC
Primary Therapist
Alberto is an Associate Professional Counselor who is passionate about helping people recover from addiction together with managing their mental health issues. Alberto joined Buckhead Behavioral Health from Emory Healthcare where he worked as a Primary Therapist in the hospital system. Prior to working in mental health, Alberto had a successful international corporate career, living and working in locations as varied as London, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Alberto completed his undergraduate degree at the University of East Anglia (UK) and his Masters of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Mercer University in Atlanta.
Alberto believes in the power of group therapy, the importance of education in the disease of addiction, and the ability of creative therapy interventions to enable individuals to realize their fullest potential.
Yosheika Hubbard
Primary Therapist
Yosheika was born and raised in Athens, Georgia. She obtained her bachelor’s in psychology from Piedmont University in 2010. Yosheika immediately began working in Behavioral Health as a training assistant then switching over to direct care as Community Support Specialist with Child & Adolescent Services. Yosheika since then has worked in Community Mental Health, the University of Georgia’s Disability Resource Center, the Department of Family & Children Services, Medication Assisted Treatment, and K-12 education. Working in diverse backgrounds has continued to fuel Yosheika’s passion for mental health, holistic wellness, and person-centered care.
In 2019 Yosheika completed her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Marriage and Family Therapy. During her Master’s program at the University of Georgia, Yosheika met and married her Life Partner and became a mom.
Vanessa Young, LAPC
Primary Therapist
Vanessa Young is a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor who holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Central Florida in Psychology and a Master of Education degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Florida A&M University. Vanessa is currently pursuing her LPC license and hopes to one day earn her PhD in Counselor Education. Vanessa not only has an interest in educating others, but a passion for helping others. Vanessa has worked in the mental health field for over 5 years and has provided counseling and case management services for a number of populations such as persons with special needs, sexual assault and domestic violence victims, persons with SUD’s, incarcerated persons, the LGBTQIA+ community, and the homeless. As a culturally competent and trauma-informed counselor, Vanessa uses a variety of therapeutic approaches such as Psychoanalytic Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, etc. to assist her clients in truly finding freedom from trauma and creating a life they truly want to live.
Start Group Therapy Today
Recovery from addiction and mental health disorders often feels like a lonely venture. However, you can benefit from the collective power of your peers during group therapy. At Buckhead Behavioral Health, we offer groups, like psychoeducational group therapy and others, as part of our comprehensive treatment programs.
Contact us today to learn more.
