Why Choose Online Group Counseling?

7 Benefits of Virtual Group Therapy 

from ALVARADO PARKWAY INSTITUTE

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There are some massive advantages to holding virtual group therapy. Some of them include:

1.  Safety

An obvious advantage to having virtual group therapy is the safety of the therapist and the members of the group. Safety is an utmost priority for us at Alvarado Parkway. We value your safety, as well as our own.

Having group therapy online allows us to stay safe. On top of this, it will enable us to include at-risk populations as a part of our group therapy. For many people, it isn’t possible to leave their homes and gather with other people. Virtual Group therapy allows us to include all members of our society.

If we meet in person, that necessitates masks for everyone’s safety. Masks put an additional barrier between people and can hurt the communication we have. Virtual group therapy removes this barrier. 

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2.  Stay In Your Own Environment

For a lot of people, leaving your environment is intimidating, challenging, and overwhelming. Virtual group therapy also allows us to offer treatment to clients in their natural environment. 

If a client comes to our office and participates in group therapy, it is a great experience; however, we don’t get to see that same person in their natural environments. Offering treatment in their natural living environment offers us a deeper look into who they are as a person. 

Being in their own space also makes it easier for clients to apply what they learn in group therapy to their everyday life because they are learning in their environment. This is a huge advantage. 

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3.  Convenient

The convenience of online meetings can not be understated. We have all likely experienced this in the last 18 months; maybe you worked online, had online classes, or had regular online meetings. 

This is convenient because you don’t have to drive, you don’t have to leave 25 minutes early to account for rush hour traffic, rush home to eat dinner on time, or arrive late back to work because of a car accident on the highway. 

Virtual group therapy is often a lot more convenient for everyone than in-person group therapy. 

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4.  Less Intimidating

Picture this; You are struggling with a severe mental illness, and you are advised to attend group therapy. So, on Tuesday evening, you get in your car and drive to a new environment. Maybe you know some of the people, but you don’t know everyone. 

After you sit down, eventually, it is your turn to share something. How do you feel? Many feel nervous, intimidated, sweaty, and an understated anxiousness to open up to new people. 

Holding virtual group therapy sessions can help remove some of that intimidation. Ensuring people feel comfortable within the session will allow them to open up to everyone there. 

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5.  Flexibility

Often we don’t do something because we can’t fit it into our schedule. We put off doing something for ourselves because we don’t have the time to do it. 

Group therapy is no different. 

Having the chance to meet virtually offers flexibility we lack in many aspects of life. It allows you to enjoy more flexibility in your daily planning, and it is more efficient in the long run.

It is easier to take care of yourself when you’re capable of being more flexible throughout your daily routine. A significant demographic of people have the chance to take advantage of group therapy when offered online. We want more people to practice self-care and get the help they need. ​

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6.  Ability to Have Very Specific Groups

A huge advantage of doing group therapy virtually is the ability to have specific groups. Because it is online, you can organize groups of particular demographics, illnesses, and people. 

Having unity in the groups of people meeting together makes it easier for people to connect and ensures the discussion stays on specific topics. Often, this also helps people relate to each other easier and develop long-lasting bonds. 

Because you aren’t constrained to small geographic areas, you can hold the group therapy and bring together specific groups that you wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to integrate.

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7.  More Intimate

It sounds counterintuitive that having these conversations online would be more intimate than in person. How can having them through a screen help people feel closer together? 

Because people are at home, they are more comfortable, so they let their guard down. They allow themselves to feel, communicate and connect more because they are in their own environments. 

Feeling an increased amount of unity is especially prevalent for the younger generation. Newer generations often feel more comfortable communicating online rather than in person. Meeting virtually helps them open up more and feel more relaxed in environments, leading to a more intimate discussion. 

Do What Works For You

Group therapy is a great chance to bring people together, learn social skills, develop connections, and support each other while clients overcome their hardships. 

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(https://apibhs.com/2021/09/27/virtual-group-therapy-7-advantages-to-virtual-sessions) 12/23