What Happens When Group Therapy Does Not Work

Written by: Sabrina Charles, MA, NCC, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern | Fruits of Freedom Counseling

So you went to group therapy and things did not turn out so well. What happened?

It is easy to get discouraged because your group therapy experience did not turn out as you hoped. Rest assured, it does not deem you a failure. There is an element of experimentation that comes with all therapy because different interventions, environments, and approaches work for different people. The group you attended may not have had the right combination of members, topics, topic delivery, or intervention styles and that is okay.

Here are some things to consider if you did not get the outcomes that you hoped for in group therapy:

People are not always our people. Group therapy heavily depends on the people in the group and those facilitating it. There is such a sacred trust that happens in group therapy, and you have to feel comfortable sharing that trust with the people in the group. Whether it was multiple parties involved or a particular group member, group can be spoiled by bad vibes. You may have gone in with good intentions but another person in the group still has some social work to do. It happens and if the facilitator is not able to mitigate it or if the facilitator is the problem, sometimes you must cut your losses and try again. Groups are typically voluntary if you are not court ordered so if you are not feeling the energy of the members and/or facilitator(s) after the first couple of sessions, consider leaving and finding a new group.

The topic, style of delivery, theory basis, or interventions may not have been the right fit. Sometimes we think we know what we need, and we get there and realize it is actually not what we are looking for after all. There are several styles of group therapy and methods of delivery. While some groups focus more on educating you on specific topics (psychoeducation groups), other groups focus on equipping you with the tools (like DBT groups), and certain groups focus heavily on role play or processing feelings. Every group has its own layout, and you may find that the group you selected is not the right fit. Even interventions can be variable in impact as some groups may include art, journaling, movement, somatic work, trauma work, and various other approaches. You may not like the specific interventions because they simply do not fit your personality and there is nothing wrong with this! You can learn what styles and forms of treatment do not work so you can better vet the next therapy group to fit your needs!

Group therapy is not a cure. While you may want to believe that you can attend group therapy and all your problems will be solved, this is far from the truth. Group therapy is a space to facilitate your healing and growth, yet this environment alone can’t fix everything. Sometimes your situation requires other tandem interventions or forms of treatment. You may even come to find that what you are experiencing is not best treated in the group therapy setting and you may be in a better setting 1:1 or with a different type of professional. Certain mental health disorders require specialized treatments that do not involve working with others just yet.

You may not have done your homework. Effective group therapy requires you to partake in activities to support your progress after each session. For example, if you learn a new communication tool, it is in good practice to use the tool that week in between groups so you can report back how it went. When we fail to do the work outside of the therapeutic space, the impact can only go so far. It is important to check yourself and ask if you actually committed to the tasks recommended to you or to the ones you came in with in session. Being accountable is a huge part of the therapy experience.

You went in too skeptical and with little optimism. If we do not expect much from something, we often won’t give it everything it deserves. We will undercut our process and often lose sight of the journey because we do not expect much of the journey. Even subconsciously we are at risk of sabotaging any progress that we make. Ask yourself what the mind state was when you entered group therapy. Did you expect for it to work in the first place? How do you feel you showed up in sessions?

Whether we need to check ourselves or the group experience simple was not the right fit, if group therapy does not work the first time, it does not mean just give it up altogether. Different group settings breed different experiences. Give yourself a chance to learn and grow from each one. Consider experimenting with other low cost or free options to trial run groups with lower stakes. Another option is to also complete a consult with the hosting therapist prior to joining a group to gain more insight on what to expect before committing. The more you put yourself in spaces to work on your mental health, the more opportunities you get to figure out what works for you. Group therapy may be what you needed all along! It is about finding your right space.

Learn more about the factors that shape group therapy experiences via the Group Therapy Guide. Find a group therapy experience today!