Group Therapy

In psychotherapy groups, sessions revolve around members openly sharing personal issues that they are facing. Members talk about their experiences throughout the week and their responses to these events, or they can talk about past events that have greatly impacted their lives. Participants are encouraged to explore how their experiences might relate to the issues raised by other members or by Dr. Leevers. Other members are then able to react, give feedback, encourage, offer support, or share their thoughts and feelings with the group. Giving and receiving feedback in group can help everyone increase their awareness of maladaptive patterns of behavior, change points of view, and encourage more constructive and effective reactions. In this way, group can become a laboratory for practicing new behaviors.

In psycho-educational groups, the focus of therapy is to learn specific skills to help you cope with your concerns. While these groups may have some opportunities to talk about your experiences, sessions are usually more structured. That is, Dr. Leevers has specific topics/activities that she will cover each week. These groups may feel more like a traditional college class, but without the pressure of being graded! Growth and healing can occur in structured therapy groups if you complete the weekly “practice assignments” and if you work hard to integrate each lesson into your daily life.