2nd September 2020 • Sticky Post

Group Therapy, and Why It Works

The idea that human beings are social creatures who can only find fulfillment by connecting with others is at least 2500 years old. The idea that “society precedes the individual”, or that the group is greater than its individual members is a part of most spiritual traditions, including Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism. In the West, Aristotle first popularized the idea that an individual who didn’t need the society of his fellows was either something more - or less - than human. These ideas are reflected in the importance of the family as a building block for society, which is a component of practically every religion, philosophy, and sociological theory. We are stronger, happier, and healthier together than we are in isolation. Some of life’s greatest blessings are, as the poet William Cowper put it “Society friendship and love/Divinely bestow’d upon man.”

Group Therapy: Theory And Benefits

The benefits of fellowship and belonging are undeniable, and group therapy is an attempt to bring those benefits to people suffering from a variety of mental illnesses. For those recovering from addictions, the need for such support and fellowship is even more pressing. That’s why here at Tabula Rasa Retreat we have built our own ibogaine-specific fellowship community, known as the Ibogaine recovery Movement, or IRM. The therapeutic benefits of fellowship and community support for those coping with addiction and mental illness cannot be overstated. Irvin D. Yalom, author of the seminal 1970 work “The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy”, outlines the key therapeutic principles at work:

1. Instilling hope: Groups will contain members at various stages of the treatment process. Encountering people who have learned to cope or recover offers hope to those beginning the process.
2. Universality: Joining a group of people who have shared similar experiences helps individuals to see that what they are dealing with is universal and that they are not uniquely troubled or isolated.
3. Imparting information: Members of the group can help each other by sharing useful information and strategies.
4. Giving back: Members of the group can share their strengths to help others, boosting confidence and self-esteem.
5. Exploring the role of family, and dealing with family issues: Therapy groups are like a family in many ways. Within the group, members will explore how formative experiences contribute to personality and behavior. This can teach members to avoid habits, patterns, and behaviors that are destructive and self-defeating in life.
6. Learning healthy ways to socialize: The group is an ideal place to work on new habits and behaviors. In a safe and supportive setting, group members can experiment without the fear of failure.
7. Imitating behaviors: Participants can model the actions, habits, and behaviors of other members, or watch and attempt to mimic the behavior of the therapist.
8. Interpersonal learning: By conversing and interacting with other people while receiving feedback from their fellows and the therapist, those in the group can reach a greater knowledge of themselves.
9. Group cohesion: Because members in a group are united in striving towards a common goal, members will benefit from a sense of acceptance and belonging.
10. Catharsis: Sharing difficult emotions and traumatic experiences with a group of one’s peers can help one to let go of pain, guilt, or stress.
11. Existential development: Being a member of a group can offer support and guidance, but group therapy also helps participants realize that they are ultimately responsible for their own lives, actions, and choices.

Group Therapy and Addiction

Addiction isolates the addict from friends, family, and the rest of society. It also alienates sufferers from their own true selves. One of the most powerful and fundamental benefits of group therapy is that it offers a respite from this isolation. Fellowships like the Anonymous family of 12 Step groups or the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy oriented Smart Recovery can offer addicts an easy path towards building intimate and meaningful connections with others, a vital building block towards recovering lost senses of self-awareness and self-esteem.

Building bonds and friendships based on trust and mutual support is, we would argue, necessary for recovery. Working with others restores our strength, offers us insight into our own struggles, and allows us to reawaken the qualities, skills, and compassion that have long lain dormant. There’s a reason why 12 Step fellowships are ubiquitous with recovery: there truly is strength in numbers.

Alternatives to Traditional Group Therapy

12 Step groups are amazing, but they don’t work for every single person struggling with addiction. And it’s important to be aware of the alternatives that are out there, particularly if you’ve already struggled within the confines of their rules and strictures. In Smart Recovery, the locus of control is placed on the individual, rather than a higher power, and the participant is encouraged to tailor the program to their own emotional, psychological, and other needs. The meetings also differ in that Smart Recovery Meetings are led by a professional therapist, while AA and NA meetings are led by a variety of peers. Also, “cross-talk” (the discussion of what another member has shared with the group) isn’t allowed in AA and NA meetings, but is encouraged in Smart Recovery. In spite of significant differences in approach, each system offers those in recovery a myriad of benefits. We’d recommend that everyone experiment with each, and choose the one that suits them.

But meetings and fellowships aren’t the only ways to access the power of the many. At Iboga Tree Healing House, we take a holistic approach to therapy, and we’ve seen our clients respond positively to a number of practices and activities which unlock the benefits of group therapy. Daily check-ins and sharing circles are a great way to help our clients realize that many of the seemingly intractable problems caused by addiction can be overcome and that the struggles they’re experiencing are universal. Breathwork and daily mindfulness practice also help to foster a sense of connection and community among those in treatment, while teaching the skills that enable us to listen to others and to ourselves.

Treatment and group therapy can offer those in recovery a surrogate family, a group where they can re-learn communication skills, and co-operate to overcome the difficulties of withdrawal and the struggle to remain sober. We’re also committed to bringing the families of our clients on board throughout the treatment process, in order to provide support, facilitate reconciliation, and allow individuals in recovery to use all that they’ve learned about healthy relationships to cultivate them with the people most important in their lives!