What is Group Therapy?

Just like in individual psychotherapy, group therapy is intended to help people who would like to improve their ability to cope with specific difficulties and problems in their lifes. While in individual therapy the patient meets with only one person (the therapist), in group therapy the meeting is build up by 6 to 8 participants and one psychologist. In sharing with each other simular problems, while feeling understood and finding solutions together can be very helpful to each groupmember and lead to individual growth?

The group will meet 1 x per week, 90 minutes each session for the duration of 8-10 weeks. In order to get the most out of the group treatment, it is important for each member to participate in each meeting. Once the group sessions begin, the meetings will be only accessible to the particular group members that have started from the beginning, unless there is a different arrangement. Each person will be asked to keep the information that is being shared during group time, confidential. Everything being shared during the sessions will be treated with respect and importance.

Before the weekly group sessions start, therapist will meet with each member at first individually. This gives the opportunity to get to know each other before the group meets together and a better feeling about what each clients needs are.

How does Group Therapy work?

Members of a group share with each other, why they joined the group and what they expect to gain from participating in it. In this particular Expat-group, members express their personal struggles they have been facing, since their relocation to Switzerland.The aim for this group is for the participants to explore together and understand why they feel, the way they do. During those exchanges with each other and with the help of the therapist, the members will figure out what they need to do differently in order to find their balance in life again. Group members will also get a better understanding about what is normal and expected for a person to go through, once he/she has relocated.

There is a huge benefit when one shares common difficulties with others, whom he can relate to and feels understood, or when one listens to others and recognizes that they struggle with the same or similar things. Each participant feels suddenly not so alone anymore when he gets the required support and things begin to make more sense. Participating in a group dynamic where members understand one another and feel supported, can be very uplifting and create hope for the individual who hasn’t built up a new support system in this new location yet. 

Being a part of such a group can form long-lasting friendships. During the treatment, members might bond deeply and stay connected once the treatment of group therapy is finished. It can also help the individual to get a better understanding about where he/she has neglected personal needs and didn’t take proper care of him/herself anymore since the move. With those new realizations and new support, the individual should have the ability to understand him/herself better and integrate therefore more easily into this new location.

If you feel that you could benefit from being a part of this expat-group, please go to contact us for your first individual orientation meeting which is FREE OF CHARGE.