How Do You Address Relationship Problems in Group Therapy?

I know I say it every time, but I love group therapy. As a therapist, I especially love group therapy for addressing relationship issues. Navigating relationships is so challenging and there’s no instruction manual! It can feel so intimidating to try and figure out how to create and maintain the relationships you crave.

Our Relationship Process Group is a space where the group members and group facilitators co-create the safety needed so you can examine your own patterns and try out new behaviors. Interpersonal process groups like this are my favorite spaces for people to practice being more aware of your own wants, needs, thoughts and feelings, and sharing them with others.

If you want to learn more details about what our Relationship Process Group is, check out this blog. Today I’m going to talk about how and why this group can be so effective!

How Do I Know If A Process Group Is Right For Me?

If your goals are to:

• Improve your communication skills and relate better to others

• Learn how to be vulnerable and open up to others, so you can strengthen your relationships

• Set healthy boundaries, practice assertive communication, and manage conflict better

• Learn how to better attune to your own wants and needs

• Feel more comfortable being yourself within relationships

Then there’s no better setting than the Relationship Process Group. Individual counseling and even couples therapy can help with these goals too of course, but I consider the process group space a “level up”.

As opposed to learning how to attune to yourself and others and the skills needed to do that effectively in a theoretical way, a process group is an arena for practicing your skills in real-time. The greatest benefit is that it is still a controlled environment which could allow for taking bigger risks and testing out skills that might feel more intimidating to test out in your relationships ‘out in the wild’. 

How Does The Relationship Process Group Work?

Participants are screened carefully to make sure that they are going to be a good fit for the culture and dynamics of the group. Once you join the group, the group moves through a number of stages of development. I won’t go through them all in detail here today, but I do want to highlight a few major themes.

Once members figure out the “group norms”, establish belonging and trust with the other members, and shift out of preoccupation with acceptance, the real work begins! Generally, whatever patterns you bring to your relationships ‘in the wild’ will start to show up in the group.

The next step in the group development is a ‘storming phase’ where conflict can begin to arise. As scary as that may sound, this is where you can begin to notice your old relationship patterns (wanting to run away, attack, rescue, minimize or avoid, etc.) and potentially try something new! Once everyone in the group feels safe to engage in conflict in a healthy way, the group moves into a ‘performing phase’ where deep relational connections can begin to flourish.

In the early stages of the group, the group facilitators may offer prompts like:

• “I am noticing that a few of you haven’t spoken up yet, is there anything you want to share?”

• “I notice that you, X, seemed to really relate to what Y was saying… is that right?”

• I am seeing a lot of energy around the topic of X, what are you all noticing about your reactions?”

• “I am guessing that if you feel that way, then others probably feel that too… is that right?”

• “That took a lot of courage to share your frustration with how this group is going.  What was it like to share?  Are others also feeling similar frustrations?”

Practice Makes Progress

I don’t know about you, but I do a lot of thinking, reading, and learning about relationships. My relationships are what I value most in my life and they haven’t always gone smoothly, despite all my ‘head knowledge’.

For me, it took practicing all of that knowledge and skills with people who I could trust. In a Relationship Process Group, you can get the experience of noticing how your own nervous system is responding to others, get feedback about how others are feeling, and work together. You could learn about chess all day long, but it’s going to be very difficult to play a good game without some practice! Where else can you get a practice space like this for relationships? 

Joining a Process Group in Colorado

Relationship Process Groups can help you improve your relationships, and they take time. Here at Catalyss Counseling, we ask that participants commit to a minimum of four weeks in the group. This gives you a chance to get comfortable enough to start participating in the work of the group.

This initial amount of time commitment in the group will give you a better sense of whether the group is a good fit for your personality and values, and how you might benefit. You will also get an individual screening with one of the group co-facilitators who will help you assess whether the group would be a good fit for you.

The Relationship Process Groups that I co-facilitate at Catayss Counseling are focused on here-and-now interactions, open to all genders, with the same group members each week, and limited to six people. These groups offer rolling, open enrollment as spots are available. You can work with the group as long as it feels supportive for your relationship goals. If you are willing to put in the work, joining a Relationship Process Group can be a rewarding experience that can help you improve your relationships and overall well-being.

How We Can Help

If you’re interested in Relationship Process Group to support your relationship goals...

Schedule a FREE 20-minute phone consultation to learn more and get started today!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

Follow these simple steps if you are looking for general support, or if you would like to talk to someone more about how we can help you:

1. Contact us today for a free 20-minute phone consultation

2. Or, you can book directly online with the therapist of your choice

3. Begin your journey towards a calmer, more balanced life

Other Therapy Services Available at Catalyss Counseling:

Here at Catalyss Counseling, we want to meet all of your counseling needs in the Denver area. Our supportive therapists provide depression counseling, therapy for caregiver stress, grief and loss therapy, stress management counseling, couples counseling, and more. We also have specialists in trauma and PTSD, women's issues, pregnancy and postpartum depression or anxiety, pregnancy loss and miscarriage, and birth trauma. For therapists, we can also provide clinical supervision with Firelight Supervision! We look forward to connecting with you to help support your journey today.

Author Biography

Jessica Carpenter is a therapist with Catalyss Counseling who works with adults who have experienced stress, grief, trauma, and a variety of relationship issues, including communication and conflict resolution, jealousy and betrayal, affair recovery, LGBTQIA+ community, and polyamory/non-monogamy. Jessica is also a licensed massage therapist, yoga therapist, and TRE provider. She is passionate about making wellness accessible to everyone. Follow Catalyss Counseling on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.