At TruHealing Baltimore, we strongly believe that group therapy is the foundation of recovery. In group therapy, guided by our experienced and educated clinical staff, clients will build an immediate community of people from the Baltimore, Maryland area with the same goal–recovery. At every step of addiction treatment, individuals will be able to rely on those around them as resources to create a strategy for success, learning, and developing coping skills and strategies that will guide long-term recovery.

What to Expect from Group Therapy

Few things are more useful or supportive than one addiction sufferer helping another. If anyone can understand what addiction does to another person’s wellbeing, it is someone else with that affliction. In the addiction treatment community, group therapy is the cornerstone of any effective program. An effective group therapy program will make use of some inspiring and informative group therapy activities.

Due to some world-class addiction treatment professionals’ efforts, the treatment community has developed some highly effective group therapy programs. Some common group therapy activities may include:

• Ice-breaking games: Word and communication games to open people up to the group
• Trigger identification: Clients describe their triggers, promoting realization in others
• Listing activities to distract from substance abuse
• Perception games: Help clients understand perception weaknesses
• Discussion about role models (good and bad)
• Planning: Detailing plans after rehab
• Discussions about places people feel safe

Of course, any number of discussion topics can serve as viable group therapy activities. The idea is to help patients feel safe and supported in the recovery process. In these group sessions, a counselor or therapist will guide the discussion and mediate, but the group dictates the pace and what’s said. In this way, individuals can learn from their peers and contribute to helping others. Doing so fosters accountability and responsibility, two qualities that are vital for a successful recovery.

How Group Counseling Helps in Recovery

Group therapy usually involves no more than 20 individuals. Most groups range between five-to-ten participants, excluding the counselor or therapist who moderates and guides the discussion or activities. In this form of therapy, clients can express themselves in a safe, secure environment, but they can also give and get supportive criticism and advice. Such interactions lay the foundation for support and community involvement once treatment is completed.

In a group counseling session, clients explore a wide range of issues while learning new and better coping skills. Some areas covered include:

• Self-Care: Ways to maintain a healthy mental state and physical wellbeing when stressed.
• Triggers: Recognizing and confronting triggers is a major issue in recovery, and learning ways to approach this sets clients up for a successful recovery.
• Emotional literacy: Understanding why an emotion is being experienced and managing it is key in exerting self-control and understanding why others act and react the way they do. Emotional literacy is something best explored in a safe, nonjudgmental setting like group therapy.
• Coping mechanisms: Many individuals struggling with mental health issues or substance use disorders have coping mechanisms, but they are often unhealthy. In group counseling, individuals discover how their coping skills are damaging, improved, and how to use new, healthy ones.

Discover the Support TruHealing Baltimore Offers

TruHealing Baltimore offers comprehensive therapies for mental health treatment and recovery from substance use disorder. Group therapy is one of the most effective therapies we offer, but there are others available such as:

• Family therapy
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Co-occurring treatment
• Recreational therapy
• Expressive therapy
• Motivational interviewing

These therapies are available no matter what level of care a client enters. Reach out to us today at 833.782.2241 to learn more about our programs and how we can help you or a loved one improve coping skills and live a life in sobriety.