What Is Group Therapy?
In addition to its other resources, Family Services offers group therapy. Group counseling has been shown to have numerous advantages and can be an appropriate and effective way for you or someone you know to receive mental health treatment.
What Is Group Therapy?
As the term suggests, group therapy occurs in a small-group setting, typically with no more than 12 participants, facilitated by one or more mental health professionals.
Sometimes, people might be hesitant to attend group therapy. This is normal. However, group members generally find attending a positive experience, whether virtually or in person.
Group members learn from both the counselors and from each other as they discuss relevant issues. They often develop meaningful connections with others that enhance the therapy process. Most important, Family Services groups are intended to help members find hope and healing through Jesus Christ.
Most Family Services groups are “closed”—that is, they begin on a particular date and are closed to new members after the first or second session. Participants commit to attending all sessions during the course of the group.
By contrast, the general mental health skills group is an “open” group—it is ongoing, and members can join at any point. They do not necessarily need to commit to a certain number of sessions unless it is appropriate for their specific situation.
What Groups Does Family Services Offer?
Family Services offers a variety of groups led by its counselors, and availability may differ according to location. After being referred to Family Services, check with your local office to find out which groups are available there. Many of these groups are held online.
Pornography Treatment
- Purpose: Help individuals struggling with pornography use. Members will learn to better manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. As a result, they may improve their relationships, strengthen their resilience, and connect more deeply with their divine identity.
- Participants: Adults (separate groups are held for men and women)
- Course length: 10 weeks
- Session length: 60–90 minutes
Pornography Treatment for Youth
- Purpose: Help youth struggling with pornography use. Members will learn to better manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. As a result, they may improve their relationships, strengthen their resilience, and connect more deeply with their divine identity.
- Participants: Youth ages 15 through 18. Separate groups are held for young men and young women.
- Course length: 8 weeks
- 8 youth sessions; 4 parent sessions
- Each participant needs a committed parent to participate in 4 parent meetings.
- Session length: 60–90 minutes
Sexual Abuse
- Purpose: Help individuals who have experienced sexual abuse learn to heal and turn toward Jesus Christ. Members will learn about agency and responsibility; managing boundaries; recognizing and responding to thoughts, emotions, and behaviors; improving relationships; strengthening resilience; and connecting more deeply with their divine identity.
- Participants: Women (groups may be held for men when numbers allow)
- Course length: 12 weeks
- Session length: 90 minutes
Marriage
- Purpose: Help couples strengthen communication, recognize and correct problematic patterns, repair relationship injuries, and build safety and emotional connection.
- Participants: Married couples
- Course length: 8 weeks
- Session length: 90 minutes
Anxiety and Depression
- Purpose: Help individuals address mild to moderate anxiety and depression symptoms by applying gospel doctrine and principles of acceptance and commitment therapy.
- Participants: Adults
- Course length: 8 weeks
- Session length: 90 minutes
General Mental Health Skills
- Purpose: Help individuals develop skills for promoting good mental health. Topics include healthy thinking, difficult emotions, stress and anxiety, depression, perfectionism, grief and loss, self-compassion, and relationships.
- Participants: Adults
- Course length: 6–7 weeks (Participants may begin attending any week)
- Session length: 60–90 minutes
Missionary Adjustment
- Purpose: Help missionaries returning early from a teaching assignment. Topics include healthy thinking, difficult emotions, stress and anxiety, depression, perfectionism, grief and loss, self-compassion, and relationships.
- Participants: Members who have returned early from missionary service
- Course length: 7–8 weeks
- Session length: 60–90 minutes
Trauma
- Purpose: Help individuals who have experienced trauma to learn new skills and reduce symptoms. Topics include understanding trauma and how thoughts can impact our feelings.
- Participants: Individuals who have experienced trauma and meet certain criteria.
- Course length: 12 weeks
- Session length: 60–90 minutes
Education Classes
The Church also offers classes that differ from therapy groups. Family Services counselors sometimes lead these classes, but they are also taught by missionaries or other members at the request of local Church leaders. These classes are great ways to proactively strengthen and foster positive relationships.
Strengthening Marriage
- Purpose: Help couples learn skills to improve their relationship. Topics include communicating with love, fostering equality and unity, overcoming anger, and resolving conflict.
- Participants: Married couples
- Course length: 6 weeks
- Session length: 60–90 minutes
Strengthening the Family
- Purpose: Help parents learn topics such as understanding child development, communicating with love, fostering confidence, overcoming anger, resolving conflict, and teaching responsible behavior.
- Participants: Parents
- Course length: 9 weeks
- Session length: 60–90 minutes
What Are the Benefits of Group Therapy?
Group therapy can benefit participants in many ways. Through the group setting, members can:
- Feel supported.
- Learn how to better express their emotions.
- Develop healthy connections with others.
- Increase self-awareness.
How Do I Sign Up for a Group?
If you are interested in signing up for group counseling, reach out to your local Church leaders for a referral to be connected to your local Family Services office.
Here are things to keep in mind when considering group therapy:
- Stability: Members must be relatively stable and have a basic ability to manage their emotions to participate in a group.
- Referral: A Church leader referral is required for a member to attend a group.
- Safety: Members who are struggling with suicidal thoughts should receive treatment to manage those thoughts and achieve stability before participating in a group.
- Privacy: Members of the group must agree to keep the identity of group members and personal comments in meetings private.
- Commitment: Members in closed groups must attend each session, commit to fully participate, and complete the weekly assignments. Members must be respectful of other group members.
- Technology: For online meetings, members will need a stable internet connection, camera, microphone, and private location. They should also have the skills to manage the video call application (usually Zoom).