Respond to your colleagues by recommending strategies to overcome the challenges your colleagues have identified. Support your recommendation with evidence-based literature and/or your own experiences with clients.
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Cognitive behavior therapy involves talk therapy and has proven to be an effective approach to deal with various issues related to for example mental issues. Cognitive behavior therapy is different in group and family settings. In groups, more than one patient is involved for treatment and they usually not related (Fehr, 2014). Group psychotherapy helps people who would like to improve their ability to cope with problems. While in individual therapy the therapist meets with only the patients and families, in group therapy the meeting is with a whole group and one or more therapists. Group therapy helps people learn about themselves and improve their interpersonal relationships. In such context various therapeutic factors are offered which include the development of socialization techniques, imparting information, altruism, imitative behavior, universality, instillation of hope, among others. The therapy is effective in addressing such issues as depression, obesity, panic, work in specific populations, and eating disorders. However, cooperation becomes an issue and the individuals may quit. In family settings, individuals that are closely related come together for treatment and support (Dattilio, & Epstein, 2016). This may involve the family members supporting. In search context communication skill and collaboration becomes effective. Also, confidence is built while at the same time improving cohesion and support.
An example of group therapy was seen when a group of people with different goals and issues came together for training and the approaches used were different from those in family settings. Group therapy can benefit many different people, from those having difficulties with interpersonal relationships as adolescents with self-esteem problem and depression, for example, group therapy teaches socialization skills needed to help function in environments outside the home. Several teens slide into isolation and loneliness due to their emotional and social issues. Group therapy activities are designed to help them realize that they are not alone in facing these challenges. Besides, it helps them realize the value of emotional support that facilitates healing. Mindful speaking is a great therapeutic activity that focuses on communication and mindfulness in participants. These two skills are essential for the management of emotions in teens. This activity allows team members to know each other’s strengths and ways to inculcate them. Positive responses from each other will also help them heal. Another example is seen from a single parent who supported his son who had a separation anxiety disorder. through the proper training of the boy and the parent, they obtained positive outcomes.
Some of the challenges that may be encountered include lack of cohesion due to limited engagement and even collaboration. This challenge is often common in most group therapies due to differences among the members and leadership related issues. There is also the difficulty in meeting the intended goals due to the complexity of schedules and the issues to be addressed. This is associated with time clashes among the individuals and the varying degrees of issues among the individuals. An example was seen when a 21 male participant refused to engage in a group session because he did not feel safe sharing any information with other strangers. This further resulted in extending the session as more time was spent in trying to make the participant more comfortable. Group therapy offers the opportunity to both receive support from others and to give support to others. Both of these notions are important in treatment. Receiving support from others is part of the bonding or therapeutic alliance that occurs in groups, whereas giving support to others allows for growth and learning.Group therapy provides a broad safety net for individuals who may otherwise be hesitant to discuss their feelings.
