Group Therapy

What is Group Therapy?

There is arguably no better way to learn about yourself and discover your blind spots than in the context of a psychotherapy group. Scientific research has shown that group psychotherapy is beneficial for a range of psychiatric issues, relational struggles, and the typical distress that emerges when facing the challenges of work, relationships, and friends/family.

Groups are primal and ubiquitous: as children we were raised in and by groups, and groups constitute most of our formative experiences across the lifespan. Yet, most social groups in everyday life do not have at their core the objective of providing support to their members as well as observations, feedback, and relational experiences necessary to support growth and change. This is what group psychotherapy offers.

Although there are many different types of groups, my practice utilizes a “process” orientation for group therapy.

This psychotherapeutic experience consists of ongoing group sessions in which individuals come together for interpersonal contact, support, and learning. The group is devised to help members identify and understand their blind spots which may hinder their relational lives and overall level of contentment. Often, these blind spots are not detectable in individual psychotherapy (neither by the patient nor the therapist) and are seldom made available for reflection in one’s everyday life.

In each group therapy session, the members share their experiences, both within and outside of the group, and utilize the emerging dynamics of the group culture and the interactions between its members as a vehicle for personal discovery. The group is a “laboratory”; in a safe, exploratory atmosphere, each member can achieve new realizations about him- or herself and “try on” new roles and ways of being that may directly impact their “real” life outside of the group.

Current Group Therapy Offerings

Dynamic Psychotherapy Process Group. This therapy group utilizes the emerging dynamics among group members, and between the group members and facilitator, as a basis from which to examine one’s characteristic ways of thinking, feeling, and relating to others. This group meets every other Wednesday evening, 6:30 to 7:45 PM, at the Irvine office location.

Newly-forming Process Group. A new therapy group is currently forming. The time and location of therapy sessions have yet to be determined. If you are interested in the possibility of joining this group, please contact Dr. Tobin directly.

Newly-forming Codependency Group. For those who would like a group therapy experience that addresses relationship problems centering on dynamics of codependence and narcissism, this may be an appropriate treatment option. This group will focus on patterns of emotional exploitation in toxic relationships, the ongoing tendency to be attracted to narcissistic persons, challenges with setting and asserting boundaries, and difficulties leaving emotionally and psychologically abusive relationships. Contact Dr. Tobin directly for more information on this group.

Pre-Group Assessment

Before joining any of these psychotherapy groups, one or several individual meetings with Dr. Tobin is required to assess one’s treatment goals and the appropriateness of group therapy.

The Group Therapy Contract

In all of the therapy groups, members agree to follow “the group therapy contract” in order o derive maximum benefit from group therapy. Below are the primary items of the contract; these are further elaborated on in the pre-group assessment process:

Attendance

1. You are expected to attend every group session, be on time, and to remain throughout the session. If you cannot be present, call the office so your absence will be known from the beginning. If you know you will not be present at an upcoming session, please announce that fact in the current meeting.
2. Most individuals stay in group for at least one year. This is not a requirement and you shouldn’t remain in group if you are not benefiting from it. However, if you do experience a lack of progress, it is important to discuss it with the group at least one month before leaving. The exploration of one’s lack of progress is often very beneficial.
3. All sessions will be charged for, regardless of the reason for absence. Group membership continues whether you are present or not, and no one can substitute for you in your absence. If you expect a prolonged absence of a month or more because of work commitments, illness, etc., you may request for an exception to this rule, and this will be handled in a group session.

Group Procedures

1. Central to group therapy is expressing your feelings openly and honestly. All members agree to work actively on the problems that brought them to group by putting feelings into words, not actions.
2. In addition to sharing your feelings, you are expected to take responsibility for expressing your fantasies as well as your dreams. All feelings about group members, including the therapists, are also important to discuss. No subject is out of bounds. Feelings of anger, sex, spirituality and those associated with money are so rarely dealt with that they deserve special attention in group.
3. Any interaction between two or more group members outside of the group is important to group process, and will be considered group business to be discussed in group sessions. Sub-group secrets tend to impede an individual’s progress. The relationships made in group are to be used therapeutically, not socially. For example, more is usually gained therapeutically by talking in the group about your wish to go to dinner with someone in the group than by secretly doing it.
4. The use of alcohol or other mind-affecting drugs, prior to a group session, interferes with therapy.
5. Material revealed within the group is privileged and confidential. Discussion of the group with spouses and other intimates should be restricted to discussion of your own reactions and experiences. If others are mentioned, care should be taken to avoid revelations of a personal nature and you should be sure identification of persons is not possible. It is each person’s responsibility to protect the names and identities of fellow group members.

Termination of Group Therapy

1. Termination should be planned. Upon joining the group, members agree to remain until the problems that brought them to group have been resolved. The group is open-ended, i.e. individual members will come and go, but the group will continue. Leaving the group is an important process and will provoke feelings and fantasies in you and others which need to be shared and explored. Leaving and being left are events with such an impact upon people’s lives that as much time as possible should be allowed for reactions to be examined.

(Note: this contract was adapted from Dale C. Godby, Ph.D. who acknowledges the influence of colleague, co-therapist, and friend, Gladys Guy Brown, Ph.D., and authors Scott Rutan, Ph.D., and Walter Stone, M.D.)

Visit Dr. Tobin's Office

15615 Alton Parkway
Suite 450
Irvine, CA 92618

Hours
Monday: 8am - 8pm
Tuesday: 8am - 8pm
Wednesday: 8am - 8pm
Thursday: 8am - 8pm
Friday: 8am - 8pm
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed