group therapy?

[busybee1116]

It's been awhile since I've posted and have a new question. I have a great therapeutic relationship with my T, have been seeing her now for almost 2 years. I have made major progress particularly in the last 6 months in some areas and I'm trying to transition from understanding my childhood and rewiring some of the programming that comes with growing up with a uBPDm/uNPDf to living in the present and planning/enjoying my own future. My parents continue to be a constant source of drama (though with her help I don't participate in the games anymore and their antics affect me less) and I have a lot of current day stressors that she helps me cope with as well.

Anyway, one of my goals is to improve my support network while continuing to develop/maintain good boundaries. She suggested last week that I consider joining a new support group she is thinking of forming that she would screen and facilitate. She has a few clients in my shoes (essentially stressed out high functioning/professional women with no formal diagnosis really other than maybe adjustment disorder with depression/anxiety features), has thought we'd all benefit from a group but do not fit any of her other groups. I'm new to therapy in general and don't know very much about group therapy, but the idea sounds interesting and after talking to her about it, sounds like the interactions in group would help me gain insight into my relationships in life. She gave me a bit of a rundown of what groups can do and it made sense at the time but kind of vague now. I searched the site and couldn't find anything about group therapy, just wondered what others knew and what you gained from group that couldn't be accomplished in individual therapy and what, if any, negatives there are. She said I could continue individual therapy at same or different frequency along with group or transition to group for the time being--whatever makes sense. Time is an issue for me and group would be a bigger time commitment (90 mins every week or 2 hours every other week, she hasn't figured out logistics yet) than my current individual sessions (hour every 2 weeks) so have to weigh that as well. 

[fromheeltoheal]

Well, this is group therapy, internet style, so you already have a little experience.

The dynamic is different in group therapy than in individual therapy, where group therapy is a gathering of peers with a moderator and in individual therapy you are not peers, you have a therapist/patient relationship which is not equal.  My experience is it takes a while to get comfortable sharing your stuff with a group, an exercise in vulnerability, but over time you can develop deep, caring relationships with people, if only in a room now and then.  Other people's issues become important to you, and yours to them. 

The only way to find out if you like it and it works for you is to do it.  And as with things human, there will be folks you like and folks you don't, folks you connect with and folks you don't, and if you focus on why you're there you can take what you need.  Sometimes the folks who irritate you the most also bring the most value.

[dharmagems]

I like from heeltoheel's response.  These past months I've been going to CoDa 12 step meetings and lately ACoA 12 step meetings.  The group dynamics differ from group to group.  I found a ACoA meeting that resonates with me.  Probably because there is really no one person that tries to dominate and run the group, in which I found this out in other groups.  This is just a personal trigger of mine when one tries to dominate the group.  You could try 12 step groups to get a feeling of group dynamics.  It is readily available and with donations only.    

I get so much out of this internet group.  Without you all, I would not be surviving and thriving, post xBPDh madness.  I am deeply grateful for all of you.

I have also last 2 months started a group therapy which is based on practicing on bonding with other people.  The size is about 10 people in which 2 are therapists.  I just went for trying this form of therapy.  We are forced to touch each other in an intimate way but not sexual way.  It brings up so much emotions in me, and I just want to run away from doing it every time.  But the fact that I am getting through it and noticing my emotions is the magic of healing.  The group also offers so much insight and support while getting through my enormous emotions.  Bonding and detaching with a pwBPD was so traumatizing that I still need to find my normal to attach healthfully to other people intimately, and this seemed like a place to practice. 

Goodluck, I think it will be all good in group therapy, even with difficult people, you'll learn something with them too.