Treatment

Group therapy

Medically reviewed by the Shrinkopedia editorial team, led by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA.

6 min read · 1,336 words

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Quick answer

Group therapy is psychotherapy delivered to several people at once, led by one or more trained therapists. It's a format rather than a single method, so a group can be built on CBT, on skills, or on shared support. For some conditions it works as well as individual therapy, and it's often more accessible and lower-cost, though it isn't the right fit for everyone.

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Definition

Group therapy is a form of treatment in which a trained therapist works with a small group of people together, usually meeting regularly over a set period.

It helps to think of group therapy as a delivery format, not a specific technique. A group can be CBT-based and structured, process-oriented and focused on how members relate to one another, skills-based like a DBT skills group, or support-oriented around a shared experience. Groups can be general or focused on one issue, such as social anxiety, depression, or grief. What ties them together is the format: change happens partly through the group itself, not only through the therapist.

What it looks like

A weekly social anxiety group where members practice speaking up with people who understand the fear.
A DBT skills group working through emotion-regulation and distress-tolerance skills together.
A grief group where the simple fact of being among others who get it eases some of the isolation.
A member realizing, by helping someone else in the room, that they have something to offer.

What people often confuse this with

Peer-led support groups. Professionally led group therapy is run by a trained therapist with a clinical structure. Peer-led support groups are led by people with shared lived experience, not clinicians. Both can be genuinely valuable, but they're different things with different aims.

A watered-down version of individual therapy. Group therapy isn't a lesser substitute. For some conditions it's about as effective as individual therapy, and the group format adds things one-to-one work can't, like seeing you're not alone and practicing with others.

Just sitting in a circle talking. Group therapy is structured and guided. The therapist shapes the work, manages safety, and keeps the group productive. It's a designed treatment, not an open conversation.

Reality check

Myth: Group therapy means giving up privacy.

Groups run on clear ground rules, including confidentiality, and you decide what you share and when. You're not required to disclose everything, and a good therapist protects the room.

Myth: Group therapy is only for people who can't get "real" therapy.

It isn't a fallback. For a number of conditions group therapy is an effective, evidence-based treatment in its own right, and the group format offers something individual therapy can't. It's often also more accessible and lower-cost, which is a real advantage, not a compromise.

Myth: Hearing other people's problems will just make me feel worse.

For most people the opposite tends to happen. Seeing that others face similar struggles eases shame and isolation, and helping someone else can be steadying. It isn't the right fit for everyone or every problem, but it isn't usually a burden.

What research says

Group therapy is a well-established treatment format, and the evidence supports it across a range of conditions, though the strength of that evidence varies by format and by condition.

For several conditions, including depression and social anxiety, group therapy can be about as effective as individual therapy.
CBT-based groups for anxiety and depression have a particularly solid track record.
Group formats are often more accessible and lower-cost, which matters for getting people into care.

The Mixed rating reflects this variability. Group therapy covers many different methods and many different conditions, and the evidence isn't uniform across all of them. It's a genuinely effective option for many people, and it isn't the right choice for everyone or every problem. Some people and some difficulties are better served by individual work, at least to start.

What we know and what we don't know

What we know

Group therapy is a format, not a single method, and it can be CBT-based, skills-based, process-oriented, or supportive.
For several conditions it's about as effective as individual therapy.
It's often more accessible and lower-cost than one-to-one care.

What we don't know

The evidence varies by format and condition, so it's hard to make one blanket statement about how well it works.
We can't reliably predict who will do best in group therapy versus individual therapy.
Exactly which group factors, such as universality or feedback, drive the most change isn't fully settled.

Questions people ask

Is group therapy less effective than individual?

For some conditions, no. Group therapy can be as effective as individual therapy for depression, social anxiety, substance use disorders, and eating disorders in some trials. The group format has specific advantages: reduced isolation, shared experience, and learning from others.

What if I don't want to share?

Structured groups have rules about privacy and about how sharing works. Most groups allow varying levels of participation, and being present without extensive sharing is often useful in itself.

How is group therapy different from support groups?

Group therapy is led by a trained clinician, follows a therapeutic model, and typically targets specific conditions. Support groups (AA, NAMI groups, others) are peer-led and focused on mutual support rather than clinical treatment. Both can be valuable.

Are online groups as good?

Increasingly, yes. Video-based group therapy has evidence comparable to in-person for many conditions. Format matters less than program quality and therapist skill.

What about the awkwardness of talking in front of strangers?

Usually reduces within the first few sessions. Groups develop their own culture and trust over time. Almost everyone finds the first session harder than subsequent ones.

How it works

What makes group therapy distinctive is the group, and several things tend to drive its effect:

universality: members see directly that they aren't alone with what they're facing
learning from others: hearing how other people handle similar struggles, and what's worked for them
a place to practice: relating to other people in a supported, lower-stakes setting
giving as well as receiving: offering support to others, which can be its own source of confidence
feedback: a chance to see how you come across, gently and honestly, from more than one person
structure: a trained therapist guiding the group, keeping it safe and on track

Sources

American Psychological Association (APA). Information on group therapy and psychotherapies.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Guidance referencing group-based psychological treatments.
Cochrane and other systematic reviews comparing group and individual therapy.
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Psychotherapies.

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How to cite this page

Short: Group therapy. Shrinkopedia, medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA. https://shrinkopedia.com/treatments/group-therapy/
APA: Shrinkopedia. (2026, May 24). Group therapy. Medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA. https://shrinkopedia.com/treatments/group-therapy/
MLA: "Group therapy." Shrinkopedia, 24 May 2026, https://shrinkopedia.com/treatments/group-therapy/.

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Medical disclaimer

Shrinkopedia is for education, not medical advice. It can't tell you whether group therapy is right for you, and it isn't a substitute for care from a licensed clinician. A psychiatrist or a therapist can help you decide what fits.

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