Join a group, join a community, in 2025
Join a community of women who support and empower each other wile building healthy relationship skills.
You may be someone who loves making new year resolutions, making new goals for yourself, and leaping into the new year excited to grow and change. Or you may be someone who doesn’t like making new year resolutions, but you’re looking for community or something new to try in 2025. Whether you are extra excited or just looking for a change, joining a group or community in 2025 may be something new to try that can offer just the nudge you need to improve your mental health and wellbeing in the new year.
Is social media making you feel better or worse about yourself?
Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, TikTok, MeetUp…the list goes on and on when you are searching for an online community that can help you feel connected, give you support when you need it, and add some mental health tips and wellness to your life. But too often our feeds are filled with what not to do, fake news, and videos of people getting into trouble or arguments. While they may be funny or engaging, they don’t always have a positive effect on your mental health. They can be a way to distract yourself and avoid dealing with problems, and they can have a negative effect on your self esteem, or cause you to feel angry or distrusting of others.
That’s why I encourage my clients to be thoughtful about who you follow, what you watch, and what communities you join in the digital world. It’s totally ok to laugh at fail videos, have fun online, and even peak at the headlines once in a while, but just like a diet of chips and soda can make you feel kinda crappy, if you aren’t getting some healthy meals in your diet, you’re not going to feel great mentally and it’s going to start effecting other areas of your life.
Here’s a simple activity to help you balance your online media and community involvement so that you’re getting positive influences in the mix while you’re doomscrolling or otherwise caught up in a social media sesh.
Follow me on social media @healgrowconnect for more quotes, tips, and tools for mental health.
You know social media and social apps can be great ways to build community and have positive influences in your life, but what if you’re looking for something more to improve your relationships, coping skills, or social connections? What is group therapy anyway?
Does group therapy work?
Ok so your therapist, doctor, or friend may have mentioned group therapy to you, and you were skeptical to say the least. You’re not alone. Many people are nervous enough starting individual therapy, add a group of other people to the mix and it can turn almost anyone into an introvert. But the truth is, group therapy is a great way to get mental health care, and it works! Many people see quicker results with therapy goals when engaging in group therapy before, during, or after a course of individual therapy. In some cases it may be a better option than individual therapy, and in others it can give some extra support and direction for your active therapy goals. Many people may choose to reduce individual therapy sessions down to once or twice a month and supplement their mental health care with weekly or monthly group therapy or support groups.
What kinds of group therapy are there?
There are a lot of types of group therapy and each group is its own community. Some groups are support groups where all members share a common problem or experience or goal. Others are skills groups where members learn how to do something to improve their mental health or coping tools and resources. Others are psychotherapy groups that provide structured support and processing for a variety of concerns. And still others may be a mix of experiential, creative, or other styles of groups. The possibilities are endless.
Group therapy may happen weekly, twice a month, once a month, or sometimes even daily. Some groups are open and continuous. Others may require registration, or may be small cohorts that meet for a limited amount of time.
Which group therapy is right for me?
It can be difficult to know how to find group therapy, let alone deciding which group is right for you. Searching google for “group therapy near me” or going to mental health directories like Psychology Today may help you to find a group near you that is what you’re looking for. You can also ask your therapist for a list of groups or a recommendation for group therapy for your personal focus area. Talking with others about their group therapy experiences may also help you feel more comfortable starting group therapy.
How do I learn more about group therapy?
The best way to learn about group therapy is to experience it first hand. Support or coping skills groups are usually a little less intense and can feel a little easier to enter. Groups focused on your therapy goals can give you the encouragement and motivation you need to keep going with your therapy progress. Not only will you learn a lot about group therapy, you will learn a lot about yourself and you will learn from others (and in turn they will learn from you) as you seek and give support in a group setting.
Can individual therapy offer me better help in reaching my goals?
Group therapy is not for everyone, and it is not always the best treatment option, so it’s good to get a referral or do a consultation to see if group therapy is a good idea for you. A therapist can let you know the best recommended treatment for your mental health, and may determine that individual therapy may be a better place to start, or may be recommended after a course of group therapy.
It’s important to remember that group therapy and individual therapy do not replace each other. Sometimes group therapy is recommended, and sometimes individual therapy is recommended.
How do I learn more?
If you would like to learn more about group therapy you can review my current groups here, schedule a consultation, text, or email me to learn more.
Join me on January 2nd on Zoom to learn more about my women’s emotional safety group, women’s relationship support group, and coping skills for anxiety and depression group. Meet with other women who want to build a community supporting healthy relationships and mental health and wellbeing. This cozy meeting is from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm Pacific. Please RSVP by email or text so we can know to let you in from the waiting room. Zoom Link to Event
Follow me on social media to join a community of people focused on living mentally healthy lives. Get inspiring posts in your feed and be the first to know when I’m offering new groups or have openings for individual therapy.
Katie Lorz is a mental health counselor in Tacoma Washington
