Can A Support Group Replace Therapy with A Trained Professional?

 Are you looking for support outside of therapy? Can online discussions between peers or a support group replace therapy with a trained professional psychotherapist or psychologist? Continue reading to learn more about the difference between support groups and therapy

What is a Support Group?

Support groups are helpful for times when you must cope with events or situations you cannot change. Support groups are best for handling issues, situations, and challenges that you are not equipped to change. Support groups may also be a way for you to learn more about an issue you are facing and learn about what resources are available to help you and your family. For example, you cannot change the fact that you have a child with a life-threatening illness or that you’re going through a divorce or that you’ve lost a loved one or you have a family member who is struggling with an addiction. What you can change, through your participation in a support group, is how well you cope with these struggles.

Support groups bring together people who are going through or have gone through similar experiences. Whether they are online discussion groups or in-person groups, they can be a helpful way for you to get support, educate yourself, and reduce the feeling of isolation when you are facing a challenging experience. Online discussion groups or in-person support groups can address any issues ranging from dealing with a major health challenge, parental estrangement, raising children, coping with an addiction or even gender or sexual orientation issues. Support groups can also give you additional support in between your counselling sessions.

What is Therapy?

Psychotherapy or therapy refers to a range of treatments that can help with mental health issues, emotional challenges, and some psychiatric disorders. It aims to enable you to better understand your feelings, manage your emotions, learn more about yourself, your spouse, your child or your family, and make choices that can improve your situation, perspective, family dynamics or behaviours. A psychotherapist may be a psychologist, a marriage and family therapist, a social worker, or a psychotherapist. Each therapist should be registered with their respective provincial college.

Individual therapy is focused solely on you and looks at how you can change. For instance, couples therapy looks at your interactions as a couple and can be used as a marriage tune up, helping the two of you cope with your differences, and provide support after one partner has engaged in an affair outside of the relationship. Youth therapy helps teens and emerging young adults manage the challenges they may experience as they transition into adulthood, growing up and dealing with more complex issues.

Read more: https://family-therapy.ca/blog/can-a-support-group-replace-therapy-with-a-trained-professional/

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