The healing power of groups, part I
By Norman Araiza (June 2, 2006)

It wasn't until the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous that people began meeting together for the purpose of support and self-improvement. Since those humble days of a few drunks getting together to help each other stay sober, the A.A. philosophy, structure of meetings and 12 steps of recovery have been adapted to nearly every form of unwanted but recurring behavior. Besides Narcotics Anonymous, we all are familiar with overeaters anonymous, sex addicts anonymous, wife-beaters anonymous and bed-wetters anonymous, and the list goes on. This movement set the stage for people helping people in group settings.

The proliferation of these groups, which are now worldwide, speaks to their effectiveness and value. But, what about the broader spectrum of society for which there is no obvious identifying problem? What about those people who have no compulsive behavior but may have equally debilitating tendencies and difficulties? What about the woman who has poor self-esteem and as a result ends up in unhealthy relationships? Or the social isolate who can't allow him- or herself to get involved with people? Or the individual who has trouble relating to his or her adult children? There are no anonymous groups for them.

Most people have a natural fear of groups based on their lack of knowledge. The fact is that groups can be very helpful for almost every form of difficulty a person can have. Even the title of this article is a bit misleading. It implies participants in a therapeutic support group are in some way needing to heal, as if they are ill. I refer to them as "clients" because they are not ill but are interested in self-growth and more effective living. For the broader spectrum of people who are not necessarily in need of recovery but who have a need for support, sharing, human contact, a sense of belonging to something greater than themselves-and seek an opportunity to get out of themselves and be connected to others-there are therapeutic support groups.

Therapeutic support groups differ from self-help groups, which are normally either leaderless or their leaders are not trained professionals. That is not in any way meant to discount the effectiveness of self-help groups. Therapeutic support groups are normally organized and facilitated by trained professionals. One of the benefits of having a group facilitator is that the person can protect, assist and lead the group members to viable, healthy solutions and deeper levels of intimacy.

The groups may be for a specified duration, eight or ten sessions, for example. Or, they may be open-ended and ongoing, which I prefer; the members change as their needs dictate it. The size of the group is of great importance. For 30 years I have facilitated from two to four groups a week, and I believe the optimum size is from five to ten participants. These groups meet regularly, once a week, normally for a period of two hours. They operate under the philosophy that the "squeaky wheel gets the grease," meaning that the person who asserts him- or herself gets the time and attention of the group.

Usually, a member will bring up a situation in his or her life that is troubling or difficult. Other members relate to the situation, questioning, probing for a greater insight and sharing their own personal experiences with the contributing member. Instead of a group made up of eight or nine participants and one group therapist, it's as if it is a group of nine therapists, each person committed to helping the working participant. We use the term "working" to refer to the person sharing the problem or situation with the group. We call it "work" because the disclosing that takes place feels as if they are working on themselves. In fact, that is exactly what they are doing. In the process, they are becoming stronger, more open, more self-accepting, more understanding of their unconscious motives and more in control of their lives. And hopefully, better able to get their needs met. The benefits of this are obvious. The realization that we are not alone with our problems and that others have dealt with similar situations is of great help in getting through the difficulty. The insights of the group, the feedback of how others see us, as well as the message we receive about our OK-ness, in spite of our difficulties, is what makes the group experience so valuable.
Part II next week


Norman Araiza, M.A., is an American-trained psychotherapist enjoying a limited practice in San Miguel. He can be reached at 152-5449 or nearaiza@hotmail.com.