Skills groups are designed to help individuals balance acceptance of what is while also working on changes to improve their lives. It can make it easier to manage strong emotions while improving relationships and reducing negative self-talk.
While many people benefit from individual therapy, you might also feel like you want actionable steps and skills to support your goals. You might want to consider learning in a skills group as it provides more opportunity to hear how skills are being used in multiple settings.
Let’s take a closer look at skills group basics, including how it works and who it helps, so you can determine if it’s the right move for you.
How Skills Groups Work
Skills groups work like a small and intimate study group. During each session, you’ll learn the skills necessary to be more mindful. You’ll also learn interpersonal effectiveness, helping with getting your needs met in relationships and improving social connections. These groups also include emotional regulation skills that will help you understand your emotions and why you have them and how to manage intense emotional situations that feel like a crisis.
What’s unique and so highly effective about skills groups is that it focuses less on sharing personal stories and more on teaching and practicing the skills necessary to overcome specific challenges.
That doesn’t mean there will be no sharing involved, but it’s not the focus of the group. You’re there to learn skills, rather than work on emotional processing. It’s a structured setting, which is extremely beneficial for some people who tend to do better in that kind of environment, rather than a more “go with the flow” experience.
Homework Assignments
Another thing that makes skills group more like a class is that you will have homework assignments (although we think of them as home-”fun”!). After learning each specific skill within the group setting, you’ll be given an opportunity to practice the skills on your own at home and in your everyday life. Group members come back the following week and share how the skill was used in order for everyone to learn from each other’s experiences and see that we can use the skills in a wide variety of situations.
Homework assignments are designed to help you see how what you’re learning in group can and should be applied in the real world. What we practice, we get better at doing!
Keep in mind that many people attend skills groups as a complement to individual therapy. Individual therapy can be used to dig deeper into your personal experiences. When combined with the a skills group, you’ll get the best of both worlds and learn where your struggles stem from while fostering the skills needed to manage them.
Who Does a Skills Group Help?
Skills groups can improve the overall functioning of someone struggling in many aspects of life.
Other people who can benefit from a skills group include those with depression, anxiety, work addiction, perfectionism, substance abuse disorders, and more.
However, skills groups aren’t solely meant for people struggling with a specific condition. Rather, it can help people who might struggle with emotional regulation. Maybe you’ve never received a diagnosis of a mental health disorder, but you have a hard time managing intense emotions. This type of group work can help.
If you want to improve your interpersonal skills, a skills group is also a great option. Because of its classroom-like nature, it can feel less like traditional therapy. You’re there to learn skills and apply them in the real world. Whether you want to be a better communicator or have stronger relationships, you’re likely to benefit from the experience.
Taking the Next Steps
If you want to learn more about skills groups and how it can help you, please reach out for a consultation. Group work can help you accept your current experiences while working toward positive changes and personal goals. Having a desire to make positive changes in your life is the right attitude as you step into this type of work, so if you’re ready to make those changes, I’m here to walk with you through the process.