Individual Therapy: More Effective Than Group Therapy (SAD)

APA standard 7.05 on mandatory individual or group therapy for graduate students as an option.  The key word here is "option" because some graduate students have expressed issues with privacy rights.  I do agree with the student about privacy rights and APA did revised the ethics code and allow the student to select a therapist not associated with the school.

Depression or Major Depressive Disorder as well as several other spectrum level diagnoses related to depression is one of the most common mental disorders seen today. Depression seems to be a pervasive social and community problem that effects millions of people on a daily basis, sometimes associated with environmental events and other times presenting out of what would seem to be nowhere. One of the most significant problems with depression is the variety of effective treatments that can be tried often present as effective in some and non-affective in others, depending on a great number of factors all of which are individualized. Recent research is seeking a greater understanding of the efficacy of various types of group therapy as it is associated with individual treatment plans for those suffering with depression. The importance of appropriate diagnosis as well as individualized understanding of possible environmental and or source issues associated with depression is paramount to a better understanding of what types of multi-treatment plans an individual would be most helped by. In general those who experience depression as a result of or in conjunction with a post traumatic event or those who experience social isolation as a result of or leading up to a depressive cycle can often be helped by appropriate group therapy in conjunction with individual therapy, cognitive behavioral

Alcoholism and drug dependence are considered a lifestyle related health problem. Daugherty and O'Bryan (2015) uphold the position that anyone can develop alcoholism or addiction if they make enough high risk choices. Grounded in this perspective, society is less apt to be willing to pay for treatment services. The pendulum swings back and forward between the disease model and addiction as a choice perception.

Group counseling is where a group of people meet together with a trained facilitator. The size of group can vary, but these groups typically have between five and eight people. There are many ways that you can benefit from group counseling, or group therapy. Below is a list of some of those benefits:

This benefited me by giving me more opportunities to find websites that were higher quality to add to my sources. I had come to find many online chat services on websites that provided information and facts about the disorder. I found many mental health online services, but chose only two that were the most reliable, credible and the source that helped me find the most information on their online service and also on their website. As a result I made the right decision as I found opportunities to talk to many professionals and survey them through online services that were available from early morning to late at night depending on the website. This benefited me as it was a reliable source that was very useful and provided me with more specific information that I intended to receive which supported my information and made my research more in depth as I gained more sources that were

Margaret, thank you for your well written discussion on the differences between formal and support group therapy. Your explanations were eloquently written. I concur that when an individual does not want to confront their addiction it can pose a problem for their own progress but the group as well. Formal group therapy is appropriate in these type of situations even though it is a more direct form of therapy. The trained professional must attempt to establish a rapport with the individual before confronting them about their addiction. Another way to establish rapport is thorough the group. The seasoned members can serve as role models for those first entering the group to instill hope in the process (Lewis, 2014).

Ms. Crockett said that one of the most challenging issues in group therapy is the client who literally talks too much. The facilitator must be good at setting boundaries to redirect the focus politely to another group member.

People encounter various challenges in life ranging from diseases, lack of basic essential needs and psychiatric problems among others. This has given rise to various forms of therapies being adopted by specialists whilst offering solutions to depressed individuals. Group therapy has taken a center-stage in the management of depression. Butler et al (2008) in their article titled "Meditation with yoga, group therapy with hypnosis, and psychoeducation for long-term depressed mood: a randomized pilot trial" show that depression and anxiety form part of the well-known conditions named by individuals seeking treatment using therapies and complementary alternatives. Alternative therapies include yoga, qigong, tai chi, mediation, and exercise. They argue that people are increasingly using these therapies. Butler provides information claiming that yoga and exercise are effective therapies with high rates than uncontrolled activities (Butler, et al 2008). The authors also demonstrate that these therapies can be compared to established anxiety treatments and depression treatments such as sertraline, cognitive behavioral therapy, and imipramine.

NF was agitated during the visit. NF mentioned that he received a voicemail from his therapist stating that she was going to contact CW if he failed to attend his individual therapy session this week. NF has not attended therapy the past two weeks because he has no one to care for Isabella. NF mentioned that he's tried contacting her these past two weeks but was not successful. The receptionist that answered the phone only spoke English. NF only gets a short lunch break and does not want to spend his entire lunch break on the phone. NF mentioned that work has been picking up and his brother has been required to stay longer. NF has to leave at 2 pm from work in order to be back in Boulder City by 5:00-5:30 pm to pick up Isabella. The daycare

Depression in late life is very common, particularly in older adults who are moving in to a different phase of their lives. They may experience a loss of a job, death of a spouse, empty nest, or a move that has taken them away from their social network. Geriatric depression is expensive for everyone involved, from the seniors who suffer not only mentally but physically from its effects to the increased use of health services such as emergency room visits. Suicide is also a consequence of depression in seniors. Sometimes depression is not diagnosed properly because its physical symptoms can mimic other illnesses. Many women, ages 55 and up, experience feelings of loneliness, isolation and do not know what to do now that they are in this new stage in their life; not working etc. Is the women’s group effective in helping members overcome feelings of depression and isolation?

Ben Johnson stated,  “Groups not only help to ease the sense of isolation, but also give the opportunity to practice re-engaging with people,” (Everyday Health, By Beth W. Orenstein, Medically Reviewed by Farrokh Sohrabi, MD). Group therapy would help Pat to social with others, when she finds a job, and give her a change to leave her home and be in the community. If Pat was able to relate to others, experiencing the same issues she might be able to cope with difficult situations.

Numerous therapy formats exist to assist clients in their process of recovery and growth. While the image of therapy involving a helping practitioner in a chair facing that of a single client often first comes to mind, the effectiveness of group therapy is, in many cases, more suitable for the needs of the clients that suit such a group. Groups also provide for a context that could never be achieved through individual counselling alone: the integral point being that we, as individuals part of a larger society, are social beings whose lives involve a serious of interactions with others. How we treat those interactions largely determines most every social aspect of our lives.

The number of children and adolescents who suffer from anxiety have increased tremendously over the past several years. The two treatment options that can be offer to an individual dealing with anxiety is medication and therapy. Out of the two, therapy has been known to be the most effective.

This article is relevant to counseling as the use of technology is highly prevalent in society today. As this trend continues to grow the use of e-therapy may become more commonplace. In the conclusion of the article the authors state that the results of the study are encouraging for the use of new technologies as this offers a promising alternative to face to face interventions which can be less available and costly (Ştefan & David, 2013). The authors of the article go on to state that although the participants of the study felt that there was no significant differences, clinicians felt differently. From the clinicians

With the support of various research and testimonials, group counseling has shown to be valuable and as effective in comparison to individual counseling. Many are always surprised at how rewarding group therapy can be. Group interactions provide a chance to interact with others who are having similar issues.