Group Therapy Programs
What Is Group Therapy?
Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which a small number of patients, typically six to ten, meet regularly under the guidance of one or two trained therapists to explore their concerns, develop coping skills, and support one another's healing. At RECO Integrated Psychiatry, our group therapy programs are carefully structured, evidence-based, and facilitated by licensed clinicians with specialized training in group dynamics and therapeutic process.
The therapeutic power of group therapy lies in its ability to create experiences that cannot be replicated in individual therapy. When you sit in a room (or join a virtual session) with others who share similar struggles, something profound happens: you realize you are not alone. This experience of universality, as psychotherapy researchers call it, is one of the most powerful therapeutic factors in group treatment. The shame, isolation, and self-blame that so often accompany mental health conditions begin to dissolve when you see that others are facing the same challenges and hear their stories of struggle and recovery.
Group therapy at RECO Integrated Psychiatry is not simply a support group where participants share their feelings without structure or direction. Our groups are led by licensed clinicians who actively guide the therapeutic process, teach evidence-based skills, facilitate meaningful interpersonal interactions, and ensure that the group environment remains safe, respectful, and focused on therapeutic goals. Each group is designed with specific clinical objectives and employs structured curricula or therapeutic frameworks that have been validated through rigorous research.
Research consistently demonstrates that group therapy is as effective as individual therapy for a wide range of psychiatric conditions, and in some cases, group-specific therapeutic factors produce outcomes that individual therapy alone cannot achieve. When combined with medication management and individual psychotherapy, group therapy forms a powerful component of a comprehensive treatment plan.
Types of Groups We Offer
RECO Integrated Psychiatry offers several types of therapy groups, each designed to address specific clinical needs and populations. Your treatment team will recommend the group or groups most appropriate for your situation.
DBT Skills Training Group
Our dialectical behavior therapy skills training group teaches the four core skill modules of DBT: mindfulness (learning to be present and aware without judgment), distress tolerance (surviving emotional crises without making them worse), emotion regulation (understanding and managing intense emotions), and interpersonal effectiveness (communicating needs and maintaining relationships while preserving self-respect). This group is essential for patients with emotional dysregulation, borderline personality disorder, chronic self-harm, eating disorders, and treatment-resistant mood conditions. Groups meet weekly for approximately two hours and follow a structured curriculum over a 24-week cycle. Concurrent individual therapy is required as part of the comprehensive DBT model.
Anxiety Management Group
This cognitive-behavioral group is designed for individuals struggling with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, and related conditions. Members learn evidence-based anxiety management strategies including cognitive restructuring (identifying and challenging anxious thoughts), progressive muscle relaxation, diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness techniques, and gradual exposure to feared situations. The group format provides a safe environment to practice these skills with peers who understand the experience of anxiety, including the opportunity to practice social interactions and public speaking in a supportive setting. Groups typically run for 12 weeks with weekly 90-minute sessions.
Depression Support and Skills Group
This group combines psychoeducation about depression with evidence-based behavioral activation and cognitive strategies. Members learn about the biological and psychological factors that maintain depression, develop practical strategies for increasing engagement in meaningful activities, challenge depressive thinking patterns, and build a supportive network of peers who understand the lived experience of depression. The group format combats the social withdrawal and isolation that are hallmarks of depression, providing built-in social connection and accountability. Groups typically run for 12 weeks with weekly 90-minute sessions.
Interpersonal Process Group
Process groups focus on the here-and-now interactions between group members as the primary vehicle for therapeutic change. Rather than following a structured curriculum, a process group explores the interpersonal patterns, communication styles, and relational dynamics that emerge organically within the group. This format is particularly valuable for individuals who struggle with relationship difficulties, loneliness, social skills deficits, trust issues, or patterns of interpersonal conflict. Facilitated by experienced group therapists, the process group provides a microcosm of the social world in which members can experiment with new ways of relating, receive honest feedback, and develop healthier interpersonal skills that generalize to their lives outside the group. Process groups are typically open-ended (ongoing) with weekly 90-minute sessions.
Benefits of the Group Format
Group therapy offers unique therapeutic advantages that complement and enhance the benefits of individual therapy and medication management.
- Universality: Discovering that others share your struggles reduces shame, isolation, and the feeling of being fundamentally different or broken. This experience is consistently ranked by group therapy participants as one of the most healing aspects of the group experience.
- Peer support and validation: Hearing from others who truly understand your experience provides a quality of support and validation that differs from what a therapist, friend, or family member can offer. Peer support within a therapeutic context is a powerful driver of hope and motivation.
- Interpersonal learning: Groups provide a real-time laboratory for practicing social skills, communication, assertiveness, and conflict resolution. The feedback you receive from peers and facilitators about how you come across to others is invaluable and often more impactful than similar feedback in individual therapy.
- Skill practice: Learning a skill in individual therapy is useful, but practicing it in a group setting with other people reinforces learning and builds confidence. Role-playing, behavioral experiments, and in-session exercises in a group context prepare you to apply these skills in your daily life.
- Altruism and helping others: As you progress in your recovery, the opportunity to support and encourage newer group members provides a meaningful sense of purpose and reinforces your own growth. Helping others is itself a therapeutic act.
- Cost-effectiveness: Group therapy sessions typically have lower copays and out-of-pocket costs than individual sessions, making sustained, long-term therapeutic engagement more financially accessible.
- Accountability: Regular group attendance and the expectations of fellow group members create a natural system of accountability that supports consistent engagement with treatment and the practice of skills between sessions.
Group Structure and Logistics
Understanding the practical details of our group therapy programs helps you prepare for a positive experience.
- Group size: 6-10 members per group, the range research has identified as optimal for therapeutic benefit. Small enough for every member to participate meaningfully, large enough to provide diverse perspectives and interpersonal learning opportunities.
- Session frequency: Most groups meet weekly. DBT skills groups meet weekly for approximately two hours. CBT-based and support groups meet weekly for 90 minutes. Process groups meet weekly for 90 minutes.
- Duration: Structured groups (DBT skills, anxiety management, depression) run on defined cycles (typically 12-24 weeks). Process groups are open-ended, with members joining and graduating as clinically appropriate.
- Facilitators: All groups are led by licensed mental health professionals with specialized training in group therapy. Most groups have two co-facilitators, which allows for richer facilitation and more individualized attention.
- Confidentiality: All group members sign confidentiality agreements at the outset. Group norms around confidentiality are established and reinforced regularly. What is shared in group stays in group.
- Format: Groups are available in-person at our Delray Beach office. Some groups may also be available via secure video through our telepsychiatry platform, depending on the group type and current availability.
What to Expect: Joining a Group
Individual Assessment
Before joining any group, you will meet individually with a clinician for a group readiness assessment. This meeting evaluates your current symptoms, treatment goals, and interpersonal functioning to determine which group is the best fit. It also allows you to ask questions and voice any concerns about the group experience.
Group Orientation
Before your first session, you receive an orientation that covers group guidelines, confidentiality expectations, attendance policies, and what to expect during sessions. This preparation helps ease any anxiety about starting and sets clear expectations for your participation.
Early Sessions: Building Trust
The first few sessions focus on establishing safety, building rapport with group members and facilitators, and learning group norms. You are never pressured to share more than you are comfortable with. Most new members find that their anxiety about group participation decreases significantly after two to three sessions.
Active Working Phase
As trust develops, the group moves into deeper therapeutic work. In skills-based groups, this involves learning, practicing, and troubleshooting new skills each week. In process groups, this involves exploring interpersonal patterns, giving and receiving feedback, and experimenting with new ways of relating.
Integration and Graduation
As you approach the end of a structured group cycle or your individual treatment goals, the focus shifts to consolidating your gains, planning for maintenance, and transitioning to the next phase of your treatment. This may include stepping down to a less intensive group, continuing with individual therapy, or graduating from group treatment altogether.
Ready to Join a Group?
Our clinicians can help you determine which group is the right fit for your needs and schedule. Contact us at (561) 464-4077 to learn about current group availability and enrollment. Insurance verification is available before you commit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our therapy groups typically include six to ten members, a range that research has consistently shown to be optimal for therapeutic benefit. Groups of this size are small enough to ensure that every member has adequate time to participate and receive individualized attention, yet large enough to provide diverse perspectives, meaningful interpersonal interactions, and the therapeutic factors unique to group treatment. Two co-facilitators lead most of our groups, ensuring strong clinical support throughout each session.
Confidentiality is a cornerstone of effective group therapy. At the start of every group, all members sign a confidentiality agreement committing to keep everything shared in the group private. While facilitators are bound by the same HIPAA regulations and professional ethics codes that govern all clinical services, the confidentiality of what other group members share relies on the honor system among participants. This is taken very seriously: violating group confidentiality is grounds for removal from the group. In our experience, the vast majority of group members are deeply respectful of this norm and understand its importance to the safety and trust that makes group therapy work.
This depends on the type of group. For our DBT skills training group, concurrent individual therapy is required because the comprehensive DBT model involves both components working together: skills group teaches the skills, and individual therapy helps you apply them to your specific life situations. For other groups, such as anxiety management, depression support, and process groups, individual therapy is strongly recommended but may not be strictly required. Your clinician will help you determine the ideal combination of treatment modalities for your needs.
Feeling anxious about joining a therapy group is one of the most common concerns we hear, and it is completely understandable. Our group facilitators are experienced in working with anxiety and will never pressure you to share before you are ready. In the early sessions, you are welcome to simply listen and observe. Most members report that their anxiety decreases significantly after two to three sessions as they build comfort and trust within the group. Ironically, the group setting often becomes one of the most effective environments for working on anxiety, because it provides a safe, structured opportunity to practice being in social situations with the support of a therapist and understanding peers.
Yes. Most commercial insurance plans, Medicare, and many Medicaid programs cover group therapy services when provided by a licensed mental health professional for a diagnosed condition. In many cases, the copay for group therapy is lower than for individual therapy sessions, making it a more cost-effective treatment option. Our insurance team will verify your specific benefits and explain your coverage before you join a group. Visit our insurance verification page or call (561) 464-4077 to check your coverage.
The duration varies by group type. Our DBT skills training group runs on a 24-week cycle that covers all four core skill modules. The anxiety management and depression support groups are structured 12-week programs. Interpersonal process groups are open-ended, meaning they run continuously with members joining and graduating as clinically appropriate. Your clinician will discuss the expected duration and commitment required for the group recommended for you during your assessment.