Besides offering a more economical way to participate in the healing process, group work is unique for several reasons. Often times in places where one may personally become stuck, or lack the insight that is needed to move forward to heal, grow or take action, he/she can easily see the blind spot in someone else.

Example: if a betrayed spouse hears a counselor say that it’s not her fault her husband cheated, the client may struggle to believe and internalize this truth. Yet, if in a group setting, this client hears another betrayed spouse’s story, she will easily recognize that the infidelity was not that other group members’ fault, the helper will pick this up and ask the client, “great, now can you apply this truth to yourself as well?”

When you take the above situation, and repeat the scenario with a group over time, it is common to see healing and growth in a much faster time period.

Lastly, we heal in relationship, not isolation. The counselor/client dyad often provides the first place to model and work out dysfunctional patterns of relating and broken trust from critical past interpersonal relationships (including but not limited to the intimate partner betrayal).

Group work then gives a more real-life situation to practice new patterns of relating, rebuilding trust in relationships, accountability and support. The safety of having a counselor present helps to direct the flow, and manage any miscommunications or intense emotional states that may come up.

The group counselor also provides the various psycho-educational topics and related exercises. In group, these relationships also are meant to take “off-line” into the real world, unlike the helper/client relationship, which needs to maintain specific boundaries.