Group therapy
Group therapy
At Star planet, C.D.C Group therapy gives therapists an opportunity to see how kids relate to one another in a group setting. For kids struggling with social anxiety, poor social skills, or inattentiveness, the group setting offers the therapist a chance to help kids work through their obstacles with other kids as they occur. Group therapy can also be a source of support for kids dealing with grief, bullying, anxiety and depression, and other issues.
When a child struggles with social interaction skills, parents often seek help to improve the child’s ability to communicate and connect with others. In individual therapy, the child will work on specific goals to address these skills. An example might be making one new friend by initiating a conversation and using active listening skills. This helps the child practice a specific skill set. In a group setting, however, the child has the opportunity to work on these skills with other kids in the room. If a child struggles with social interaction skills because of anxiety, the child can work on initiating a conversation with another child in the safety of the group.
Social skills groups @ Star planet C.D.C: These groups include skill-building exercises and practice with age-appropriate peers. Social skill groups are typically aimed towards developing social skills in younger children, approximately ages two to eight. Social skill group therapy sessions can involve role-playing practices to help kids better understand how to start conversations as well as appropriate body language.
How Will your Child Benefit from Group Therapy @Star planet C.D.C?
Group therapy can build self-confidence and assertiveness and empower kids to sidestep negative peer pressure. It can also equip kids with the tools they need to process and manage negative emotions and work through stress and anxiety. Check out these benefits of group therapy for kids:
Say hello to social confidence
Working through complex emotional issues with a peer group helps kids learn new ways of relating to others. Through group work, kids find their voices and practice new skills in a safe environment with feedback from a therapist.
Say Goodbye to Unmanageable Emotional Stress
Kids often feel overwhelmed by their emotional responses to stressors. Groups offer kids a place to vent their emotions, connect with other kids, and empathize with one another. This decreases their stress level.They’ll feel heard and supported
When kids struggle with anxiety, depression, and other issues, they often feel isolated or alone. They feel like others don’t understand them. Groups help kids feel heard and known. They also help kids learn to talk openly about their struggles and learn from peer modeling.
Friendships will be fostered
Whether your child enrolls in a social skills group to learn friendship-making skills or a support group, friendships will improve as a result of the group. Kids don’t have a ton of opportunities to get meaningful feedback on social skills at the moment. Through group work, kids learn to empathize with, support, and care for their peers. This translates to positive friendship skills in their own groups and communities.
They’ll gain communication skills that will last a lifetime
It can be difficult to find the right words when you’re overwhelmed with negative emotions. Kids who haven’t yet learned communication tools can end up experiencing frustration or sadness by communicating anger, or not communicating at all. Group therapy provides an opportunity for kids to practice verbalizing and exploring their emotions with their peers. This helps kids build effective communication tools to use when they are in distress.