Therapy Groups

What you can get from being in a therapy group

A safe place to practice and learn how to express your needs in relationships
Improve your self-confidence, self-esteem, and satisfaction
Improve your communication skills
Discover the gift of compassion for yourself

Group Therapy

Groups therapy is a wonderful antidote for isolation. Group members dealing with similar challenges can help each other and grow from that experience. Members give one another the gift of hope and cheer each other on during the dark times, sharing minor and major challenges and victories. There is nothing like sharing in and witnessing fellow group members discovering new ways of coping with challenges, and changing their negative self-images.

Group therapy is a powerful way for people to learn about themselves and practice making changes in how they relate to and experience others. Research has shown that people get the most benefit from the combination of group and individual therapy.

To learn more about groups in general, please read my article The Healing Power of Groups. To read a short aticle in the New York Times about Groups click here. You can also watch an interesting short clip about what group therapy looks like for clients in a college counseling center on You Tube: Introduction to Group Therapy by Darius Campinha-Bacote - YouTube.

** Check out this informative article on 'Why Group Therapy Worked' in The New York Times **

Individual screening and preparation makes groups more effective

I screen and prepare people carefully for my groups.

I have found that it helps if I meet individually with each person from 3-4 sessions, depending on whether he or she has been in other groups before.

The first appointment allows us to see whether we are a good match and feel we can work well together. We also determine whether he or she would benefit from and contribute to one my groups. I use a collaborative approach to clarify the individual'sl goals for the group experience as distinct from the goals of his/her individual therapy.

My current therapy groups

Support Group for the Over 64: This supportive, process-oriented, mixed-gender, long-term group is a safe/brave place for high-functioning, psychologically minded adults to explore life transitions, self-care and intimacy issues. Members increase their awareness of patterns that do not work and explore new ways to create more satisfying relationships.

Chronic Medical Issues and Illness Group: Isolation and depression are common side-effects of chronic pain and both visible and invisible illnesses. This supportive psychotherapy group helps members make the most of life with limitations and add more compassion for themselves. Participants feel safe to freely discuss their experiences and frustrations with others who face similar physical challenges. For more detailed information about this group, see Therapy Groups for Clients: Chronic Illness Group.

Therapy Groups for Therapists: This ongoing supportive psychotherapy group is designed for the special needs of licensed psychotherapists. With our process-oriented focus, this group offers a safe environment for personal and professional growth. Please call me at 925-962-0060, for more information about this group.

The American Group Psychotherapy Association asked me to be videotaped for a You Tube clip about the benefits of group therapy, specifically for people with medical issues and illnesses:

Note: All of my groups are designed for individuals who have either have been in, or are currently in psychotherapy, are not in crisis, and are motivated to change. There are many groups that are short term or designed to help people who are in crisis. For more information, see group therapy referral resources.

"I want to join you without invading.
Appreciate you without being judgmental,
Love you without clutching,
Love you without demanding,
Leave you without guilt,
Criticize you without blaming,
And help you without insulting,
If I can have the same from you,
Then we can truly meet and enrich each other."

— Virginia Satir

Virginia Satir quote is used with the permission of Virginia Satir's publisher, Bob Spitzer, Science and Behavior Books, Inc. personal communication, 2008. These quotes are taken from I'd Give My Life! A Journey by Folk Music, Eric Darling, page 279, Science and Behavior Books, Inc. 2008.

About the group leader

Ann Steiner, Ph.D., M.F.T., CGP, (Certified Group Psychotherapist), has been leading psychotherapy groups for 30 years, supervises, trains and consults to therapists. She is licensed to practice as a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist in California and New Mexico, (CA. Marriage and Family Therapist, License #ML17115, Marriage and Family Therapist New Mexico, USA, License # CMFO218881).

She is a Fellow of the American Group Psychotherapy Society, is a member of the American Group Psychotherapy Association's DEI Task Force, was president of Northern California Group Psychotherapy Society, a founding member of the American Orthopsychiatric Association's Disability Study Group and the National Registry of Group Psychotherapists.

Dr. Steiner served as an Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of California Medical School, San Francisco for fourteen years and was one of the founders and first faculty members of The Psychotherapy Institute's Group Therapy Training Program. She lectures at professional meetings nationally and locally, and writes for consumers and therapists. She has a private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA, providing teletherapy to individuals, couples and groups.

If you have questions about Dr. Steiner's therapy groups, please call her at (925) 962-0060 or send a short email with your phone number, and a variety of times when it would be convenient for her to return your call.

Disclaimer: This website is designed for education purposes, and is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological care. If you require urgent medical or psychological services please consult a qualified professional in your area, or go to your nearest Emergency Room, or if in the US call 911.

Your Privacy is Important:

An increasing number of therapists discourage sending confidential information over the Internet, since privacy cannot be guaranteed, and in the US the Patriot Act allows for the reading of private emails Additionally, there are other issues that limit the confidentiality of information shared via the Internet.