The Value of Group Counseling: 10 Ways to Expand Your Growth From Individual Counseling
You've been doing the work in individual therapy, and it's helping. But there's a specific kind of growth that only happens when you're in a room (or a Zoom) with other people who get it. Group counseling isn't a distraction from one-on-one support—it's an entirely different support, and it might be exactly what you need next. I have experienced the power of group counseling both as a participant and as a counselor leading the group. I’m passionate about bringing people together in community to work together in facing life transitions, grief, relationship challenges, and more!
You Realize You're Not AloneThere's a term for this in group work: universality. Hearing someone else share the exact fear or shame you thought was uniquely yours is one of the most powerful moments group therapy offers. It's hard to replicate that feeling in an individual session, because your therapist is not a peer but a collaborative guide.
You Get Multiple Perspectives, Not Just One In individual therapy, you have one trusted person. In group, you have that person plus a room full of people offering their own lived experiences, insights, and feedback. Sometimes the exact words you need to hear come from a peer, not a clinician.
You Practice Skills in Real Time Talking about a communication pattern with your individual therapist is useful. Practicing that pattern live, with real people reacting in real time, is a different kind of learning. Group counseling gives you a supportive place to rehearse before you take your new skill out into relationships.
You Build Accountability It's easy to let personal growth slide when no one's watching. Showing up weekly to a group that knows your goals (and checks in on them) creates a gentle but real kind of accountability that solo work doesn't always provide.
You Get Hope From Watching Others Grow Another key ingredient in group therapy is developing hope. Watching someone further along in their healing than you are is a quiet, powerful reminder that change is actually possible, not just theoretical.
You Learn by Watching, Not Just Doing You don't have to be the one talking to grow in group. Being a witness to how another member works through a hard moment can teach you new coping strategies, language, or perspective you can quietly borrow for yourself.
You Get a Space for Catharsis There's a specific relief that comes from being fully heard and validated by a group of people, not just one. That collective support of many can feel like an emotional release that individual sessions, as valuable as they are, don't always provide.
You Build a Support Network Beyond the Therapy Room The relationships formed in a well-run group often extend past the sessions themselves. Many members stay connected long after the group ends, building a support system that keeps reinforcing the work you started together. A gentle reminder that therapy groups ask members to refrain from building relationships, specifically romantic or sexual, with other group members during the course of the group.
You Get More Support for Your Investment Group counseling is typically more accessible cost-wise than adding extra individual sessions, while still delivering real clinical benefit. Research shows that it is not just a budget-friendly alternative: a major review of 329 studies found group therapy effective across a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and eating disorders.¹
You Deepen (Not Replace) Your Individual Work Group counseling isn't meant to replace the one-on-one relationship you've built with your therapist, it's meant to expand it. The self-awareness you build in individual sessions gives you a head start in group, and the interpersonal practice you get in group often brings new insights back into your individual work.
Ready to Add a Group to Your Growth?
Begin Group Counseling with Her Time Therapy
Now Accepting New Clients
Our feminist, sex-positive therapists at Her Time Therapy offer group support alongside individual therapy. Upcoming groups include:
The Pause - Sign Up Link A support group for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause
Starting October 1, 2026.
Community of Support - Sign Up Link Our therapy group for early career counselors. Graduate students in practicum or internship and newly minted LPCCs are invited to join!
Mondays at 12:00 pm MST Starting September 14, 2026
Your next steps:
Schedule a free consultation to talk about whether group work is a fit for where you are right now.
Get matched with a group that aligns with your goals, alongside continued individual support if you want it.
Experience the specific kind of growth that only happens in community.
Call/Text (303) 900-8225 | info@hertimetherapy.com
About the Author
Erin Brandt is currently pursuing her Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and is a supervised intern here at Her Time Therapy, PLLC, a group therapy practice specializing in teletherapy for women.
She brings 20 years of experience as a sex educator providing a unique ability to support women in areas like intimacy, sexual identity and orientation, communication, and discovering authentic desires.
Erin loves to write (all em—dashes are my own), read all the smut, and dream of sandy beaches and ocean waves. As a long-term partner and a mom, she understands the care it takes to “do it all” while finding joy and balance.
Disclaimer: This blog does not provide medical advice and the information contained herein is for informational purposes only. This blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a licensed health provider before undertaking a new treatment or health care regimen.
Sources
[1] Rosendahl, J., et al. (2021). The effectiveness of group psychotherapy. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 74(2), 52–59. Cited in American Psychological Association Monitor on Psychology (2023). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/03/continuing-education-group-therapy
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