Group Therapy or Individual Therapy?

If you are considering therapy, you may be wondering whether individual therapy, group therapy, or both would be the best fit for you. Each offers something different, and understanding those differences can help you make an informed choice. The good news is that both are effective forms of therapy — and for many people, doing both at the same time can be especially powerful.

What Individual Therapy Offers

Individual therapy provides a deeply personal space where the full attention of a trained therapist is focused on you. It is especially helpful when you need someone who is attuned to your specific experiences, emotions, and patterns. In individual therapy, the therapist can focus on your unique developmental needs and the dynamics that show up in your one-on-one relationships. It is a place to talk through your problems, make sense of your story, and develop insight in a safe and private setting.

Think of it this way: individual therapy is like having a caring, devoted mother figure all to yourself — someone who is fully attuned to you and your needs.

What Group Therapy Offers

Group therapy offers many of the same qualities as individual therapy — a trained, experienced, compassionate, and attuned therapist who creates a safe space. But it adds something individual therapy cannot: other people. In a therapy group, you are not just talking about your problems — you are actively working on them, in real time, with real people.

Group therapy is a microcosm of the real world. The patterns that show up in your daily life — how you connect with others, how you handle conflict, how you ask for what you need — will eventually show up in the group too. The difference is that in group therapy, there is a skilled therapist guiding the process and helping you notice and change those patterns as they happen. It is one of the few places where you can practice new ways of relating in a setting that is both real and safe.

If individual therapy is like having that caring, devoted presence all to yourself, group therapy is like having that same presence — but now you also have siblings. You learn to share the space, navigate different personalities, and discover how you show up in a community. That experience is closer to everyday life, which is part of what makes group therapy so effective.

Key Differences

One of the clearest distinctions between the two is this: people often come to individual therapy to talk about their problems, and to group therapy to work on their problems. In individual therapy, you reflect and gain understanding. In group therapy, you put that understanding into practice. You get real-time feedback, build interpersonal skills, and experience what it feels like to be truly seen by others — not just your therapist.

Individual therapy tends to go deeper into your personal history and internal world. Group therapy tends to go wider, showing you how your internal world plays out in relationships. Both are valuable, and they complement each other well.

Can You Do Both?

Absolutely. Many people find that doing both individual and group therapy at the same time leads to faster and deeper growth. Individual therapy gives you the space to process and reflect. Group therapy gives you the space to practice and connect. What you learn in one setting reinforces and deepens the work you do in the other.

How to Decide

If you are not sure which is right for you, consider what you are looking for. If you want focused, private attention on your personal concerns, individual therapy is a great place to start. If you want to improve the way you relate to others, build confidence in social situations, or see how your patterns play out with real people, group therapy may be exactly what you need. And if both resonate with you — consider doing both.

A therapist can help you figure out which option makes the most sense for where you are right now. The most important step is simply reaching out and starting the conversation. Learn more about our group therapy offerings, explore our therapy services, or book a free consultation.