Group therapy can be an effective treatment option for individuals experiencing anxiety. It is especially helpful for affordable weekly support when individual therapy may not be accessible.

When working with clients on negative self-talk, it has been helpful to externalize and name the different modes of negative dialogue that invade our brains.  I like to think of them as characters in a play, with distinct themes and personalities.  The first rule to deprogramming our negative self-talk is: Name it to Tame it.  We label the self-talk as The Worrywart, The Perfectionist, The Victim, or The Disparager.  

Most cases of treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder(OCD) ebb and flow with progress, but occasionally, we are met with significant resistance. Although we hope to externalize OCD as a separate voice from one’s true self, OCD often can be deeply entrenched in our personalities.  Sometimes, we cannot imagine who we are without our OCD behaviors and we lean on this predictable mode of reacting to the world.  The temporarily easier path is to stay in your OCD.  

Most cases of OCD treatment ebb and flow with progress, but occasionally, we are met with significant resistance. Although we hope to externalize OCD as a separate voice from one’s true self, OCD often can be deeply entrenched in our personalities. Sometimes, we cannot imagine who we are without our OCD behaviors and we lean on this predictable mode of reacting to the world. The temporarily easier path is to stay in your OCD.

Kairos Wellness Collective now runs three robust groups for anxiety targeting middle school, high school, and college-aged young people. Unfortunately, even though many children freely share symptoms of anxiety with each other, others feel deep shame that their “fears” will be minimized or mocked by others. Creating a group environment for breathing, yoga, and mindfulness activities makes them achievable, normalized, and within reach for almost all kids.

Sharing is healing. While CBT and ERP individual sessions can be anxiety-activating rather than soothing, groups focus on the act of sharing as a main vehicle of healing. The very act of articulating internal struggles to a supportive group is tremendously powerful. It is truly something you have to experience to understand the effect of having multiple eyes and ears attending to your story in a receptive, collective environment.