Benefits of Group Therapy
Alyce LaViolette, 1999
www.AlyceLaViolette.com
- Opportunities which are new (not previously experienced)
- Expectation of honesty, openness
- Place to express thoughts and feelings
- Group of peers wanting to eliminate violence
- Place to learn new rules about having relationships
- New skills encouraged
- Numerous sources of feedback
- Become mentors (most men do not have nurturing experience which allows empathy to develop)
- Develop empathy
- Identify with other men
- Spread out emotional dependence (decrease dependence on partner)
- Reinforces his competence emotionally
- Provides supportive interactions
- Place to practice new behaviors, verbal skills, etc.
- Provides environment where it is acceptable to break taboos and challenge beliefs associated with traditional gender roles and masculinity
- Acceptable for men to admit that their abusive behavior does not work
- Confrontation by peers - once group is cohesive, confrontations by other members is indispensable in producing change
- Confronts self-centeredness - men have to share time - become aware of other's needs