II. MARCO TEÓRICO
2.2. Bases teóricas de las variables
2.2.2. Desempeño laboral
Group psychotherapy is a special form of therapy in which a small number of people meet with a professionally trained therapist. This type of therapy has been a standard treatment option for more than 50 years. Many people do very well in group psychotherapy because it allows them to share with others who have similar problems or concerns. This can help you better understand your own situation as you learn from and with one another.
If you’re depressed, group therapy can help you learn about your-self and improve relationships with other people as you work on your feelings of anxiety, isolation, and depression. Working in a group can help you make changes in your life that will make you feel better about yourself, too.
Scientists who have studied group therapy have discovered that this method is just as effective as traditional psychotherapy—and sometimes may even be more effective. Many experts believe that the best way to deal with depression is to combine medication, individual psychotherapy, and group therapy. Your therapist can talk with you so
that you understand the benefi ts of each of these treatments and help you determine what will work best for you.
Group psychotherapists can be psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, psychiatric nurses, pastoral counselors, marriage and family therapists, or substance abuse counselors. If you’re thinking about joining a group, you or your parents should make sure the person is qualifi ed. Look for the “CGP” designation after the therapist’s name—
that’s the signal that the person has received special training in group therapy and been certifi ed by the National Registry of Certifi ed Group Psychotherapists. Clinical members of the American Group Psycho-therapy Association (AGPA) also have received specialized training.
A typical group session lasts about 75 to 90 minutes. During the meeting, you’ll work on expressing your own ideas, problems, and feelings as honestly as you can. The more honest you are, the better the group will be able to help. As each of the members talks about feelings and how he or she acts on those feelings, the group learns how to understand themselves and their own issues as well. In the process, they often learn how to help one another, too.
A therapist puts together a group of about fi ve to 10 clients who he or she thinks might get something out of a group experience. Group members may not all have the exact same problem. While some members probably will be depressed, all the members may not feel this way. This can be a good thing, since people with different prob-lems can bring a range of strengths and insights to the group.
Moreover, not all groups are alike. One group may focus on hav-ing members help one another; another group might spend most of its time helping members learn how to control thoughts (sort of like cognitive therapy) or how to handle situations that trigger depression.
But whatever the group’s focus, during the meeting you’ll be encour-aged to talk with one another openly and honestly. Your therapist will help examine all of the problems and feelings affecting the individuals and the group and will guide the discussions.
Your therapist may want to use group therapy as the only treatment for you, though most therapists like to combine group and individual therapy. Many teens discover that working in both group and indi-vidual therapy at the same time can help a lot. Your therapist may run your group, or he or she may refer you to a colleague’s group. If that’s your case, the two therapists will communicate with each other about your progress.
Group therapy is different from self-help or support groups. In group therapy, you’ll learn how to cope with your problems but also how to change behavior and grow as an individual. Support groups are not necessarily led by professionals, but these groups usually
focus on easing symptoms and helping people cope with diffi cult situations. Self-help groups usually focus on a particular symptom or situation shared by all the members of the group and usually aren’t led by a trained therapist.
If your therapist has suggested that you join a group, you may have some worries or concerns. After all, it’s one thing to talk about your problems to your therapist, but teens can sometimes feel uncomfort-able about sharing their personal thoughts in a room full of strang-ers. You may worry: What if I don’t like the people in my group? Of course, it’s perfectly natural to feel a bit anxious when you fi rst join, but most teens soon begin to thaw out and start to trust their fellow group members. In fact, you’ll probably feel at ease and relieved when you realize you’ll have the chance to talk with other kids with the same problems.
In joining a group, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from other people. If you’ve ever gotten together casually with a bunch of close friends and ended up talking about a problem you have—only to fi nd out many of your friends have the same problem—you know how supportive it can be to share this experience. That’s what group therapy is like, too—with the added benefi t of a trained leader guiding the conversation.
In group therapy, you’ll learn that you may not be as different (or as hopeless) as you think you are. You’ll discover that you’re not alone and that you’re not the only person who feels the way you do.
And remember, the more involved you are with the group, the more you’ll get out of it.
How long a group lasts depends on the type of group and the extent of your problems. Short-term groups devoted to specifi c issues may last from six to 20 weeks, but in an open-ended group, you can leave whenever you’ve reached your goals. You should talk to your therapist to determine the length of time that’s right for you.
Typically, group therapy costs about half as much as individual therapy, although this can vary depending on where you live and the type of therapist you have. Most managed care insurance companies cover group therapy the same as individual therapy.
OUTLOOK
All psychotherapy treatments for depression—whether CBT, inter-personal therapy, group therapy, or behavioral techniques—try to help you see that you can control your mind, your body, and your life. Treatments are highly effective and greatly improve the quality of your life. But this kind of treatment will work best if you attend
all of your scheduled appointments. How effective it is will depend on how actively you participate and whether you’re willing to work with your therapist to deal with your depression. People who actively participate in therapy recover faster than those who aren’t motivated.
They also have fewer relapses. Of course, you’ll need to spend time evaluating your thoughts and behavior, and you’ll have to think care-fully to identify stresses that contribute to your depression. Then you’ll need to work on improving these areas. All of this takes time;
therapy isn’t a quick fi x.
When you fi rst start therapy, you and your therapist will probably establish some goals. As you work together, you should periodically review your progress. If you don’t like your therapist’s approach or if you don’t think he or she is helping, you should talk this out. You can always ask your parents to let you seek a second opinion, but you shouldn’t just quit therapy abruptly without talking about the problems you’re having.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
M You can’t just “snap out of” depression by wanting to feel better.
M Depression almost always responds well to a combination of therapy and medication.
M Depression is treated either by changing behavior (behav-ioral therapy) or changing thoughts and behavior (cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT).
M Psychotherapy can help you identify what contributes to your depression and how to deal effectively with these psychological or behavioral problems and with interpersonal relationships M Interpersonal therapy is a type of short-term therapy that
focuses on how you communicate with and relate to others.
M Group psychotherapy is a special form of therapy in which a small number of people meet with a professionally trained therapist.
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Sandy didn’t remember exactly when she started to feel depressed—it all happened so gradually. Mostly, she felt numb and increasingly distant from everyone and everything around her. Her parents divorced when she was just three, and she’d been living with her father ever since. Her father had hoped that she would “snap out of it,” but as weeks and months dragged on, he became more and more concerned. “Maybe she’s just moody,” he told himself. “After all, she’s a teenager. Isn’t that how teenagers act?”Finally, Sandy’s counselor at school suggested to her father that Sandy’s problems were not just normal teenage moodiness. The counselor thought Sandy might be depressed and recommended that she see a therapist. The therapist agreed that Sandy was depressed and recommended a combination of psychotherapy and a course of antidepressants.
Sandy’s father was unhappy about the idea of medication at fi rst, but the therapist convinced him Sandy wasn’t lazy or willful. She really had a medical problem that required medication as a helpful short-term boost while she worked on getting better.