How Do You Know If Group Therapy Will Help?
Whether you're a parent considering group therapy for your child, a young adult wondering if it's worth trying, or a professional determining if it's the right referral, you're probably asking: how do I know if this will actually help?
Here's the honest answer: you can't know for certain before you try. Therapy isn't a guaranteed outcome. But there are clear indicators that suggest group therapy is likely to be effective, and a thorough intake assessment helps us evaluate whether it's a good fit.
If isolation, relationship struggles, or the need for peer connection are central to what you're facing, group therapy is worth exploring. Let me walk you through how to know if it's likely to help.
What are the signs that group therapy will help?
Group therapy is most likely to help when someone feels isolated, struggles with relationship patterns despite having some social skills, needs peer feedback and connection, or is working through identity questions. If these issues are central, group therapy addresses them in ways individual therapy can't.
Here are the key indicators that group therapy will likely be effective:
You feel profoundly alone. If you or your child feels like "I'm the only one dealing with this," group therapy directly addresses that isolation. When you discover others struggle with the same fears and insecurities, shame dissolves and connection becomes possible.
You have some social skills but struggle to use them. If you know what you're supposed to do in social situations but anxiety, patterns, or other barriers get in the way, group therapy provides real-time practice with peers. You're not missing knowledge—you're missing the ability to use that knowledge when it matters.
You get stuck in the same relationship patterns. If you keep ending up in the same conflicts with different people, if you struggle to keep friends even though you can make them, if the same dynamics play out over and over—these patterns will show up in group, and the group will help you see them and try something different.
Peer feedback would be valuable. If you'd benefit from hearing how you come across to others, from getting validation from peers (not just adults), from being challenged by people whose opinions matter to you—group therapy offers that.
You're working through identity questions. If "Who am I? Where do I belong? What do I believe in?" are central questions, group therapy provides a space to explore these with peers who are asking the same questions.
You're willing to try, even if you're scared. You don't have to be enthusiastic about group therapy. But if there's at least a small willingness underneath the fear, that's enough to start.
For parents: if your child is isolated, anxious in social situations, struggling with friendships, or going through identity questions, these are good indicators. For young adults: if you feel disconnected, stuck in patterns, or like you need peer connection, group therapy is worth exploring. For professionals: if your client's primary struggles involve isolation, relational patterns, or social anxiety, group therapy may be the most effective referral.
How do we determine if group therapy is right for you during intake?
During intake, we conduct a comprehensive assessment to determine if group therapy is likely to help. We look at the core issue, developmental readiness, emotional capacity, willingness, timing, and we talk to collaterals. We're honest if we think individual therapy would be better or if you're not ready yet.
The intake process is designed to increase the likelihood that group therapy will help. Here's what we assess:
What's the core issue? We want to understand what's actually getting in the way. Is it isolation? Anxiety? Relationship patterns? Depression? Identity questions? Understanding the core issue helps us determine if group therapy addresses it effectively.
Developmental readiness. For children and teens, we assess whether they're at a developmental stage where peer relationships matter and where they can engage in some self-reflection. For young adults, we look at whether they're ready for the vulnerability that group requires.
Emotional capacity. Can you handle being in a room with peers working through their own struggles? Do you have enough inner resources to tolerate discomfort, receive feedback, and stay present? You don't need to be strong all the time, but you need a baseline capacity to participate.
What's missing? Are you missing knowledge (you don't know what to do), or are you missing the ability to use knowledge you have (you know what to do but can't do it)? If you're missing knowledge, we might recommend skills-based work first. If you know what to do but struggle to do it, group therapy is likely effective.
Willingness. Especially for teens, we assess whether there's at least some willingness to try. Being forced into group when you're completely resistant doesn't work. But nervous willingness? That's enough.
Timing and fit. Is there space in an appropriate group? Is this the right time to add a new member? Do you have enough in common with existing members to connect?
Collateral information. We talk to your individual therapist, your child's school counselor, or your psychiatrist (with signed releases). They often have insights that help us understand the full picture.
After this assessment, we'll tell you honestly whether we think group therapy is likely to help. Sometimes we recommend individual therapy instead or first. Sometimes we suggest waiting and reassessing in a few months. We care more about right fit than filling our groups.
What if you're not sure group therapy will work?
You can't know for certain before trying, but you can give it a fair trial. Commit to 4-6 sessions before evaluating whether it's helping. Look for signs like feeling less alone, forming connections, willing to share more, looking forward to group, or noticing changes in relationships outside of group. Change takes time.
Many people start group therapy uncertain whether it will help. That's normal. Here's how to approach that uncertainty:
Give it 4-6 sessions. You won't see results after one session. It takes time to feel comfortable, to start opening up, to form connections with other members. Commit to at least 4-6 sessions before deciding whether it's working.
Look for these signs it's helping:
You feel less alone after group
You're starting to form connections with other members
You're willing to share more as time goes on
You look forward to group (or at least don't dread it)
You notice yourself using skills or insights from group in your outside relationships
You feel seen and understood by peers
For parents: Trust the process even if you don't see immediate changes at home. Your child might not talk about group or might even resist going some weeks. But if they keep showing up and the therapist reports they're engaging, something is happening. Change takes time.
For young adults: Notice how you feel after group. Do you feel more connected? Less alone? More hopeful? Those are indicators it's working, even if concrete changes haven't shown up yet.
For professionals: If you've referred a client, check in after a month. Ask about their experience. Are they forming connections? Participating? Feeling like they belong? These are early indicators of benefit.
If after 4-6 sessions there's absolutely no connection, no engagement, no willingness—it might not be the right fit. And that's okay. We'll reassess and figure out what would work better.
When is group therapy unlikely to help (or not the right fit)?
Group therapy is unlikely to help when someone is in acute crisis, completely unwilling, not developmentally ready, dealing with issues too private for group, can't commit to weekly attendance, or missing fundamental skills that need to be taught first. We assess for these factors during intake and will be honest about fit.
There are clear situations where group therapy isn't likely to help—at least not right now:
Active crisis. If you're in severe depression where you can't get out of bed, experiencing active suicidal ideation, or in acute crisis, you need more intensive individual support first. Group therapy requires a baseline level of stability.
Completely unwilling. If you're being dragged in against your will with zero willingness to try, group therapy won't work. Nervous willingness is fine. Complete resistance isn't.
Not developmentally ready. Some kids aren't ready for the vulnerability and self-reflection that process groups require. They might benefit more from play therapy or structured activities first.
Issues too private. If what you're working on feels too private to share in a group setting, individual therapy might be more appropriate.
Can't commit to weekly attendance. Group therapy requires consistency. If your schedule is too unpredictable or you can't prioritize weekly attendance, you'll miss the continuity that makes group work.
Missing fundamental skills. If you genuinely don't know how to have a conversation, read social cues, or navigate basic peer interactions, you might benefit from a skills-based program like PEERS before joining a process group.
During intake, we assess for these factors. If we determine group therapy isn't the right fit right now, we'll tell you honestly and help you find what would work better.
Finding Out If Group Therapy Will Help You
The best way to know if group therapy will help is to go through a thorough intake assessment and then give it a fair trial.
At The Wellness Collective in Hermosa Beach, we offer interpersonal process groups for elementary girls (3rd-5th grade), middle school girls, high school girls, and young adults (men and women). During intake, we carefully assess whether group therapy is likely to help based on what you're struggling with, your readiness, and whether our groups are the right fit.
If we think individual therapy would be more appropriate, we'll tell you and connect you with one of our skilled individual therapists. If we think you're not ready yet, we'll say so and suggest revisiting the question in a few months.
Ready to find out if group therapy could help you or your child?
Contact us to schedule a free 15-minute phone consultation. We'll talk about what's going on and help you determine if group therapy is worth exploring.
Phone: 310-817-0599
Email: Info@thewellnesscollectiveca.com
Website: www.thewellnesscollectiveca.com
For more information about group therapy, read:
Visit our Group Therapy page: www.thewellnesscollectiveca.com/group-therapy
About the Author
Leah Niehaus is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Group Psychotherapist (CGP) with over 20 years of clinical experience specializing in group therapy for children, adolescents, and young adults. As the owner and Clinical Director of The Wellness Collective in Hermosa Beach, California, she has dedicated her career to helping individuals navigate life's challenges through the transformative power of group therapy.
Leah earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Pepperdine University and her Master's in Social Work from California State University, Long Beach. Her clinical background includes community mental health, public child welfare, and psychiatric social work at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital. She has been in private practice for 21 years and has operated a group practice for 9 years.
As a Certified Group Psychotherapist—an advanced credential representing specialized expertise in group therapy—Leah is recognized as an expert in group dynamics and interpersonal process therapy. She was recently honored by the City of Hermosa Beach as "Best of Clinical Social Work 2023."
Leah is a CAMFT Certified Clinical Supervisor, training the next generation of therapists. She serves as an Ambassador for South Bay Families Connected and sits on the Manhattan Beach Unified School District Medical Advisory Board. She is an active member of the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA),co-leads the Advanced Child & Adolescent Group Therapy Consult Group, and serves on the Public Outreach committee.
Leah is a frequent guest speaker and writer on parenting, adolescence, and group therapies. Her newsletter, "Lighter Touch with Leah," provides practical guidance for parents. As both a clinician and mother of three, she brings professional expertise and personal understanding to her work.
To learn more about Leah's approach or to schedule a free consultation, visit www.thewellnesscollectiveca.com or call 310-817-0599.
