Who is Appropriate for Group Therapy?
If you're considering group therapy for yourself or your child, one of the first questions you're probably asking is: "Am I (or is my child) appropriate for group therapy?"
It's a fair question. Not everyone is a good fit for group therapy, and not every situation calls for it. Understanding who benefits most—and who doesn't—helps you make an informed decision.
As a Certified Group Psychotherapist who's been running groups for over 20 years, I've learned that group therapy serves a wide range of people across different situations. It works as standalone treatment for people with mild to moderate symptoms. It also works as a critical adjunct to individual therapy for people with moderate to severe symptoms who need more than once-weekly support. And it serves as an effective step down for people transitioning from higher levels of care like IOP, PHP, or residential treatment who have stabilized but need continued support.
Group therapy isn't just for one type of person or one level of severity. It's a flexible, powerful modality that meets people where they are—whether you're struggling with isolation and relationship patterns, stepping down from intensive treatment, needing more support than individual therapy alone provides, or looking for an alternative when individual therapy hasn't worked.
This post will walk you through who is appropriate for group therapy across different ages and situations, who isn't appropriate, and how we determine fit during the intake process.
Who benefits most from group therapy?
Group therapy benefits a wide range of people. As standalone treatment, it works best for mild to moderate symptoms like anxiety, depression, social struggles, or relationship patterns. As an adjunct to individual therapy, it's highly effective for moderate to severe symptoms when someone needs more than once-weekly support. It also works as a step down from higher levels of care or as an alternative when individual therapy hasn't helped.
Here's who benefits most from group therapy:
People with mild to moderate symptoms seeking standalone treatment. If you're functioning—going to school or work, maintaining some relationships—but dealing with anxiety, depression, social struggles, or relationship patterns, group therapy often works well as your primary treatment. You have enough stability to participate and benefit from peer connection.
People with moderate to severe symptoms who need group as an adjunct to individual therapy. If you're in individual therapy but struggling with more significant symptoms, adding group therapy provides crucial additional weekly support. You get the focused attention of individual therapy plus the peer connection, validation, and real-time relational practice of group therapy. This combination is often more effective than individual therapy alone for people with moderate to severe symptoms.
People stepping down from higher levels of care. If you're transitioning from IOP, PHP, or residential treatment and have achieved some stabilization but aren't ready to step down to just once-weekly individual therapy, group therapy provides that intermediate level of support. It maintains structure, accountability, and connection while you continue building stability.
People who feel isolated or alone. Regardless of symptom severity, if you feel like "I'm the only one dealing with this," group therapy directly addresses that isolation. The experience of discovering others struggle with similar challenges is profoundly healing.
People stuck in relationship patterns. If you keep ending up in the same conflicts with different people, struggle to keep friends even though you can make them, or notice the same dynamics playing out repeatedly—group therapy helps you see these patterns and practice changing them.
People who haven't benefited from individual therapy. Some people don't connect with the one-on-one format or learn better experientially through peer relationships than through talk therapy with a therapist. Group therapy offers an alternative pathway to healing.
Is group therapy appropriate for children and elementary-aged kids?
Yes. Group therapy is appropriate for elementary-aged girls (3rd-5th grade) who are navigating friendships, experiencing mild anxiety or social struggles, or showing early signs of relationship patterns. At this age, peer relationships are starting to matter, and group provides a safe place to practice social skills and build confidence.
Elementary-aged kids are at a developmental stage where peer relationships are becoming increasingly important. They're learning to navigate friendships, handle conflicts, and figure out where they fit in socially.
Group therapy works well for elementary girls who are:
Sensitive, quirky, or anxious
Struggling to make or keep friends
Experiencing mild social anxiety
Being excluded or left out
Navigating mean girl dynamics
Building social confidence
Working on communication skills
Learning to advocate for themselves
At The Wellness Collective, our elementary groups (3rd-5th grade) meet for 75 minutes weekly. We look for girls who can sit for that duration, engage in basic reflection about their feelings and experiences, and are developmentally ready to care about peer relationships.
Early intervention matters. Patterns that start in elementary school—social anxiety, people-pleasing, conflict avoidance, difficulty setting boundaries—become more entrenched over time. Group therapy at this age helps kids develop healthier patterns before they solidify.
Is group therapy appropriate for middle school and high school teens?
Absolutely. Adolescence is the peak developmental stage for group therapy because identity formation and peer relationships are central. Middle school girls and high school girls with mild to moderate anxiety, depression, friendship struggles, body image issues, mild eating concerns, or identity questions benefit tremendously from group therapy. For teens with more severe symptoms who are also in individual therapy, group provides crucial additional weekly support.
Adolescence is when group therapy is most powerful. Teens are asking "Who am I? Where do I belong? What do I believe in?" They're separating from parents and looking to their peer group for identity and validation. Group therapy meets them exactly where they are developmentally.
Group therapy is appropriate for middle and high school girls who are:
Experiencing mild to moderate anxiety or depression
Struggling with more severe symptoms but also receiving individual therapy (group as adjunct)
Dealing with friendships or social dynamics
Navigating body image issues or mild eating concerns
Working through identity questions
Feeling isolated or lonely
Stuck in relationship patterns
Overwhelmed by school pressure or perfectionism
Stepping down from IOP, PHP, or residential treatment
Needing more support than weekly individual therapy provides
Teens often resist individual therapy because talking to an adult one-on-one doesn't feel natural to them. But in group therapy, they're connecting with peers who get it. Peer feedback carries more weight than therapist feedback during this developmental stage.
Group therapy is also highly appropriate for teens who need more than once-weekly support. If your teen is in individual therapy but struggling with moderate to severe symptoms, adding group provides additional weekly connection and support without the full cost of another individual session. The combination of individual and group therapy is often more effective than either alone.
Is group therapy appropriate for young adults?
Yes. Group therapy is highly appropriate for young adults (ages 18-25, men and women) struggling with languishing, failure to launch, friendship or dating struggles, relationship patterns, isolation, or feeling directionless. For young adults with moderate to severe symptoms, group works effectively as an adjunct to individual therapy. Young adults stepping down from higher levels of care or those who haven't benefited from individual therapy often find that group therapy offers the peer connection and experiential learning they need.
Young adulthood brings unique challenges. You're supposed to be launching into independence, building a career, forming adult relationships, figuring out who you are separate from your family—and many young adults feel stuck, isolated, or directionless.
Group therapy is appropriate for young adults who are:
Languishing—feeling stuck, unmotivated, directionless
Struggling with failure to launch—living at home, can't move forward
Having trouble making or keeping friends
Struggling with dating or romantic relationships
Repeating the same relationship patterns
Feeling isolated during the transition to adulthood
Dealing with quarter-life questions and identity
Managing moderate to severe symptoms with individual therapy support (group as adjunct)
Stepping down from IOP, PHP, or residential treatment
Haven't found individual therapy helpful or don't connect with that format
Young adults often struggle with profound loneliness even when surrounded by people. They're navigating the pressure to have it all figured out while feeling like everyone else does except them. Group therapy breaks that isolation and provides peer connection during a developmental stage when that matters most.
At The Wellness Collective, our young adult groups (men and women) meet for 90 minutes weekly. These groups focus on real-time relational learning—practicing authenticity, navigating conflict, building genuine connections, and figuring out who you are in the context of peers who accept you.
When is group therapy a good addition to individual therapy?
Group therapy is an excellent adjunct to individual therapy when someone needs more than once-weekly support, especially for people with moderate to severe symptoms. Individual therapy alone may not provide enough weekly touchpoints, and group therapy fills that gap. It's also highly effective for people stepping down from higher levels of care who need more support than just weekly individual therapy.
Many people benefit from both individual and group therapy at the same time. They serve different but complementary purposes:
Individual therapy provides:
Undivided attention and personalized focus
Deep dive on trauma, specific fears, or acute issues
Privacy for very personal content
Flexibility in scheduling
Therapist expertise and guidance
Group therapy provides:
Peer connection and validation
Real-time relational practice
Multiple perspectives
Breaking isolation
Experience of helping others
More weekly touchpoints for support
When both work together, individual therapy might address trauma processing, family of origin work, or specific skill-building, while group therapy provides a place to practice those skills in real relationships with peers.
Group therapy as an adjunct is particularly helpful when:
Someone has moderate to severe symptoms and needs more than once-weekly support
Individual therapy is making progress but the person still feels isolated
Someone is stepping down from IOP, PHP, or residential and needs continued support beyond weekly individual therapy
The person would benefit from both therapist expertise and peer connection
Weekly individual therapy alone isn't providing enough structure or accountability
At The Wellness Collective, we offer both individual and group therapy. We sometimes recommend starting with both from the beginning, or adding one after the other is established. We also collaborate closely with outside individual therapists when their clients join our groups.
Who is NOT appropriate for group therapy (or not ready yet)?
Group therapy is not appropriate for people in active substance abuse, active crisis, or with severe untreated symptoms requiring a higher level of care. It's also not appropriate for people who are completely unwilling, who would disrupt group safety, or who can't commit to weekly attendance. Sometimes individual therapy or intensive treatment needs to come first.
Here's who isn't appropriate for group therapy—at least not right now:
Active substance abuse. If you're actively using substances in an uncontrolled way, you need substance abuse treatment first. Group therapy can be helpful after you've achieved some stability in recovery.
Active crisis or severe untreated symptoms. If you're experiencing severe depression where you can't function, active suicidal ideation, severe eating disorder requiring higher-level care, psychosis, or mania without stabilization, you need more intensive treatment first—potentially IOP, PHP, or residential. Once you've achieved some stabilization, group therapy can work as an adjunct or step down.
Severe behavioral dysregulation. If your behavior is so dysregulated that you can't sit for 75-90 minutes or would disrupt the safety of the group, individual therapy or a different level of care is more appropriate.
Completely unwilling or resistant. If you're being dragged into group against your will with zero willingness to try, it won't work. Nervous willingness is fine—complete resistance isn't.
Missing fundamental skills. If you genuinely don't know how to have a conversation, read basic social cues, or navigate peer interactions, a structured skills-based group like PEERS might be more appropriate before joining a process group.
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.
"Not appropriate now" doesn't mean "never." It often means intensive treatment or individual therapy first to stabilize, then reassess group therapy once you're ready.
What specific issues respond well to group therapy?
Group therapy is effective for mild to moderate anxiety and depression as standalone treatment, and for moderate to severe anxiety and depression when combined with individual therapy. It also works well for social anxiety, relationship struggles, isolation, identity questions, body image issues, mild eating concerns, high-functioning autism with a social baseline, ADHD with social impacts, grief and loss, languishing, failure to launch, and friendship or dating struggles.
Here are specific issues that respond well to group therapy:
Anxiety. Especially social anxiety. Group therapy is exposure therapy in the best way—you practice being in the situations you fear with support and in the context of real relationships. For moderate to severe anxiety, group works as an adjunct to individual therapy.
Depression with isolation. Depression often involves profound disconnection. Group therapy combats that directly through peer connection. For moderate to severe depression, group provides crucial additional support alongside individual therapy.
Relationship and interpersonal struggles. If you keep ending up in the same conflicts, these patterns will show up in group where they can be worked through.
Body image issues and mild eating concerns. Group provides peer support, challenges distorted thinking, and reduces shame around these struggles.
Autism spectrum (high-functioning with some social baseline). If you have some social skills but struggle to use them, group provides real-time practice with feedback.
ADHD with social impacts. If impulsivity or attention struggles affect your relationships, group helps you practice noticing and adjusting in real time.
Grief and loss. Group provides validation and companionship with others who understand loss.
Identity questions. Group offers a safe space to explore who you are with peers who accept you.
Languishing and failure to launch. Young adults feeling stuck benefit from peer connection and accountability.
Friendship and dating struggles. If you struggle to make friends, keep friends, or navigate dating, group provides practice.
Transition from higher levels of care. If you're stepping down from IOP, PHP, or residential, group helps maintain gains and provides continued support.
How do you determine if someone is appropriate during the intake process?
We conduct a comprehensive assessment during intake to determine appropriateness. We look at symptom severity, the core issue, developmental readiness, emotional capacity, willingness, whether group would work as standalone treatment or adjunct to individual, whether someone is stepping down from higher care, and whether timing is right. We're honest when individual therapy, intensive treatment, or a skills-based group would be better.
The intake process is designed to determine whether group therapy is appropriate and likely to be effective. Here's what we assess:
Symptom severity and current treatment. Are symptoms mild, moderate, or severe? Is the person currently in individual therapy? Would group work as standalone treatment, or is it needed as an adjunct to individual therapy? Are they stepping down from a higher level of care?
Core issue. What's actually getting in the way? Is it isolation? Relationship patterns? If the core issue is relational and involves connection with peers, group therapy is likely appropriate.
Developmental readiness. Is the person at a stage where peer relationships matter and where they can engage in some self-reflection?
Emotional capacity. Can they handle being in a room with peers working through struggles? Do they have enough inner resources to tolerate discomfort and stay present?
Willingness. Is there at least some willingness to try, even if they're scared?
Level of support needed. Does this person need more than once-weekly support? Would adding group to their existing individual therapy provide necessary additional structure?
Timing and fit. Is there space in an appropriate group? Is this the right time? Do they have enough in common with existing members?
Collateral information. What do their individual therapist, school counselor, or psychiatrist say about readiness for group?
After this assessment, we make an honest recommendation. Sometimes we say group therapy is perfect as standalone treatment. Sometimes we recommend group as an adjunct to individual therapy. Sometimes we recommend individual therapy or intensive treatment first. Sometimes we suggest both modalities from the start. We care more about right fit than filling our groups.
Finding Appropriate Group Therapy in Hermosa Beach, CA
Group therapy is appropriate for a wide range of people—those with mild to moderate symptoms seeking standalone treatment, those with moderate to severe symptoms needing group as an adjunct to individual therapy, and those stepping down from higher levels of care. But it's not for everyone, and understanding who benefits most helps you make the right decision.
At The Wellness Collective in Hermosa Beach, we specialize in interpersonal process groups for elementary girls (3rd-5th grade), middle school girls, high school girls, and young adults (men and women, ages 18-25). All of our groups are either led by me as a Certified Group Psychotherapist or supervised by me as a CGP—a level of specialized expertise that's uncommon in the community.
We also offer individual therapy for those who need it, and we're happy to collaborate with outside individual therapists when clients benefit from both modalities.
During intake, we carefully assess whether you or your child is appropriate for group therapy. We look at symptom severity, developmental readiness, the core issue, current treatment, and whether group would work as standalone treatment or as an adjunct to individual therapy. If we don't think group therapy is appropriate right now, we'll tell you honestly and help you find what would work better.
Ready to find out if you or your child is appropriate for group therapy?
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 the right fit.
Phone: 310-817-0599
Email: Info@thewellnesscollectiveca.com
Website: www.thewellnesscollectiveca.com
For more information about group therapy, read:
Can Group Therapy Help Someone with High-Functioning Autism or Social Anxiety?
Is Group Therapy Confidential—What If Someone Shares My Story?
How Do I Choose the Right Kind of Group Therapy for My Child, Teen, or Young Adult?
What is the Difference between a Time-Limited Group and an Open-Ended Group?
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.
