What is the Most Common Type of Group Therapy?
You've heard that group therapy could help your child, but when you start researching, you quickly realize there isn't just one kind of group therapy. There are skills groups, process groups, support groups, CBT groups, DBT groups—and it's hard to know what any of it means, let alone which one is right for your child.
Here's the truth: not all group therapy is the same. Different types of groups serve different purposes, use different approaches, and produce different results. Some groups teach specific skills through structured lessons. Others focus on real-time relational work. Some run for a set number of weeks. Others are open-ended.
As a Certified Group Psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience running groups for children, teens, and young adults, I've seen what works—and what doesn't. At The Wellness Collective in Hermosa Beach, we specialize in interpersonal process groups. But that doesn't mean it's the only type, or that it's right for everyone.
This post will walk you through the most common types of group therapy, how they differ, and how to figure out which approach might be best for your child or yourself.
What are the most common types of group therapy?
There are four main types of group therapy: psychoeducational groups (teaching information about a topic), skills-based groups (teaching specific techniques like social skills or DBT), support groups (sharing experiences and mutual support), and interpersonal process groups (working through challenges in real-time with peers). Each serves a different purpose and works differently.**
Psychoeducational groups: focus on teaching information about a specific topic—like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or substance use. These groups are more like classes. A therapist presents information, everyone learns together, and there might be discussions or worksheets. The goal is education and understanding.
Skills-based groups: teach specific techniques through structured lessons and practice. The most common example is social skills groups—programs like PEERS that teach kids how to start conversations, make friends, read social cues, and handle conflict. DBT groups teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness. These groups follow a curriculum, have homework, and run for a set number of weeks.
Support groups: bring together people facing similar challenges—grief, divorce, chronic illness, parenting struggles, addiction recovery. The focus is on sharing experiences, offering mutual support, and reducing isolation. These can be incredibly helpful for people who just need to know they're not alone, but they're typically not led by licensed therapists and don't focus on changing patterns or building skills.
Interpersonal process groups: focus on what's happening between people in real time. Instead of teaching skills from a curriculum, the work happens in the moment. When conflict arises in the group, we work through it together. When someone struggles to speak up, we notice it and explore it. When patterns emerge in how someone relates to others, the group helps them see it and try something different.
We believe that most of the struggles kids, teens, and young adults face are relational struggles. Feeling isolated. Not knowing how to make friends. Getting stuck in the same conflicts over and over. Anxiety that shows up in social situations. These issues can't be fully addressed by learning about them or memorizing techniques. They need to be experienced and worked through in relationship with peers.
What is a social skills group?
A social skills group teaches specific social skills through structured lessons, activities, and practice. These groups follow a curriculum—often programs like PEERS—where kids learn concrete techniques like how to start conversations, join groups, read social cues, and handle disagreements. They're task-oriented and typically time-limited.
Social skills groups are probably the most common type of group therapy for kids and teens, especially those with autism, ADHD, or social anxiety. They're structured like a class. Each week covers a specific topic with a lesson plan. Kids might watch videos, do role-plays, complete worksheets, or practice scenarios with each other.
Programs like PEERS (for children and teens) have been researched and proven effective. They break down social interactions into teachable steps. For example, a lesson might cover "how to join a conversation" with specific techniques: observe the group, find something in common to comment on, wait for a pause, add to the topic. Kids practice these steps in group and then try them out during the week as homework.
Social skills groups work well for kids who genuinely don't know what to do in social situations. If your child doesn't understand how to read facial expressions, doesn't know how to start a conversation, or misses basic social cues, a structured skills group can give them tools they're missing.
These groups are usually closed groups, meaning they start and end together as a cohort—often 10-16 weeks. Parents are often involved, receiving updates and coaching on how to support the skills at home.
The limitation of skills-based groups is that knowing what to do and actually doing it in real life are different things. You can memorize the steps for joining a conversation, but if you're anxious or the situation doesn't go as planned, those techniques might not translate.
What is an interpersonal process group?
An interpersonal process group focuses on what's happening between people in the moment. Instead of teaching skills from a curriculum, the group becomes the place where kids practice relating to others in real time. When conflicts arise, patterns emerge, or feelings come up, the group works through them together with guidance from the therapist.
This is the type of group therapy we specialize in at The Wellness Collective, and it works very differently than skills-based groups.
In an interpersonal process group, there's no predetermined lesson plan. We pay attention to what's actually unfolding in the room each week. If someone interrupts another person, we notice it and explore it. If a teen always tries to fix other people's problems instead of sharing their own, we talk about that pattern. If conflict happens between two group members, we don't avoid it—we work through it together.
The group itself becomes a microcosm of real life. The same patterns that show up at school or at home show up in group. The anxious kid who stays quiet in class stays quiet in group—until the group helps them find their voice. The teen who gets defensive when challenged gets defensive in group—and learns how to handle feedback differently.
Here's what makes this powerful: it's not theoretical. Kids aren't learning about social skills—they're actually practicing them in relationships that matter to them. They're figuring out in real time how to navigate conflict, express vulnerability, offer support, and be themselves with others.
The therapist's role is different too. I'm not teaching lessons. I'm helping the group notice what's happening, ask good questions, stay curious about patterns, and create safety so everyone can be real.
Interpersonal process groups work best for kids who have some basic social skills but struggle to use them, who feel disconnected even when they're around people, who get stuck in the same relationship patterns, or who need a safe place to practice being authentic.
These groups are almost always open-ended, meaning members can stay as long as they're benefiting. The work is ongoing because relational growth doesn't happen in 12 weeks.
What is the difference between a social skills group and a process group?
Social skills groups teach you what to do through structured lessons and practice. Process groups help you figure out how to actually do it in real relationships. Skills groups are like learning the rules of the game. Process groups are like playing the game and getting coached in real time.
Structure: Skills groups have a set curriculum. Week 1 is always about X, Week 2 is always about Y. Process groups respond to what's actually happening in the group that day.
Focus: Skills groups focus on teaching techniques—how to start a conversation, how to join a group, how to handle disagreement. Process groups focus on relationships—what happens between you and other people, what patterns show up, how you come across to others.
Timeline: Skills groups are usually time-limited (8-16 weeks). Process groups are usually open-ended (months to years).
Learning style: Skills groups are didactic—you're taught information. Process groups are experiential—you learn by doing and reflecting.
Best for: Skills groups work well when someone is missing foundational knowledge. "I don't know how to start a conversation." Process groups work well when someone knows what to do but struggles to actually do it. "I know how to start conversations, but I get too anxious," or "I can make friends but I can't keep them."
These approaches aren't in competition. Sometimes kids benefit from starting with a skills group to learn the basics, then moving to a process group to practice using those skills in real relationships. At The Wellness Collective, we sometimes recommend that a child do a skills-based program first if we think they'd benefit from that foundation.
What is the difference between a time-limited group and an open-ended group?
Time-limited groups (also called closed groups) run for a set number of weeks with the same members from start to finish. Open-ended groups have no predetermined end date—members can join when there's space and stay as long as they're benefiting. Both have advantages depending on what someone needs.
Time-limited groups usually run 8-16 weeks. Everyone starts together, follows the same curriculum, and graduates together. These are almost always skills-based or psychoeducational groups. The structure is clear: you know exactly what you're signing up for and when it ends.
The advantage is predictability. You know the commitment upfront. There's a beginning, middle, and end. The disadvantage is that meaningful change often takes longer than 12 weeks. Just when kids are getting comfortable, the group ends.
Open-ended groups don't have a set end date. New members can join when there's space, and existing members stay as long as they're benefiting. These are almost always interpersonal process groups. At The Wellness Collective, our groups are open-ended.
The advantage is that the work can go as deep as it needs to. Kids who need six months get six months. Kids who benefit from two years get two years. The group develops a continuity and depth that time-limited groups can't achieve. Long-term members become leaders. The group becomes like a family.
The disadvantage is that it requires more commitment. Some families struggle with that, especially if schedules are packed or if they want a clear endpoint.
What is better—a skill-based group or a process group?
Neither is universally better. Skills-based groups work best when someone is missing foundational knowledge or techniques. Process groups work best when someone knows what to do but struggles to actually do it in relationships. The right choice depends on where your child is starting from and what they need to work on.
If your child doesn't know how to start a conversation, doesn't understand social cues, or lacks basic techniques for making friends, a skills-based group gives them tools they're missing. It's like learning vocabulary in a new language.
But if your child knows what they're supposed to do and still struggles—if they understand social cues but are too anxious to use them, if they can make friends but can't keep them, if they know how to have conversations but always end up in the same conflicts—then they don't need more skills training. They need to practice in real relationships with support.
Think of it this way: skills groups answer the question "What should I do?" Process groups answer the question "Why do I keep doing this, and how do I change it?"
Skills-based groups are great for short-term, concrete goals. Process groups are better for deeper, long-term relational growth. If your child struggles with autism or significant social skill deficits, starting with a skills group often makes sense. If your child struggles with anxiety, depression, isolation, or relational patterns, process groups tend to be more transformative.
The best approach is the one that matches where your child is and what they need.
How do different types of groups help with specific challenges?
Different types of groups work better for different challenges. Skills-based groups help with social skill deficits, autism, and ADHD-related social struggles. Process groups work well for anxiety, depression, isolation, relationship patterns, and identity issues. Support groups help with grief, loss, chronic illness, and life transitions. The key is matching the group type to the challenge.
Social anxiety: Process groups are often most effective because social anxiety isn't usually about lacking skills—it's about fear of judgment and avoidance. In process groups, kids practice being in the situations they fear in a safe environment where anxiety can be worked through in real time.
High-functioning autism/Asperger's: Skills-based groups can provide foundational techniques for reading social cues and understanding social rules. But many kids on the spectrum also benefit from process groups where they practice these skills in real relationships.
ADHD: Skills-based groups that teach organization, impulse control, and social awareness can be helpful. Process groups also work well because kids can practice noticing when they interrupt, learning to listen, and managing impulsivity in real-time interactions.
Depression/isolation: Process groups are powerful here because depression often involves disconnection from others. Being in a group where you're genuinely seen and supported combats isolation in ways that learning skills can't.
Relationship patterns: Process groups excel at this because these patterns play out in group, and the group helps you see them and change them.
Grief and loss: Support groups provide validation and connection with others going through similar experiences. Process groups can help work through complicated emotions and relational impacts of loss.
Identity questions: Process groups provide space to explore who you are in the context of peers who accept you.
Performance anxiety/perfectionism: Process groups help because these patterns show up in group and can be worked through with support.
The reality is that many kids have multiple challenges, and the best group addresses the core issue.
How do I choose the right kind of group therapy for my child, teen, or young adult?
Start by asking: Does my child lack knowledge/skills, or do they struggle to use skills they have? If they're missing basics, consider skills-based groups. If they know what to do but can't do it, process groups work better. Also consider: What's the core issue? How much time can we commit? What's available in our area?
Here's a decision framework:
Step 1: Identify the core issue. What's actually getting in the way? Write it down. "My teen knows how to make friends but is too anxious to try." "My child doesn't understand how conversations work." The clearer you are, the easier it is to match it to the right type of group.
Step 2: Assess what's missing. Is your child missing knowledge or skills? Or are they struggling to use what they know? If they genuinely don't know how to do something, skills-based work might be foundational. If they know what to do but anxiety or patterns get in the way, process work is usually more effective.
Step 3: Consider readiness. Is your child open to group? Some kids aren't ready for the vulnerability of process groups but would do well in a structured skills group. Others would be bored in a skills group and need the depth of process work.
Step 4: Think about timeline. Do you need something short-term and targeted, or longer-term and deeper? If you're looking for a clear, time-limited commitment, skills-based groups fit that. If you're willing to commit to ongoing work for deeper growth, process groups are worth it.
Step 5: Talk to professionals. Schedule an intake or consultation with a group therapist. A good therapist will help you figure out what your child needs and whether their group is the right fit. At The Wellness Collective, we're honest about whether our interpersonal process groups are right for someone. If we think a skills-based program would be better, we'll tell you.
Step 6: Trust your gut. You know your child. If something feels off—if a group seems too rigid or too unstructured, if the therapist doesn't get your kid—trust that. The right group should feel like a good match.
Red flags to watch for:
- A therapist who insists their approach is the only one that works
- A group that doesn't screen for fit
- A program that promises quick fixes or guaranteed results
Green flags to look for:
- A therapist who asks questions about your child before recommending a group
- Clear explanation of how the group works and what to expect
- Willingness to say "this might not be the right fit" if it's not
Choosing the right type of group therapy isn't about finding the "best" approach. It's about finding the right match for your child's needs, your family's capacity, and what's actually getting in the way of connection and growth.
Finding the Right Group Therapy in Hermosa Beach, CA
Understanding the different types of group therapy is the first step. The second step is finding the right fit for your child or yourself.
At The Wellness Collective in Hermosa Beach, we specialize in interpersonal process groups for elementary-aged children (3rd-5th grade), middle schoolers, high schoolers, and young adults. These open-ended groups meet weekly and focus on real-time relational learning. All of our groups are either facilitated by or supervised by a Certified Group Psychotherapist—a specialized credential that's rare among clinicians.
We're not the right fit for everyone, and that's okay. If we think a child would benefit more from a skills-based program, we'll tell you. Our goal isn't to fill our groups—it's to help you find what your child actually needs.
As a Certified Group Psychotherapist with over 20 years of experience, I've seen how transformative the right group can be. I've also seen what happens when kids are placed in groups that don't match their needs. It matters. The type of group, the approach, the therapist's training, the screening process—all of it matters.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Contact us to schedule an intake session. During intake, we'll discuss what's happening for your child, answer your questions about different types of groups, and help you determine what approach makes the most sense.
Phone: 310-817-0599
Email: info@thewellnesscollectiveca.com
Website: www.thewellnesscollectiveca.com
We serve families throughout the South Bay, and we're here to help you navigate the landscape of group therapy so you can make an informed decision.
For more information about group therapy, read:
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.
