Therapy groups are formed around a common interest to promote cohesiveness, a central factor in the strength of the group. Generally, this central factor includes common life experiences as well as a common issue. Social anxiety is certainly an issue that affects all ages.
The group you’ve joined has three teenagers and three adults (ages 25-45). As you mentioned, generally groups of adolescents are kept separate from adult groups; this was addressed by the psychiatrist leading the group, but you do not write if there was any discussion around this issue. Discussion is a vital part of group therapy, as it is in individual treatment. I have questions about the group, and if there was a real discussion. Will the split ages split the group? Has good two-way communication been established?
Did everyone in the group start at the same time? It might be easier to have a discussion where everyone is equally new, although your questions should be addressed in any case. Was the group invited to share reactions, questions, and thoughts? There might have been a discussion, but in your questions you say that the “psychiatrist addressed” the age difference. Does that simply mean he or she mentioned it, and then the subject wasn’t taken up by group members? If there was no discussion including all members of the group, then there was not much dialogue and the question must still be addressed.
Will you meet for a certain number of weeks, months, or is this left open-ended? Will people be joining the group as you go along? Will group members have a say in this? At this time, the group is evenly split. This would change by the addition of one other member.
One factor in creating a group is homogeneity, which includes age. Homogenous groups are generally easier to manage from the group leader’s viewpoint and also show greater and quicker improvement than heterogeneous groups.
Are there external factors affecting the group leader, in this case a psychiatrist? The psychiatrist might have invited different age groups to attend so that enough people would participate to make a group.
To help you make your decision, I thought you might like to know some facts about group therapy, as explained by Irvin Yalom in his book, The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy. Yalom is a pioneer in group therapy who identified what makes group therapy work.
Here is a list of five important factors:
If you like, you can think about these points and see what your answers are, or even bring them to the group, first consulting with the group leader as to the policy regarding outside references, which might be experienced as interference.
Thanks for asking this interesting question. I hope this helps you decide what to do.
Kind regards,
Lynn
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