Group therapy benefits
Group therapy sessions have many benefits and improve a person’s overall skills and development. In hindsight, none of us developed social communication skills, thinking skills, writing, skipping, hopping or self-care skills (e.g. brushing teeth, making lunch) on our own – we needed people around us to show us how they are done. As we continued to grow, our interactions with our family members, friends, teachers, classmates and people in our communities, added on to the development of more skills, eventually shaping us into who we are today.
How is group different from individual therapy?
Individual therapy allows the clinician to work on a person’s specific skills. Essentially, individual therapy sessions are used to work on skills and practices which will eventually be applied in different contexts such as home, school, workplace and community, to name a few. In group therapy, the person gets the opportunity to apply the strategies and skills learnt during individual therapy sessions in a setting that is similar to the real world, while being supported by the clinician.
Group therapy does not necessarily mean a room full of people working on the same goal. At TAG, groups consist of a minimum of 4 people to a maximum of 6 people, with one clinician facilitating the group. TAG clinicians are skilled in developing and delivering specific programmes that target several skills (e.g. social skills, handwriting skills, feeding skills).
What are the benefits of group therapy?
- Provide a more natural and realistic setting to practice therapy goals
- Opportunities to generalise therapy skills with guidance and support from a clinician
- Engage in fun real-world activities
- Form relationships and make new friends
- Increase confidence levels and find support
- Parents and carers can meet and gain support and information from each other
- Cost-effective way to have an intensive period of therapy
- Practice social skills and social communication skills
- Target a wide range of skills
TAG groups
TAG has successfully run many groups, and will continue to do so in the future. Groups have covered a range of skills and have targeted a range of ages. Some examples of groups that TAG has run this year include:
- Lego Group – for preschoolers, primary school children and teenagers
- Social skills group for teenagers
- Feeding skills group for children
- Social communication skills group for adults
- Craft group for preschoolers, primary school children and teenagers
- Prep Readiness for preschoolers starting prep in the next year
What is the process for attending a group at TAG?
Groups will run throughout the year, weekly during term time (usually for 8 weeks) or during school holidays as a one-off event.
Your clinician will determine if you or your child is suitable for a group, and our lovely admin staff will be in touch with you with all the details. NDIS funding can be used for the groups, as it is part of the services that a person can receive.
Whether you or your child is engaging in individual sessions or group therapy, the TAG team can guide and support you at every step of the way!
Contact us now at 1300 66 1945 to get more information on groups, or speak to your clinicians.
Here are some feedback that we have obtained from clients who have accessed groups:
I found out that my daughter and another child who attended the same group go to the same school. They got along so well during the group, and her mother and I became friends as well. It was great to find that support and friendship, and we have even gone on to organise play dates now.
- Anonymous (this has been reworded from verbal feedback given by a parent)
Since attending the social communication skills group, he has begun to initiate more conversations with his support worker, greets others independently and has short conversations about his favourite topic.
- Anonymous ((this has been reworded from verbal feedback given by the client’s treating clinician)
Priya Swaminathan | Speech Pathologist