According to Rtorg.org, Gateway to Mental Health Sources, group therapy is a great way to cope with an anxiety disorder. People who suffer from anxiety are capable of obtaining the support that is necessary. They discover reassurance in knowing that they’re not alone, that they’re around others with an alike disorder. As a group, they’re capable of assisting one another and searching for different ways to cope with their issues.
An organization in Philadelphia called Hornstein Platt and Associates is founded on the belief of practice based on the principle of offering progressive mental health care. While they offer numerous psychology and therapy services, plus complimentary wellness specialties, one important area of expertise that they offer is group therapy for anxiety, called Anxiety and Acceptance. They treat all different forms of anxiety such as phobias, panic disorders, and PTSD.
Robin T Hornstein, Psychologist, PhD, formed Hornstein Platt & Associates along with Randi Platt, M.Ed.
Dr. Hornstein explains the benefits of group therapy and what their organization can offer for young adult women in the Philadelphia area suffering from anxiety. Their practice is full of trained women who are certified and specialized in anxiety. they offer therapists, groups, meditation, etcetera for women coping with anxiety. Their approach is to help women’s mental health, so it’s something they can enjoy their whole life. This group uncovers how their anxiety started, why it’s there, the scare of trying to change it and so much more. Dr. Hornstein shares that “it’s impossible for your brain to be anxious and calm at the same time.” That is something they focus on throughout different practices.
Some women find group therapy more daunting; a number of women reveal more about themselves to more people than just a therapist, and that several women find group therapy to be comforting due to relating to other people’s experiences. Dr. Hornstein shared three healing factors of their group therapy. “Having other people surrounding you, knowing you’re not alone; forming relationships and having people share their biggest fears; having a consistent place to come and know that it’s your time you’ve given yourself acting upon the anxiety, fears, phobias, etcetera.”
Dr. Hornstein explains that their group focuses on ways to work with these women’s anxiety with things such as meditation, mindfulness meditation, autogenic training - another deep meditation, group activities, and topic discussions which could be something to think about during the week. Dr. Hornstein emphasized that “everything works very organically within this group.” This group is located in 7-8 locations, Philadelphia being one of them. They’re working on offering services all online.
Another organization women can go to is ADAA, Anxiety & Depression Association of America, which is an international nonprofit organization that offersgroup therapy all over the world, online. According to their website, “ADAA is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and cure of anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and co-occurring disorders through education, practice, and research.”
The executive director of ADAA is Susan Gurley
According to Gurley, ADAA offers an online therapy group called Anxiety and Depression Support which has a community of over 55,000 members in English, and over 2,000 in Spanish. Gurley explains that ADAA has three goals in mind; to ensure that there is research happening in the field of anxiety for mental health; that research is shared with clinicians to see any trends or issues; that information is shared to the public and that it’s evidence based because there are a lot of things going on. Gurley explains that they want to make sure that the public has enough information to evaluate what questions to ask a therapist. Questions such as, how do I know you’re the right fit for me? What’s the approach?
Gurley shares that ADAA offers an online peer to peer anonymous group that they monitor. However, that data and personal information is never shared. Their mission is to make all of their resources free for the public and that it’s open 24/7. Gurley explained that the content shared by ADAA is created by experts and professionals in the field of mental health such as therapists, social workers and researchers. “We believe that it’s a circle and that researchers need to be in on the loop,” says Gurley. One of their hopes is that the public doesn’t feel alone, and that hearing from others who have similar experiences might give suggestions that they haven’t thought about.
Gurley’s belief on group therapy is that it’s helpful and sometimes easier for someone to potentially talk to people, who they don’t normally see day to day. “What I feel, based on what I’ve seen by our experts, is that one is not alone. That’s important, the feelings are real. One has a way to express those feelings without judgement or fear. It’s horrible to minimize someone’s words and thoughts, it makes them shut down and doubts themselves,” says Gurley.
ADAA gives them the tools and resources to then seek the assistance they need – parents, doctors, physicians, etcetera. “They need to know that they’re being heard, it’s critical. It’s so harmful to minimize someone because it can lead to insecurities. ADAA really tries to hear. It gives them freedom,” says Gurley. ADAA offers women the tools to talk to people, to ask the right questions, and figure out if they want to find a therapist. Gurley explained that there is a lot of clutter in the mental health field, so it’s important that they unclutter that for them.
Group therapy could be a beneficial step for young adult women to cope with their anxiety. According to WebMD, “anxiety can make you feel like you’re all alone in your fears. But many people live with this condition every day. Hearing from others who know what it’s like can make you feel less isolated and help you find new ways to deal with nervous feelings. Group therapy is one way to make those connections as part of your treatment.”