group therapy

American  

noun

1. psychotherapy in which a number of patients discuss their problems together, usually under the leadership of a therapist, using shared knowledge and experiences to provide constructive feedback about maladaptive behavior.

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group therapy British  

noun

1. psychol the simultaneous treatment of a number of individuals who are members of a natural group or who are brought together to share their problems in group discussion

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group therapy Cultural  

1. Any form of psychotherapy involving a group of patients, rather than a one-on-one session between a patient and a therapist. (See encounter group).

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Discover More

Group therapy is often used to explore interpersonal relations.

Etymology

Origin of group therapy

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Offering group therapy—which builds on men’s tendency to communicate “shoulder to shoulder” rather than face to face—is another effective way to get men to open up.

From The Wall Street Journal

Inviting us to sit down with a show about mental health professionals mending their spirits is group therapy on a massive scale in a time of diagnosable disorder.

From Salon

It felt a bit like being in a group therapy session in which you alone are the primary and discomfited focus.

From The Wall Street Journal

“When I’m in a group therapy setting or in my men’s group, I can really connect and be able to see and hear the other person’s pain and suffering,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The claim is sometime made that funerals are about the living, but that reduces the event to a group therapy session, overlaid with the cloying odor of lilies and gladioli.

From The Wall Street Journal