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

In 2006, scant days before he fell into a coma and died, Preston came out during a group therapy session.

From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026

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 • Nov. 6, 2025

The organization advocated for area survivors, served as a sounding board to vet contractors and, at times, functioned as group therapy.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

There is group therapy as well as weekly one-to-one counselling sessions.

From BBC • Sep. 2, 2025

I told him that I often spoke in discussion groups and in my group therapy group.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole