Group Therapy Vs Individual Therapy

Considering the information provided during this week’s reading assignments, we can say that individual and group therapy have similarities and differences, as well as benefits and limitations.

Individual therapy can be described as an effective collaborative between the therapist and the client. During this process the therapist assists the client in identifying problems and setting goals, as well as exploring feelings and working through all possible challenges that might occur throughout the course of the intervention. On the other hand, even though group therapy is also considered to be a collaborative approach, here the therapeutic relationship is build upon the therapist and one or more clients at the same time. This approach appears
For instance, and as Washton and Zweben (2006) described, it is hard for clients in individual therapy to develop a strong sense of peer acceptance as well as social support and role modeling that groups supply enhancing hope and optimism (p.242). Also, individual therapy has a higher cost as it might require to keep adding more frequent individual sessions instead of allowing group treatment intensity (p.243). In the case of group therapy, confidentiality can be considered to be a possible ethical issue since, and contrary to individual therapy, individuals do not have the same level of confidentiality. Wachton and Zweben (2006) referred to this when they mentioned how confidentiality and loss of privacy can be an ethical issue as patients might have to disclose their identities and many details about their personal lives for the group to be helpful (p. 243). In other words, even though all information should be kept private, there is no guarantee that this will happen. Also, the focus of group therapy is not on a particular individual like it’s done during individual therapy. The content and pace of the group is determined by the members as a whole, and not by the needs of any one individual (p.
Something that really caught my attention was the fact that many individuals who were in need of substance use treatment did not receive the needed intervention. Personally, I feel it is sad to see that data from 2012-2013 show that at least 37% of these individuals did not receive treatment due to not having health insurance, or not being able to afford the cost. I wonder if these numbers have changed in the last few years with the new health care reform. Additionally, it was very interesting to see how numbers reflected the increase of illicit drug use among adults between the ages of 50 and 64. Based on the report, the rate of illicit drug use increased form 2.7% in 2002 to a 6% in 2013. Considering this, I believe it would be beneficial to focus on developing effective prevention plans that raise the understanding of drug use, and how to respond effectively to drug abuse among older adults. It is important to keep in mind all the social and physical changes involved in the aging process that might influence and increase vulnerability to develop drug-related