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6 group therapy techniques to try

Just as there are many styles of individual therapy, group therapy sessions can be conducted in several different ways.

April 25, 2025 • Updated on October 28, 2026

6 min read

When most clients think of therapy, they might picture a one-on-one session between a client and clinician. But clinicians know that therapy doesn’t always have to be individual. Group therapy has plenty of upsides, including efficiency for the practitioner and cost-effectiveness for the clients. Aside from its practicalities, group therapy may offer treatment benefits that are different from or additive to those of individual therapy — for example, built-in social support and role-modeling for the participants. 

Haley Moutier, a licensed mental health counselor at the Bellevue Center for CBT & DBT in Washington state, has led therapy groups for children and teenagers. She says her group sessions (which sometimes involve clients’ parents as well) create different dynamics than in individual appointments. “Teens are willing to be open with the clinician and their parents when they have other teens in the room who can agree with their point of view and validate them,” she says.

Here’s how group therapy works, and how it can enhance your offerings as a therapist.

Key insights

1

Group therapy brings together multiple clients for communal sessions. Examples include skill groups, psychoeducation groups, and support groups.

2

Common group therapy techniques include guided discussions, role-playing, reflective listening, mindfulness, and experiential exercises.

3

Headway supports group and solo therapists by easing administrative burden through time-saving features like an all-in-one EHR and comprehensive insurance billing support.

What is group therapy?

Group therapy brings together multiple clients and one or more clinician(s) for collective sessions. While group sizes and meeting cadences vary, a standard therapy group might meet weekly and include up to about a dozen patients, working with one or two therapists. Depending on the format, participants may interact with each other, in addition to the clinician(s), and are often encouraged to share in front of the entire group. 

Four types of group therapy

Just as there are many styles of individual therapy, group therapy sessions can be conducted in many different ways. Four major types include:

  1. Cognitive behavioral groups: As in one-on-one cognitive behavioral therapy, these groups aim to help clients identify and alter distorted patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior.
  2. Support groups: Support groups bring together people who are going through the same difficult life experience, such as grief or chronic illness.
  3. Psychoeducational groups: As the name implies, these groups are meant to teach clients about their diagnoses, coping skills, symptom-management strategies, and/or healthy lifestyle habits.
  4. Skill development groups: Commonly offered to clients with social or behavioral issues, skill development groups help people learn practical tools for better daily functioning and well-being. 

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Group therapy techniques

Therapy groups often operate quite differently than individual therapy sessions. Below are six techniques that may be useful in group therapy settings.

Think, pair, share

Group discussions can be approached in several different ways. Some may be highly structured — oriented around a specific topic, for example, or systematically asking each person to share one-by-one — while others may be more free-flowing. The “think, pair, share” method asks clients to think about a question individually, discuss their ideas with a partner, and then with the group at large.

The idea is generally to build community, share widely applicable insights and experiences, and help clients practice interpersonal skills. Sometimes, Moutier adds, separating into breakout groups within the larger group can help facilitate good discussions.

Reflective listening

Reflective listening helps participants learn to truly hear, understand, and respond to what another person is saying. In a group setting, such as a support group, reflective listening can be a great way for participants to practice social skills.

Role play

Some group leaders may use role play exercises to help participants act out (or reenact) challenging or upsetting scenarios so they are prepared to handle them in the outside world. These exercises can also help participants practice social skills and gain better insight into the experiences or emotions of their fellow participants.

Experiential activities

Experiential therapy goes beyond traditional talk therapy to include activities like art, music, movement, interaction with animals, and more. Experiential activities can help group participants bond, open up, and process their feelings in ways that may feel more accessible than putting them into words. In her groups for kids and teenagers, Moutier also uses games to help reinforce what her clients have learned.

Mindfulness exercises

Mindfulness practices are great tools for reducing stress, coping with difficult emotions, and improving self-awareness. These exercises may be among those taught in psychoeducational or skill development groups.

Modeling

Moutier says she often uses examples from her own life when teaching skills in her group sessions. “It makes the skills feel more approachable and allows me to give feedback on my own skill usage, if the clients are struggling to understand a skill or are very embarrassment-sensitive,” she says.

How to facilitate a group therapy session

There’s no single “right” way to conduct a group therapy session, but many follow the same basic blueprint:

  1. Warm up: Instead of plunging right into deep work, many practitioners start with a short icebreaker activity (often 5-10 minutes), such as a mindfulness exercise. Small routines, such as taking attendance or offering a greeting, can also help establish stability when repeated at the beginning of each session.
  2. Main session: After laying the groundwork during your warm up, you’ll likely progress into the main activity or discussion topic you’ve planned for the day. This is typically the longest phase of the group session, often lasting around an hour, so consider offering structured breaks, time for reflection, or new activities to keep energy up.
  3. Cool down: Many group facilitators spend the last 5-10 minutes summarizing what happened before assigning homework, leaving the group with a prompt to consider, or asking group members for reflections. Don’t forget to remind the group about their next session before they leave.

During any of these phases, you may run into common challenges:

  • Managing a dominant member: Advanced planning (such as giving each person a set length of time to share) can help—but you may also need to name what’s happening and tell the dominant speaker you’d like to hear from other voices, too.
  • Drawing out a silent member: Invite them to share, but don’t push too hard. Alternative methods of sharing, like smaller group discussions or written reflections, may engage quieter members.
  • Conflict between members: Conflict can be a learning opportunity. As long as the situation is safe, consider using it to model healthy conflict resolution and communication.

Group therapy techniques by therapeutic approach

Many therapy groups stem from a parent modality — such as cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavior therapy — that informs the techniques used in each session. Here’s a short primer on how group therapy can differ by treatment approach:

  • CBT groups: Members may communally learn and help each other reinforce techniques like “the 3 Cs,” or catching, checking, and changing automatic thoughts
  • DBT groups: The focus is often on learning and practicing specific skills, such as emotional regulation and clear communication
  • Interpersonal and process groups: Interpersonal interactions are at the core of each session, perhaps through guided discussions, role-playing exercises, or peer feedback
  • Gestalt groups: Gestalt groups often involve exercises like the “empty chair” technique, with a member talking to an empty chair to work through interpersonal conflict while the group observes and offers feedback
  • Existential groups: Facilitators may lead group members through discussions of the “four givens” in life — death, freedom, meaninglessness, and isolation — to normalize shared fears and experiences
  • Solution-focused groups: Discussing problem-solving, coping skills, and goal-setting in a group context may help members gain inspiration and practical ideas for their own lives

Headway partners with you

Just as no client can do it alone, neither can a mental healthcare provider. Headway supports you with insurance credentialing, billing, claims, and clawback protections — as well as treatment plan resources and tools designed for compliance — so you can focus on what matters most: providing great care.

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This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, financial, or professional advice. All decisions should be made at the discretion of the individual or organization, in consultation with qualified clinical, legal, or other appropriate professionals.

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