Post contributed by July Masango | Occupational Therapist

Evexia is a unique clinic where we focus mainly on group therapy. Group therapy has been used traditionally by many mental health clinics, for therapeutic purposes, but somewhere along the way, this type of therapy has lost its impact and popularity.

However, at Evexia, we still strongly believe in group therapy.

Why group therapy?

In essence, a group is a sample of society. What our patients demonstrate, manifest, or display in this small group is generally how they would normally behave in society. In group therapy it is difficult to lie or pretend, and the therapeutic space provides the opportunity for the therapist and the patient to be authentic.

Humans are relational and social beings; no man is an island. Group therapy provides the support structure that we long for. We learn from each other as people, we sharpen and challenge each other. There is a healing power that is inherent in the process itself, and can be seen through the use of activities, and therapeutic factors and principles facilitated by our professionals at Evexia. Patients get to realize and gain deep emotional insight into themselves, through the interaction with group members.

Interaction, or rather social participation and engagement, is one of the major illnesses or biggest symptoms that we normally present with when we are unwell. We hide away from the world; isolate ourselves and we don’t want to participate in any area. It could be work, relationships, social engagements in our community, or spending time with our family. This in turn will raise strong feeling of loneliness. The group mends those feelings and breaks that cycle immediately. It is so strong and intimate and very powerful in the way that it works on the “here and now”.

What makes you feel uncomfortable out there, we need to manifest in the here and now. We work with what you feel in the present. Not looking at a theory or at the theoretical side of it, but we work on what you are experiencing now. You learn to feel now, to express your need now, to speak now, and you learn to be yourself now.

What we’ve found is that when our patients can be themselves in a real comfortable space, such as in the group therapy that we offer, they feel more empowered to go and implement the skills they have practiced out there in the real world, in their lives and within their families. What’s unique about the day hospital is that you can go out in the evening and practice some of the skills you’ve learned; go be assertive, go implement stress management, go set the boundaries, go and communicate. Then, you review and come back to the group the very next day where we do role-play, you play out the same scenario, and work through the situation to sharpen your skills.

Within the group therapy setting you can access the inner child, deal with past trauma, disclose or divulge any traumatic experiences you’ve had, and we help you deal with that and reach closure in the here and now to make sense of your life, and regain your sense of self; and that is the power of group therapy.

Do you need help discovering your map and your compass for your life?

The teams at Evexia are ready to help you.

Simply complete the form and we’ll get in touch.