Small Group Therapy combines the focus of individual mental health therapy with the power of process group work.   

Within the context of a safe, supportive, relationally-centered therapeutic space, we talk about the things that trouble us and the things we are looking to explore.  We make room for everything that emerges in the process of our being together.  

This is an encounter with possibility: of seeing ourselves newly; of exploring how else we might want to be; of experiencing mutuality and emotional reciprocity in an immediate, direct way. We take risks and make connections, and in the process experience a depth of validation, authenticity, and self-trust.  

Our work will draw from the principles of person-centered and relational therapy. The group is facilitated at our clinic by an experienced mental health therapist trained in these modalities.

How is Small Group Therapy different from Individual Psychotherapy?

Individual therapy involves two subjectivities – yours and your therapists.  When there are more people, more themes and more perspectives come into the therapy space.  There is more material for you to respond to and within which to encounter yourself.

Groups are potent agents of change and transformation. Therapy within a group helps us to learn more about ourselves through witnessing ourselves in relationship with another and through witnessing each other. The thoughts of another person can evoke something new for you. The expression of your feelings can help another person connect with their own. These relational processes bring us closer to our own experience. Feeling a deep connection with others is an extra benefit!

How is Small Group Therapy structured?

Our Toronto-based sessions consist of 5 participants and 1 facilitator, meeting for 10 sessions, each lasting 1 hour. All sessions are in-person at our clinic located at 721 Bloor Street West.

Together as a group we will decide whether to meet once a week (group runs for 10 weeks) or twice a week (group runs for 5 weeks).  

We will be a closed group, i.e. the same people will meet together each week, to create safety and trust between us. The group is limited to 5 participants to ensure that each person receives enough time and energy in every session.  

When do Small Group Therapy groups start?

The next group will start in mid-June.  Groups will also start in September, January, and April.

What can I talk about in these sessions?  

We will talk about anything that you feel drawn to speaking about.  Here are some of the themes that have emerged in past groups: anger, boundaries, bodies, migration, race, introversion, mothers, gender, religion, power.  As themes emerge, we will explore our relationship to them.  We may move from theme to theme through the 10 sessions, or we may identify a primary theme and stay with it through the majority of sessions.  This movement is co-created between us.

I’m shy, is Small Group Therapy for me? 

Yes, absolutely.  Imagine being in a room with other introverts, each committed to giving voice to ourselves, yet shy to do so. There is something liberating about being your full shy self in a room full of people who also hold the same intention of being their full selves. This is a welcoming space – you are free to take as much or as little of the stage as feels good at any time.    

How does Small Group Therapy take power into consideration?

The way we will practice our group work is fundamentally decolonial.  We co-create the structure and process of the group: from how often we meet, to how safety and boundaries look and feel, to how we hold space for each other.  Secondly, we will pay attention to the voices of our bodies – our sensations and rhythms which are the parts of us that colonization has taught us to minimize.  We will listen to our bodies as much as we listen to our thoughts and feelings.  And finally, the facilitator will be present both in her responsibility to you as your therapist as well as in her own vulnerability as a human being.

Join Our Small Group Therapy Sessions in Toronto
Ready to explore how small group therapy can benefit you? Book a free discovery call today to learn more about our Toronto small group therapy services and secure your spot in our next session. Click here to schedule your consultation.