Interpersonal Process Groups: How They Work and Who They’re For
Does an “interpersonal process group” sound a little scary? Understandable if you’ve never heard of them before. They’re just a type of group therapy that helps people know themselves better through their relationships with others. Often, for short, they’re called process groups.
Process groups don’t follow a set curriculum or focus on teaching a particular topic, like skills-based groups or psychoeducational groups. Instead, members bring topics that feel important to them, and the group explores their thoughts, feelings, and interactions as they unfold in the room. The facilitator helps the group notice and make sense of these interactions, while also helping members understand how the patterns they experience in the group might be similar to the ways they relate to people in their everyday life.
This is one of the unique aspects of interpersonal process groups: the patterns you experience in your relationships outside of therapy often show up in the group itself. You might already know that you hold back your opinions, worry about what others think, avoid conflict, or put everyone else's needs before your own. The group gives you a place to notice those patterns as they happen. And, with the support of the group, you have a space to practice showing up differently.
You might choose to speak up when you would normally stay quiet, express a feeling you've been holding back, or set a boundary when you would typically go along with someone else. You can try something new, receive feedback and support from the group, and discover what it feels like to relate to others differently. Interpersonal process groups allow you to stretch and grow.
Benefits of an Interpersonal Process Group
Process groups can help you:
Better understand how you affect others, and how others affect you.
Increase self-awareness and emotional insight.
Practice expressing your thoughts, feelings, and needs.
Receive honest, supportive feedback from peers.
Feel less alone through meaningful connection.
Build healthier, more authentic relationships.
Who Can Benefit?
Interpersonal process groups are a good fit for people who want to understand themselves and their relationships better. You might benefit if you:
Often worry about what others think of you.
Struggle with assertive communication or setting boundaries.
Find yourself repeating the same relationship patterns.
Have difficulty identifying or expressing your emotions.
Want deeper, more authentic connections with others.
You don't need to be in crisis to benefit from a process group. Many people join simply because they're ready to grow, gain insight, and experience themselves in new ways.
Joining an Interpersonal Process Group
If you've done individual therapy and are looking for an opportunity to put that insight into practice, an interpersonal process group can be a powerful next step.
In my San Diego therapy practice, I offer group therapy for reproductive trauma, including infertility, pregnancy and baby loss, in addition to two interpersonal process groups: a Women’s Interpersonal Process Group and a Process Group for Emerging Therapists, for master’s and doctoral students, associate therapists, and licensed therapists who are within five years of graduation.
Contact me today to schedule a free 15-minute call to learn more about current and upcoming group offerings.