If group therapy is to be effective, your commitment to the following is essential:
The group leaders have set the group meeting times. You are asked to adhere to those times. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you will not be allowed to attend the group.
You are expected to commit to the group and come to group every week unless there is some emergency that prevents you from attending. If you are going to miss a session, it is your responsibility to let the group facilitator know.
Having a feeling and acting on it are two different actions. The way we most respect others and ourselves is by experiencing feelings and then allowing ourselves to talk about them. Acting out your feelings (on self or others) is not acceptable.
Each group member must take responsibility for working on his/her therapeutic goals and reasons for being in the group. No one is going to force members to talk or reveal difficult material. It is up to each member to do so on their own. Remember, talking about present (or ‘here and now’) feelings is usually the most helpful way to solve problems.
Group is most helpful when there is a feeling of trust and safety. This is one reason that group sessions are confidential. Members and leaders are bound ethically and legally not to disclose the contents of the sessions in any way that could identify members of the group. Remember, we are building trust and safety.
If you have decided that you have gained as much as possible from the group or that the group isn’t the most appropriate form of treatment for you, then we ask that you come to the group and say good-bye. We also ask that when you first come to group you give the group four weeks before you decide whether you want to stay or not.
Interactions between members outside the group can affect relations inside the group. This agency discourages any dating, romantic involvement, or sexual involvement. If they occur, we ask that you discuss these interactions with the group leader in private.
Anyone who shows signs of recent drug/alcohol use will not be allowed to attend the day’s group.
