It is clinically proven that group therapy is one of the most effective ways to address psychological difficulties. Joining a therapy group is always a step into the unknown, where we have to choose between protecting our privacy and the need to make a difference in our lives. And that is often not easy. Moreover, there are many preconceptions about group psychotherapy. In various films or books, this kind of therapy is often portrayed in connection with pressure to cross our boundaries or to disclose intimate things that most of us may not be comfortable with. In professionally facilitated group work, it is actually quite different.

The groups form a completely safe place in which we benefit not only from the expertise of two psychologists, but also from the experience, advice and types of our "fellow warriors". A safe and well-guarded place in which we can learn reactions and behaviours that we are not capable of in the outside world. A place where we understand in depth that certain ways of perceiving ourselves can be diametrically opposed to how we are perceived by others. A place where our despair, sadness, joy and journey to inner peace take on a deeper meaning. For through these experiences we have formed more empathetic views, experiences and insights that can fundamentally help others. Similarly, however, we can also draw on the experiences or insights of other group members.

This phenomenon is called group dynamics, and much research confirms that when a group is constructed sensitively, group dynamics have a quite extraordinary healing effect.

Joining a therapeutic community is a commitment, not only for the lead therapists but also for each participant. In time, you yourself will become an indispensable part of the group. Your opinions, experiences and character qualities will mean a lot to others, even if you may not imagine it at the beginning. For this reason, we want to provide you with as much information as possible at the outset that is important for your decision.

Everyone interested in the group first makes an appointment for an initial and diagnostic consultation. During this meeting, we will find out the exact nature of your problem as well as its causes, maintaining factors and possible other associated difficulties.

We will introduce you to the psychotherapeutic method that is most suitable for you and explain the basic procedures of the chosen psychotherapeutic method. The diagnosing psychologist will then recommend a specific group for you to join.

We make sure that the group members enrich each other as much as possible, and we tune the groups so that they bring together people of similar education, social background and severity of their problems. At the end of the consultation you will also receive a set of diagnostic tests to complete at home and email back to us. The psychologists running the group will then have a more accurate picture of your individual needs. They will therefore also be able to provide you with appropriate care in this respect during group therapy. The diagnostic consultation serves, among other things, to familiarise yourself with the environment, atmosphere and philosophy of the AdiCare clinic and to find out whether it suits you.

If you decide to join the group, we will arrange a 30-minute free interview with the psychologist who runs the group. It is important that you also get to know the person who will be leading the group before you start therapy and decide whether it suits you humanly. Only then should you decide whether to join the group.

We offer groups with intensive treatment programs based on the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy, existential psychotherapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy.

There are currently seven group runs available at the AdiCare clinic.

• Two groups focus on the topic of Addictive Behaviour.
• The other four groups focus on Depression, Anxiety and Relationships.
• The last group is for adolescents and young adults

Group meetings are held once a week and last two therapeutic hours (100 minutes), during holidays and vacation periods individual agreement of the group members applies. One group run is spread over twenty sessions, so the estimated duration of the run is approximately five to six months. If desired, the group sessions can be continued on an individually determined schedule with the agreement of the members and therapists.

Many people are afraid of the group, shy and cannot imagine working together with others. In group work, strict confidentiality is maintained and clients speak anonymously in groups. Each group member has the right to set his or her own boundaries of intimacy, which are fully accepted by the other members and the psychotherapists. Group therapy can be combined very effectively with individual therapy.

The results of numerous studies, as well as our experience to date, show that group therapy is indeed the most effective treatment for some psychological problems. Group therapy offers the possibility to achieve changes in the personal situation not only through the direct professional action of the therapists, but also through the so-called group dynamics. That is to say, the relationships that develop in a group.

The client usually finds relief in the experience of not being alone in being burdened by something and experiencing the support of the group in discussing their feelings, needs and wishes. An added value is the exchange of experiences and the processing of feedback that the client receives not only from the lead therapists but also from other group members. A well-run group is not simply a mechanical sum of individuals; it has a new quality of its own. It provides its members with security and gives space to learn new patterns of behaviour and experience.