Group Therapy in the Time of COVID: Why You Should Give It a Shot

By Rachel Parodneck, LCSW

There are a plethora of different issues people are struggling with right now. Between skyrocketing Omicron COVID-19 cases, continued high unemployment rates, and the returned need for social distancing—especially in NYC where the rates of Omicron are particularly worrisome—the pandemic has created a greater need than ever before for social connections. Many people are stuck in small NYC apartments right now with little to no communication with the outside world (unless you count that text from your delivery person telling you your food has arrived).

Irvin Yalom, the prolific psychiatrist, existential psychotherapist, and godfather of group psychotherapy wrote in his book, The Theory and Practice of Group Psychotherapy:

“People need people - for initial and continued survival, for socialization, for the pursuit of satisfaction. No one - not the dying, not the outcast, not the mighty - transcends the need for human contact.”

So what can one do to forge that human connection and stop feeling so damn isolated in the time of corona?

Here’s where group therapy comes in. You may have thought about individual therapy and may even already have an individual therapist. But have you ever given group therapy a thought? What better way to connect than in a group targeted for your specific issue led by an experienced clinician? You’ll be in good company.

Group therapy benefits not only the individual, but also benefits the collective group as a whole, often with more therapeutic gains than may be possible in individual psychotherapy alone. Group therapy has been used as a helpful practice in many different settings for a variety of issues. And now you can join a group from the comfort of your own home using telehealth!

I recently announced the formation of my new group:

You’re Among Friends—a virtual support group for individuals with depression and anxiety who are feeling isolated due to COVID-19.

There was such a need for this that the group was nearly filled almost immediately. However, as of writing this article, there are a couple slots still available. This group will meet once a week on Tuesday evenings, starting February 1st. For more details, send me an email Rachel@Rachelparodneck.com or DM me on Instagram @MyTherapistRachel

Stay tuned because there are more groups to come in the spring!