Respond to  your  colleagues by recommending strategies to overcome the challenges your  colleagues have identified. Support your recommendation with  evidence-based literature and/or your own experiences with clients. 

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Cognitive  behavior therapy involves talk therapy and has proven to be an  effective approach to deal with various issues related to for example  mental issues. Cognitive behavior therapy is different in group and  family settings. In groups, more than one patient is involved for  treatment and they usually not related (Fehr, 2014). Group  psychotherapy helps people who would like to improve their ability to  cope with problems. While in individual therapy the therapist meets with  only the patients and families, in group therapy the meeting is with a  whole group and one or more therapists. Group therapy helps people learn  about themselves and improve their interpersonal relationships.  In such context various therapeutic factors are offered which include  the development of socialization techniques, imparting information,  altruism, imitative behavior, universality, instillation of hope, among  others. The therapy is effective in addressing such issues as  depression, obesity, panic, work in specific populations, and eating  disorders. However, cooperation becomes an issue and the individuals may  quit. In family settings, individuals that are closely related come  together for treatment and support (Dattilio, & Epstein, 2016). This  may involve the family members supporting. In search context  communication skill and collaboration becomes effective. Also,  confidence is built while at the same time improving cohesion and  support. 

An  example of group therapy was seen when a group of people with different  goals and issues came together for training and the approaches used  were different from those in family settings. Group therapy can benefit  many different people, from those having difficulties with interpersonal  relationships as adolescents with self-esteem problem and depression,  for example, group therapy teaches socialization skills needed to help  function in environments outside the home. Several teens slide into  isolation and loneliness due to their emotional and social issues. Group  therapy activities are designed to help them realize that they are not  alone in facing these challenges. Besides, it helps them realize the  value of emotional support that facilitates healing. Mindful speaking is  a great therapeutic activity that focuses on communication and  mindfulness in participants. These two skills are essential for the  management of emotions in teens. This activity allows team members to  know each other’s strengths and ways to inculcate them. Positive  responses from each other will also help them heal. Another example is  seen from a single parent who supported his son who had a separation  anxiety disorder. through the proper training of the boy and the parent,  they obtained positive outcomes.

Some  of the challenges that may be encountered include lack of cohesion due  to limited engagement and even collaboration. This challenge is often  common in most group therapies due to differences among the members and  leadership related issues. There is also the difficulty in meeting the  intended goals due to the complexity of schedules and the issues to be  addressed. This is associated with time clashes among the individuals  and the varying degrees of issues among the individuals.  An example was  seen when a 21 male participant refused to engage in a group session  because he did not feel safe sharing any information with other  strangers. This further resulted in extending the session as more time  was spent in trying to make the participant more comfortable.  Group  therapy offers the opportunity to both receive support from others and  to give support to others. Both of these notions are important in  treatment. Receiving support from others is part of the bonding or  therapeutic alliance that occurs in groups, whereas giving support to  others allows for growth and learning.Group therapy provides a broad safety net for individuals who may otherwise be hesitant to discuss their feelings.

                                            References 

Dattilio, F. M., & Epstein, N. B. (2016). The cognitive-behavioral couple and family therapy.

Fehr, S. S. (2014). Introduction to group therapy: A practical guide (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Sage  publishing. (2020). Case studies | Online resources. Retrieved from  https://study.sagepub.com/cac7/student-resources/chapter-6/case-studies

Scheid  linger, S. (1955). The concept of identification in group  psychotherapy. American Journal of Group Psychotherapy, 9, 661-672.