Group Therapy

How much do you know about what your teen does in group therapy? If you're like most people, you're answer is probably, "not much." 

Much of what passes for group therapy in many programs is poorly facilitated circle talk. If you ask the average teen, they'll tell you it's downright boring!

The traditional approach to group therapy typically involves a “round robin” format. In this format, everyone sits in a circle and talks about their experiences or answers a question one at a time. Sometimes, the leader of the therapy group might ask for another participant’s opinion on something someone is talking about, but it generally involves a lot of “waiting for your turn.”

To be fair, 74% of young people found talking to a friend about their mental health helpful in 2024, so traditional group therapy does have benefits. However, it’s also a recipe for bored kids and wasted time. If you have a 5-person group, and everyone talks for 5 minutes, that’s already 25 minutes of the session gone with each child only being engaged for 5 minutes. 

There are significantly better ways to go about group therapy for kids, and we happen to know a lot about that. Let us explain.

The brain has an amazing ability to change. It develops new habits and outgrows old ones. It learns new things that become second nature through consistent practice. It can even reconfigure itself to function normally after severe brain injury.

At Bricolage Behavioral Health, we focus on changing the brain – specifically neuropathways, which you can consider “roads” to help your brain communicate without expending as much energy. We have neuropathways for everything, especially things we do a lot. That includes the negative thought patterns, responses, and other habits that lead to the diagnosis of mental health conditions.

While mental health diagnoses can provide some insight, they’re far from the full story. Receiving a diagnosis for depression or anxiety is not as helpful as understanding WHY your child feels depressed or anxious. It's the root causes of the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors that matter in effective treatment.

At Bricolage Behavioral Health, we view mental health diagnoses as a cluster of symptoms more than the label of a disorder. If your teen comes to us with suicidal ideation and other depressive symptoms, they might be diagnosed with major depressive disorder, but we don’t focus on the name of the condition. Instead, we want to get to the root of those symptoms. What is their thought process like? What triggers do they have? Why do they want to die? These are the answers we want to find, and we base your child’s treatment around that “why.” 

Our group therapy focuses on maximum engagement for every kid we work with and with as minimal downtime as possible. We’re mindful that many young people don’t want to be in group therapy, so we work to make it more fun and interactive. Engagement is vital to fostering development and the mindset for behavioral change. 

Unfortunately, whole-group engagement techniques aren’t taught in graduate or licensing programs, so most group therapy follows the traditional, less-than-effective round robin model. Bricolage is intentional about training our staff in whole-group therapy because it’s so key to what we do.

One of our most important engagement techniques is as simple as how we approach asking questions. We ask the question first. Then, we use “therapy mascots” – typically a stuffed animal – and toss them to select who will answer the question. This differs greatly from the typical group therapy approach or something you’re more familiar with: school. You probably remember a teacher calling someone’s name and asking them a question. When the teacher called someone’s name, how did you and other students often react? It was probably, “Glad they didn’t choose me!” then you promptly stopped paying attention.

By asking a question first and then waiting to choose someone, everyone starts to think of the answer. Once the child chosen by the mascot shares their thoughts or asks their own question, they’ll toss it to someone else, who continues the process. This ensures every kid pays attention because the mascot could be in their hands at any time!

We also share a concrete objective at the start of every therapy session and help the kids apply this goal to what they want to accomplish themselves. Then, they’ll have a more substantial reason to participate, learn, and practice the skills we teach them in therapy.

No matter the symptoms or condition a child has, changing their thought patterns and behavior is key. Once we equip them with the skills and strategies they need, it’s all about practice. Repetition builds new and healthier neuropathways in the brain to promote lasting changes in their mental health and lives. 

We often practice by splitting groups into pairs and smaller teams for activities, including roleplaying to mimic real-life situations as closely as possible. This helps teens apply what they learn once they leave the safety of Bricolage. 

We use multimedia: videos, music, written articles, and stories – but not without “focus tasks.” These tasks are frequently thought-provoking questions that require teens to actively pay attention to the right things and dissect whatever material they’re learning from. For example, if the kids are watching a video clip that includes conflict, we might have them focus on the signs that the people are angry so we can discuss it afterward. This prevents wandering thoughts, like kids getting distracted wondering who the actors are or recalling what happens in the rest of the movie the clip is from. 

Check-ins are common in group therapy, and that’s no different at Bricolage, but we still minimize downtime and involve partners or smaller groups in the process. The kids will talk about how they felt in their time outside of therapy, and they’ll offer each other encouragement and advice. This is important practice for them, too, because they won’t be at Bricolage for long in the grand scheme of things. They need to use the communication skills they learn to make friends outside of therapy and to seek and provide support. We also review everyone’s check-in during this time and address any concerns while maintaining the child’s privacy so we don’t betray their trust.

No other facilities do group therapy the Bricolage way. We ensure every kid is always participating and always growing every moment they’re in our program.

Our whole-group therapy model ensures every child is engaged at every point of a session. In a practical sense, that means the time they spend in therapy is significantly more worthwhile. It also means they’ll constantly learn and grow instead of sitting around and zoning out.

Thanks to our partner and small-group work, they’ll also build stronger communication skills and deeper relationships with others in their therapy group. As opposed to addressing the therapist while everyone else is just there “listening,” the kids talk to and learn from each other, too. 

We also focus heavily on practicing skills that will change kids’ lives and mental health for the better. True change is hard work, and we walk with them every step of the way as they form healthier habits and neuropathways to accomplish their goals – no one else’s. 

If your child hasn’t gotten much out of group therapy in the past, they’re not alone. For some, it’s difficult to be open and honest in front of a group of unfamiliar kids. For most, remaining engaged for the majority of the session is nearly impossible. After all, what benefit do kids get out of therapy if most of it isn’t even related to them? And how do they apply anything they learn in group therapy to their regular lives?

Bricolage Behavioral Health’s group therapy is different. We work to ensure every child is included in our therapy process and striving toward a healthier future. Your child’s entire life is ahead of them, and we’ll happily provide the tools and lessons they need to tackle everything it throws at them.

It isn’t easy to trust someone unfamiliar with something as precious as your child’s mental health. At Bricolage Behavioral Health, we understand that. That’s part of why we prioritize building a relationship with you and your child. We truly care for the kids who come see us, and we want them and their families to know that – not just through our words on a webpage, but through our actions. That’s what inspires true healing and recovery from mental health concerns. We’d love to meet your family. Contact us at 469-968-5700 today.

Bricolage Behavioral Health: Where Teen Minds Matter