If you choose to go to an addiction recovery treatment centre, you’ll have access to a range of evidence-based treatments and leading therapy techniques. All drug and alcohol rehab centres offer different treatments but individual and group therapy are very common.
Here, we explore what you can expect when it comes to group therapy for addiction as well as what you can do if you’re worried about a loved one or yourself and addiction.
Get in TouchOur admissions team can give you expert help and advice on the best options available for you, get in touch today to find out more.
As the name suggests, group therapy is a type of therapy or counselling session that is completed in a group setting. When we talk about addiction rehab therapy, the group includes at least two or more people who are also on the road to recovery.
A trained leader will conduct the session and there may also be medical professionals, mental health experts or counsellors there too. While you might get to know the people in your group, members in the group won’t have a pre-existing relationship.
Designed to give individuals a sense of community, group therapy acts as a safe and supportive environment in which individuals can learn from others who are in similar situations. In most addiction recovery centres, group therapy is a crucial part of treatment – alongside individual therapy and drug and alcohol detox.
It’s completely normal to feel daunted by the prospect of group therapy. After all, it typically requires individuals to be open and to listen to other people who are experiencing recovery themselves.
You might think that group therapy isn’t for you but there are a number of advantages to it. This includes:
When used during an inpatient residential drug rehab stay, group therapy can provide a necessary support system and community feel to those who are away from their friends and family. However, it’s also important to note that group therapy is a useful treatment for outpatients too.
Before you join a group session, the team responsible for your recovery will ensure that they match you to a suitable group. This will depend on your needs and goals, the stage you’re at in recovery, your emotional stability and any treatment preferences.
Just like any other treatment, you’ll be supported by the team looking after you to ensure that you’re coping and that the therapy is having the desired effect. However, there are a few things that you can do to prepare yourself for group therapy. This includes:
As mentioned above, group therapy has a number of benefits. But, when it comes to addiction, group therapy can be very useful at helping individuals to interact with those going through the same experiences. This can not only create a powerful bond but can inspire and motivate action for the future.
Group settings can also provide individuals with much-needed support and skills for integrating back into society once their rehab comes to an end.
Group therapy is also beneficial for psychological addiction and associated mental health concerns. Isolation and addiction go hand-in-hand and it’s not uncommon for individuals to withdraw from the community and experience feelings of depression and anxiety.
Being part of a group, however, can counteract these feelings and boost social skills. Group therapy focuses on dealing with anger, sadness, disappointment and stress to name a few – skills which are essential for preventing a relapse later on in life.
There are five main types of group therapy. This includes:
Scotland Based Mental Health & Addiction Treatment Providers
Key offerings available include:
So what are you waiting for?
Begin your journeyAt Nova Recovery, we offer private rehab services in Scotland. Designed to help individuals to heal their bodies and mind, we focus on alcohol addictions and dual diagnosis treatment where required.
We do this through a range of treatments, including group therapy, and our innovative treatment centre is the ideal place to press reset.
Small and homely, when you choose Nova Recovery, you’re choosing a safe and supportive environment that’s led by a team of experts who really do have your best interests at heart.
As well as evidence-based treatment, and a team of passionate nurses, doctors and counsellors, you’ll benefit from your own en-suite accommodation.
Plus, each week we have well-being and nutrition experts on hand to help you to carve out a new and healthier lifestyle.
Addiction can take over so many areas of your life – for everyone involved. But it doesn’t have to be that way and there is help out there.
Whether you’re suffering from addiction yourself or are worried about someone you care about, get in touch with the Nova Recovery team today and we’d be delighted to help. You can call us anytime on 01475 303998.
John Gillen
- Author
- Last updated: August 1, 2025
John has travelled extensively around the world, culminating in 19 years’ experience looking at different models. He is the European pioneer of NAD+ (Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide) treatment to Europe in 2010; and recently back from the USA bringing state of the art Virtual Reality Relapse Prevention and stress reduction therapy. His passion extends to other metabolic disturbances and neurodegenerative diseases. The journey continues. In recent times, John has travelled to Russia to study and research into a new therapy photobiomudulation or systemic laser therapy working with NAD+ scientists and the very best of the medical professionals in the UK and the USA, together with Nadcell, Bionad Hospitals own select Doctors, nurses, dieticians and therapists. Johns’ passion continues to endeavour to bring to the UK and Europe new developments with NAD+ Therapy in preventive and restorative medicine and Wellness. In 2017 John Gillen was made a visiting Professor at the John Naisbitt university in Belgrade Serbia.
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