No two people on this wonderful planet are alike. There are subtle nuances that make each and every person unique. And it is that uniqueness that draws in others. But that same uniqueness can make group therapy, especially for adolescents, a difficult challenge. Repeated studies have shown that many adolescents benefit the most from individual counseling.

Taking the idea of uniqueness and further expounding upon it, adolescent present a different case study than adults for various reasons. While adults do suffer from peer pressure and the need to fit in with others, adolescents face this challenge on a completely different level. Their social networking skills dictate how they interact and how they are accepted with peers, family and even strangers. Factor in hormones and living situation and you have an individual that may not work effectively in a group counseling session. Here are a few factors that contribute to why group therapy does not always work for adolescents:

• Social anxiety

• Shyness/fear of speaking up

• Intense trauma (emotionally, mentally, sexually or even physically)

• Fear of judgement

• Empathy

Empathy may have you shaking your head and wondering how that could possibly be a factor in a group therapy session not achieving maximum results. Empathy is a wonderful gift that most people have and use on a daily basis. However a person with too much empathy can become overwhelmed in a group therapy session. He or she begins to take on the emotions being distributed by others to the point where speaking out of his or her own issues becomes less significant. And ultimately that is a tragedy because every issue is significant and can be the key to long term success.

The individualization process for adolescents allows individual counseling to be custom tailored to that particular adolescent. It begins with a quiet “getting to know you” session in which the therapist takes time to just learn more about the adolescent. It is a great foundation where respect and trust can be earned and given. That is hard to do in a group session because the fear of a “secret” being leaked out can be traumatic.

Individual counseling is truly a way to take the uniqueness offered by an individual and then custom tailoring a counseling program to fit his or her needs. It allows greater feedback for all parties involved and can be a doorway to an open trust and mutual respect.     

*The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. Never substitute, disregard, or delay seeking professional medical advice and assistance for any health or mental issue(s) you have or are concerned about because of something you have read.