Group Therapy

By joining this group, you will work on aspects of your life that are difficult and important to you. Contrary to what you might expect, your issues and contributions will most often prove useful for the rest of the group, also when you suspect  they are only relevant to you. You and the others in this group have been uprooted from the place or places where you formed your identity, and where the culture and people  you know mirror and confirm your self-image. In Norway, you now have other mirrors, and this might disturb your sense of self, for better and worse.

Group therapy gives rise to both a sense of belonging and a feeling that you matter to others, while providing a space for openness and sharing. It is difficult yet important to discuss shame and sensitive topics and to explore different emotions that arise between group members. Over time, this may change how you relate to yourself and the people around you.

Here are some of the many topics that arise in group therapy.

- Self-esteem
- Difficulties with a spouse, child, parent, sibling, friend, or coworker.
- Challenges in relating to new people, either romantic, possible friendship or work related.
- Grief and loss
- Regret
- How the past influence the present
- Anger
- Shame
- Rejection
- Loneliness
- Stress
- Traumatic experiences and current hardship
- Anxiety and depression
- Resistance and avoidance of discomfort
- Endings

Between 6 and 9 people meet and sit on chairs in a ring with no table in the middle. One of them is the therapist and the rest are regular participants who have different things they want to work on about themselves and relationships to others.

There is no set agenda or designated individual who decides what the group should discuss, but something always come up. The therapist’s main tasks are to help maintain a safe environment and to boost the group’s energy to keep working on things that are difficult and productive. In addition, they analyze the group and nudge individuals and the group as a whole towards participation and connection for all.

One may start talking about a conflict at work. Others relate and associate freely to this, and perhaps the first speaker or somebody else find that the conflict remind them of something that was difficult in a former relationship. The whole group may look at this topic together. We say that the group becomes more that the sum of its parts. Each member leaves with different lessons learned, but everyone is a little wiser or will at least have something new to think about.

The offer is suitable for:

- Those who are motivated to work on themselves over a longer period (at least one year).
- Individuals with a certain interest in themselves and other people.
- People who have something in their life that they want to change.
- English does not have to be you native tongue, but language must not be a barrier in expressing your thoughts or relating to the others.

In two or three initial conversations with just you, the therapist will get to know you and your background better. The purpose of these conversations is to determine together whether group therapy is a good fit for your needs and challenges, and to help you define some goals you want to work on in therapy. They will also ensure that you feel safe around the therapist before you join the group.

The price is 470 NOK per 90-minute session, regardless of illness or cancellation. Free of charge, we offer an initial phone consultation (30 minutes) to determine if this is a good fit for you and whether you would like to proceed with an in-person pre-session at the clinic.

A 45-minute individual session costs 1,290 NOK. (Discounted rate)