Current Events > How are you supposed to act in group therapy?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Seems like there's 20+ people and only 90 minutes of zoom session during our therapy sessions. When one person speaks, the group centers around that person's problem, and the proctor puts you on the spot asking you for your thoughts. It puts me in a position where even if I have a problem, I'm afraid to speak up because I'm not very good at replying to other people's responses. For example, if person X has a problem, and someone else chimes in to help, person X will be required to follow up with a response to the group's suggestion. Sometimes the group member's responses can get pretty intellectual and difficult to comprehend, which in return I always reply back with, "That's a lot to think about. I'm not actually sure at the moment. But thank you guys." I figure I can only use that line one so many times before they catch on that I'm not fully paying attention.

That's a fucking terribly designed group format, for one.

Zoom falls apart for group sessions with more than a dozen people and even then I'd be hesitant without some type of in-person aspect or an already-established group.

One point you can address is a bit of AA philosophy: "take what works and leave the rest," when it comes to addressing other peoples' responses. If you didn't understand what they meant or if it's not really applicable, don't worry too much about it. Just "that's something to consider, thank you" and that sort of thing covers it.

If there is 20 people, you might as well just start a topic on this site

It sounds like this kind of group therapy isn't meeting your needs, and may be causing you more anxiety through a pressure to 'perform'.

Ideally, discuss alternatives with your therapist. If that's not possible, remember that the therapy is supposed to be helping you. If you don't understand what people are saying, you need to be honest about that and ask for clarification. Otherwise, what are you getting out of it?

this is very helpful. Thank you so much guys.

20 people are simply too much for group therapy of such format, especially if the moderator isn't doing their job.

It is his job to give everyone time to talk, and stop others if they take up 50% of the group time.

If the moderator doesn't go to the quiter ones, and ask "Hey X, how are you doing these days?" they don't do their job correctly.