Many people want to know what makes Growth Thru Change different. Is it just one of a handful of agencies that provide pretty much the same services under the guise of pretty much the same philosophy? The simple answer is no—and here’s why:

Growth Thru Change is one of the only agencies that promotes group therapy as an important step in the healing process, whereas most agencies and therapists will rely on individual therapy as their main service. Growth Thru Change, on the other hand, recommends that people begin in individual therapy, and slowly graduate into a group.

The logic behind this is fairly simple. When people are suffering, they feel their entire life is crumbling around them. It’s hard to trust anything, to know where to turn, to have confidence in the future. Individual therapy is a safe, warm, and personalized space where a person can get their feet under them, explore what’s happening, and then, eventually, take steps toward change.

The problem with relying solely on individual therapy, however, is that therapy is not “real life.” Many clients struggle to implement something learned in therapy into their lives, for the simple reason that life is more chaotic, selfish, and fast-paced than the therapy room. At Growth Thru Change, we think of group therapy as an intermediate step between individual therapy and “the real world.” In group therapy, clients can become comfortable with their newfound insights and resolutions in a group of other people—but, importantly, a group of other people that is still safe, welcoming, and explorative.

We believe this is a crucial step in helping a person translate what they have learned in individual therapy into the complex fabric of their actual life.