Individual therapy and group therapy are effective ways to address your mental health concerns. However, these two therapy modalities meet different needs.
Individual therapy: best for deep personal work and privacy
Group therapy: best for support, connection, and shared experiences
Individual therapy offers six unique advantages because the focus is entirely on you.
What are the benefits of individual therapy?
First and foremost, you get all the attention in individual therapy. This means that the therapist focuses on your needs, your goals, and your experiences. In group therapy, time is shared among many people. The session being focused on you means you can go deeper into personal issues and the therapist can adapt techniques directly to your needs.
Second, there is no such thing as sharing “too sensitive” information in individual therapy. Group therapy often has rules about what can or cannot be shared. In individual therapy, you have greater privacy to talk about your concerns without needing to filter yourself.
Third, the individual therapy setting is better able to move at your pace. This could mean faster or slower progress than in a group therapy setting. Treatment plans are created in collaboration with your therapist to determine the best course for you.
Fourth, you might find it more comfortable to talk about highly personal topics. In one-on-one sessions, you might feel safer discussing trauma, deep insecurities, family conflict, or eating disorder symptoms.
Fifth, individual therapy allows for a deeper bond with your therapist. The therapist is there to hold only your story, your experience, versus the stories and experiences of many.
Sixth, a therapist only working with you gets to tailor their approach by often combining different modalities to best meet your needs. You get the unique blend therapeutic approaches that work best for you. In group therapy, techniques used need to work for multiple people at once.
While these two approaches are very different, both have incredible benefits. Additional benefits of group therapy that aren’t offered in an individual setting are peer support, learning from others’ experiences, feeling less alone, and practicing skills. In fact, many people benefit from doing both at the same time.
What happens in individual therapy sessions?
You may find therapy to be a bit of a mystery, especially if you have never been before. The media often portrays it as something it is not. So let’s walk through a general outline of what it looks like when you work with us from the very beginning.
- The Consultation Call: we determine if working together feels like a good fit.
- The First Session: We will spend a lot of time getting as much information as we can in order to make an accurate diagnosis.
- Treatment Planning: Think of this plan as a road map to where you want to be and how therapy can help you get there.
- Rapport Building and Making Changes (the longest phase): Building trust and providing safety starts with transparency and collaboration. We use conversation or activities as a way to help you gain better insight into unhelpful patterns or behaviors and then build a toolbox of skills to change the way you think, cope with big emotions, and act in ways congruent with your values.
- Wrapping up: Taking time at the end to reflect honors this meaningful relationship.
How long does individual therapy take to work?
Unfortunately, there is not an easy, one-size-fits-all answer to this question. We pride ourselves on individualizing the care and services we offer. This means that you get what you need. The plan can change as goals in therapy are worked on. What we do ask if this is your first time starting therapy, is that you give it a few months to get used to the process before you expect to see changes.
What can individual therapy help with?
Individual therapy can help you with a variety of issues. It is especially useful when:
- Feel “stuck” or unsure what to do next
- Notice repeated patterns that don’t serve you
- Have trouble coping with stress or emotions
- Want a neutral, supportive space to talk
How much does individual therapy cost?
Individual therapy varies depending on the provider. Here at Cultivating Courage, we offer our services for an out-of-pocket fee between 275-300. We also accept Columbia University Student Health Insurance.*
Does insurance cover individual therapy?
When a provider is in-network with your insurance policy, you follow the insurance policies fee schedule for the service. Some insurance policies offer out-of-network benefits. These out-of-network benefits allow you to work towards a deductible or out-of-pocket max, and may even reimburse you a percentage of what you paid.
How do I find individual therapy near me?
One of the best ways to find a therapist is through word of mouth. Ask friends or family if they know of someone. Talk with your doctor or psychiatrist for a referral. If you want to use your insurance, it’s important that you double check through your insurance to make sure a provider is in-network or to check your out-of network benefits. Other ways to find providers are the general web searches, directories like Psychology Today, and through Google Business listings like ours.
There is no time like the present to start therapy. Reach out today if you are ready or even thinking about starting therapy. Relief is possible.
*Fees quoted and in-network insurance offerings are only valid at the time of blog post and are subject to change. To see our most updated fees, check out our Therapy Rates page.