The Power of Showing Up: Why Group Counseling Works

Accidental campsite crashers turned dinner guests. We (Jon, Skip, Dale, and I) rolled into camp and unknowingly squatted at this couple’s site — but Jon, the silver fox, worked his charm and before long we were laughing, swapping stories, and sharing dinner like old friends. Sometimes the best adventures come from happy mistakes.

There’s a certain courage in stepping into a group for the first time. For many, the word “group” alone can trigger nerves — vulnerability in front of strangers doesn’t exactly sound inviting. And yet, group counseling can be one of the most powerful, life-changing formats for growth and healing.

When we gather in a circle and share pieces of our story, we quickly realize we’re not as alone as we thought. The relief of hearing someone else voice a fear or frustration we’ve carried for years is profound. Something shifts when the pain inside our head — the part we think no one would understand — suddenly belongs to a shared human experience. This is how Group Counseling Works!

Our First AWE Process Group

This week we launched the very first AWE Process Group — something I’ve dreamed of offering locally for a long time. Process groups are different from skills classes or psychoeducation groups; they’re about live, real-time interaction.

I usually explain it like this: it’s a safe, structured way to explore one of life’s nagging, seemingly unanswerable questions — “What do other people really think about me?”

When I first participated in a group like this during my master’s program, it was unsettling and freeing all at once. I still remember sitting in that circle when the professor facilitating looked around and asked the women in the room, “Ladies, what would it be like to date Curtis?”

I felt my stomach drop. Here we go. It was awkward and funny and uncomfortable — but it was also real. The exercise wasn’t about dating. It was about helping me see myself through other people’s eyes, about building honest feedback into safe space. And it worked. That night changed how I approached vulnerability.

Later, when I asked the professor if groups like this were common, he said yes — but not so much around here. That stuck with me. Why not here? Why shouldn’t people in our community have access to the same kind of healing experience?

Since then, I’ve had the privilege of leading this type of group twice before. Each time, I’ve watched people’s confidence shift as they discover how they actually come across to others — and how much fear and shame they don’t need to carry.

Why Group Matters

Irvin Yalom, a pioneer in group psychotherapy, named key healing factors that show up again and again:

• Universality: Realizing “I’m not alone” is often the first breakthrough.

• Altruism: Helping someone else — just by listening or sharing — builds hope and meaning.

• Interpersonal Learning: Groups mirror real life, offering honest feedback and safer practice for relationships.

• Cohesiveness: Over time, a good group feels like a team. You’re in it together.

Even if you’re nervous, those first few minutes of sharing almost always spark connection. One person’s courage invites another’s.

Here and Now

A great process group isn’t just talking about the past — it’s exploring what’s happening right now between members. That immediacy is where transformation happens. People practice being authentic, setting boundaries, and receiving feedback in real time. It’s therapy that’s alive.

An Invitation, Group Counseling Works

If you’ve been curious about group counseling but hesitant to try, know this: most people start with some anxiety. But showing up anyway might be one of the bravest and most rewarding things you ever do. The connections you build, the insight you gain, and the support you feel can help you grow in ways individual counseling alone can’t.

And if you feel something stir as you read this — curiosity, fear, hope — that’s a sign you’re ready. Keep an eye out as we continue to build and offer these spaces. When the next group forms, consider taking your seat. It could be the place where your questions finally meet honest, healing answers.