4 Things that Will Surprise You about Group Coaching

Group coaching may feel intimidating to you if you’re an introvert or someone who gets energy from being alone. But attending a coaching session with a small group of others doesn’t have to be scary.

4 Benefits of Group Coaching

Here are four surprising benefits that you can gain from group coaching sessions.

1. You can gain confidence in your ability to overcome.

Whether you are struggling in a particular area of life, trying to make a difficult decision, or have a goal you’d like to achieve, group coaching can help you gain confidence in your ability to overcome obstacles.

As you get to know the others in your group, sharing about your goal or difficult situation will happen naturally. They will open up with you (even just a little at first), which invites some level of vulnerability in the group. Your therapist will guide the session so that no one overshares and will make it a comfortable environment where all members feel heard.

Stepping into a group isn’t easy, but as you grow into it, you’ll learn that you can do hard things. It’s a step in the right direction, getting you closer to a solution, a goal, or a sense of peace with where you are right now.

2. If your group coaching facilitator is a licensed, trained therapist, he or she will have tools and ideas beyond what you can find online.

Because therapists not only have higher education certification but also practice for many hours to maintain their certification, you can trust them. While a group coaching session isn’t the same as seeing a therapist one-on-one, your group leader who is trained in psychology will have much more to add to the conversation than a pat answer or an encouraging remark.

Tools such as cognitive behavioral practices, mindfulness, reflection prompts, and active listening techniques are just a few of the ways your group leader can guide you and other members of the group. A group coach’s role is different from a one-on-one psychologist.

Coaches listen, ask the right questions, and use the appropriate tools to guide members to their own awareness. This awareness is powerful and life-changing, helping each individual to view obstacles from a new perspective, make progress, and find hope.

3. Group coaching may be the gateway to your breakthrough.

Group coaching provides support from others who are walking similar roads or have goals they want to accomplish. It can also be a means of accountability.

So, if you’ve been hesitant to seek the help of a licensed counselor one-on-one, group coaching is like a shallow on-ramp to the possibility of experiencing deep breakthroughs via individual counseling. Many who take part in group counseling sessions report that they feel less discouraged and more hopeful, and they can see a path forward where they couldn’t before.

These realizations may just lead you to take the step of finding a counselor who can guide you to deeper healing from past hurt, better relationships in your current life, and gain new perspective on your future.

4. You’ll learn the power of peer support.

If you’ve ever attended a child’s sporting event, you have likely seen supportive family members and non-supportive family members. The supportive ones cheered the child on, said encouraging things, and gave hugs no matter what; win or lose.

The same can be said of group coaching. Your fellow group members become like the cheering squad you wish you had in everyday life. It’s encouraging to learn how much a stranger’s kind words can build you up and give you the confidence to take the next step toward a goal.

Unlike a course where your facilitator teaches content and you listen, group coaching is interactive and allows you to help others while also helping yourself.

You’ll learn how to ask good questions, challenge faulty perspectives with kindness, and give someone else the support they need to overcome a difficulty or make a decision that’s plagued them. Then, as you receive the same kind of support, it’s easy to take in the group’s feedback and apply it to your life both now and in the future.

Attending group coaching can be the foundation for which you or your loved one builds a strong understanding of why we need each other. Human beings were meant to live in relationship and not try to solve problems all by themselves.

Learning the value of group coaching can mean the difference between trying the same things you’ve tried in the past or starting something new. If you’re ready to try something different, contact us at Westlake Chrsitian Counseling today to find professionally trained counselors in Westlake, Texas who lead groups of all kinds. Let us connect you with the right one to meet your needs.