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Individual Therapy vs. Group Therapy: What Is the Difference?
Individual therapy is private one-to-one work between you and a therapist, while group therapy brings a small group of adults with similar concerns together with a therapist. Both can be effective for adults affected by childhood trauma; they differ in focus, privacy, cost, pace, and what the other people in the room contribute. The right format depends on your goals, your comfort, and your circumstances, and suitability is assessed individually during a consultation.
Written by Dr. Arlene Drake, PhD, LMFT. This article is educational and not a substitute for individual clinical advice.
What is individual therapy?
Individual therapy is psychotherapy between one client and one therapist. The full session belongs to you and your goals: your history, your pace, and your priorities. Because there is no one else in the room, it offers complete privacy and the space to go as deep, or as gradually, as feels right. It is often well suited to personal work that needs sustained attention and a flexible, client-led pace.
What is group therapy?
Group therapy is psychotherapy delivered to a small group, usually led by one therapist. For adult survivors, a group offers something individual work cannot: the presence of other adults with similar histories. Members hear one another, recognize shared experiences, and practice being open in a structured, confidential setting. This can reduce the isolation and shame that so often follow childhood trauma.
Group is not group advice, and it is not everyone talking at once. Sessions are structured and facilitated, with clear expectations and limits on confidentiality discussed before joining.
How do the two formats differ?
- Focus: individual therapy centers entirely on you; group therapy centers on shared experience and learning from others
- Privacy: individual work is one-to-one and fully private; in group, you choose what to share and when
- Cost: group sessions are usually more affordable; at this practice, group therapy is $85 for a two-hour session, while individual therapy is $150 to $200 per session
- Pace: individual work can move at your own speed; group follows a shared rhythm
- What you gain: individual work offers undivided attention; group adds universality, hope, and the chance to practice relating to others
What does the research show?
Broadly, group and individual therapy are roughly comparable in effectiveness. A large meta-analysis that directly compared the two formats found overall equivalence, and the American Psychological Association has highlighted that group therapy is as effective as individual therapy for many conditions while being more efficient and affordable. For post-traumatic stress specifically, a 2019 meta-analysis of 20 randomized trials found that group psychotherapy significantly reduced PTSD symptoms compared with no treatment, with results comparable to other active treatments.
Sources: APA Monitor, Group therapy is as effective as individual therapy, and more efficient (2023) and Efficacy of group psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2019).
Research averages are not a prescription for any one person. Some situations, such as acute or severe distress or a strong need for complete privacy, are better served individually. The therapist-client relationship is one of the strongest predictors of outcome in either format, so fit matters more than any single statistic.
Which might be a better fit for you?
There is no universal answer, and the honest one comes from a conversation. As general considerations: if you want deep, private, personal work at your own pace, individual therapy may fit. If you want to feel less alone, hear from others who understand, and practice being present in a group, group therapy may fit. Many people do both at different points, and some find that group work complements individual work well.
About this practice
Dr. Arlene Drake offers both individual trauma therapy and group therapy for adult survivors, virtually to California residents. Which format suits you, and whether either is appropriate, is assessed during a consultation rather than assumed from a list of symptoms.
Where to go from here
You can request a consultation or call (818) 516-3013 to ask questions about individual and group options, fees, and availability. To learn more first, see the frequently asked questions page.
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Begin with a conversation
A conversation is the clearest way to choose
Ask about individual and group options in a consultation, learn which format might fit your goals, and decide without pressure. Virtual therapy is available to California residents.