I'm exploring running a weekly therapy group that would be for adults who want to understand themselves better in relationships and feel more at ease being who they are with other people.
If you recognise yourself in patterns like these and are curious about group therapy, this might be something worth exploring.
In individual therapy, you explore your inner world with one person. In group therapy, you sit with a small number of people who are there for similar reasons. The ways you usually cope in relationships tend to show up naturally in the room. You might notice yourself holding back in case you are "too much", saying yes when you want to say no, feeling invisible, worrying what others think, or being very hard on yourself after you speak.
The group is a place to notice these patterns as they happen, talk about them openly, and gradually try new ways of being with others, with the support of a therapist and the rest of the group. We pay particular attention to what is happening in the room in the "here and now": how it feels to speak, listen, disagree, feel close or distant, seen or unseen.
People often discover that they are not uniquely broken or alone in their struggles. Hearing others put words to experiences that feel very familiar can reduce shame and isolation. Over time, many people find that the way they speak to themselves internally begins to shift as they experience a more honest and compassionate way of relating in the group.
The group is intended for adults (18+) who are reasonably stable day to day but find that relationships are a recurring source of difficulty or pain. You might recognise yourself in patterns such as:
You do not need a particular diagnosis to attend. Curiosity about your inner world and how you relate to others is more important.
The group is not a crisis service and is not suitable where more intensive or specialist support is needed (for example, acute crisis, active addiction, or where day-to-day safety is very fragile). In those situations, individual or more intensive services are usually a better starting point.
If the group runs, it would meet once a week for ninety minutes in Galway and operate on an open-ended basis rather than for a fixed number of weeks. Members would be invited to commit to attending regularly for at least an initial period so that trust and depth can develop.
In the sessions we would focus less on giving updates about your week and more on how you experience yourself and others in the group. Together we slow down, notice what is happening between people, and use those moments as a chance to experiment with new ways of being with others in a safe, structured setting.
If this resonates with you and you'd like to explore whether a group like this might work for you, you're welcome to get in touch using the details below. I will get in touch with you for a quick chat and let you know where we are in terms of general interest and if/when the group will be up and running. Before starting, you would have an individual meeting with me where we can talk about your history and current situation, think together about whether the group might be a good fit for you, and you can ask any questions about how it would work. If it seems that a different form of support would be more appropriate, we can discuss options.