Outpatient therapy · Group therapy

Clinician-led group therapy in Maryland

Group therapy lets you practice skills with others working on similar things, led by a licensed provider. Blue Sails Counseling and Consulting offers outpatient therapy at our offices in Bethesda and Lusby, with telehealth across Maryland. This page explains how clinician-led groups work, how they differ from peer support, and how to ask about a group. Ask our team whether a group that fits your needs is currently available.

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Key takeaways

If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, contact 911, the nearest ER, or call or text 988. Blue Sails is not an emergency service.

What clinician-led group therapy is

Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy in which a small group of people meets with one or more licensed providers at a set time. The provider guides the conversation, teaches skills and helps members give each other respectful, useful feedback. Many groups use approaches you may know from individual care, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) or skills drawn from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT).

Skills groups and process groups

Some groups are structured like a class, with a skill to learn each week and practice between sessions, such as coping with worry, managing strong emotions or communicating more clearly. Others focus more on the conversation itself, giving members room to talk through what is happening in their lives and notice patterns in how they relate to others. Many groups blend both.

Who a group can be a good fit for

People often ask about group therapy for anxiety, low mood, stress, life transitions, relationship patterns and building coping skills. Group therapy is one option among many, and it is not the right fit for everyone or every moment. Your provider can help you decide whether a group, individual psychotherapy or a mix of both is the best place to start.

Learning from others in a group

One reason people choose group therapy is the chance to learn alongside others. Hearing someone describe a struggle like yours can make it feel less isolating, and watching another member try a new skill can make it easier to try it yourself.

Groups also give you a place to practice. You might rehearse a hard conversation, try a new way of responding to stress, or get honest feedback on how you come across, with a provider there to keep things respectful and focused. What you practice in the room is meant to carry into daily life between sessions.

What a session can look like

A session often starts with a short check-in, moves into a skill or a topic for the week, and ends with a plan for practice before the next meeting. Group size, session length and how long a group runs vary by group. Your provider will explain the format, the group agreements and what to expect before you join.

Group therapy and peer support: how they differ

Clinician-led group therapy and peer support can sound alike, but they are different kinds of help.

Many people use both. A clinician-led group or individual therapy can address symptoms and build skills, while peer support adds community and shared experience. Blue Sails provides clinical care, not peer support programs, and our team can talk with you about community resources that may complement your care.

Support for parents and caregivers

Caring for a family member who is struggling can be isolating. Some caregivers find comfort in community and family peer support, and others look for guidance from a provider about how to help at home. For family-focused care, see our relationships and family guide.

Groups for teens and young people

For teens, a group can be a place to see that others their age face similar pressures, and to practice skills like handling stress, managing emotions and speaking up. Ask our team whether a teen group is currently available. Our page on care for children and adolescents explains how we work with young people and their parents.

For young children with autism, Blue Sails offers social skills and school readiness support within our early intervention autism program.

When you need more structure than a weekly group

Outpatient group therapy usually meets once a week. If symptoms are making it hard to get through work, school or daily life, a higher level of care may be a better fit for a while. Intensive outpatient programs (IOP) and partial hospitalization programs (PHP) meet for several hours a day, several days a week, and usually include a lot of group work. Our guide to intensive outpatient programs explains how these levels of care compare.

Moving between levels of care is a normal part of treatment. Your provider can help you think through what level of support fits right now.

If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, contact 911, the nearest ER, or call or text 988. Blue Sails is not an emergency service.

How to ask about group therapy at Blue Sails

Blue Sails has offices in Lusby and Bethesda, with telehealth across Maryland. You can meet our providers to learn about their backgrounds and approaches.

If you have questions about coverage, our insurance and costs page explains how billing works. Coverage varies by plan, service and provider. Blue Sails accepts many plans, including TRICARE.

Ask about group therapy

Tell our team what you would like help with and how you would like to meet. Blue Sails has offices in Bethesda and Lusby, with telehealth across Maryland.

If you are in crisis, call 911, go to the nearest ER, or call or text 988.