Quick Overview: Support groups and therapy can offer different kinds of support. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) explains that support groups can connect people with similar experiences. SAMHSA also explains that therapy and counseling can focus on healthy skills and patterns in thoughts and behaviors. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) describes psychotherapy as talk therapy that can include supportive counseling, problem-solving strategies, and examining interactions with other people. These descriptions provide general information; they do not determine what fits a particular person.
Support Groups and Shared Experiences
SAMHSA states that support groups are available around different issues and are most often used to support recovery. Its description says that these groups allow people to connect with others who have similar experiences.
Connection with people who have similar experiences is the specific feature of support groups identified in the SAMHSA material used for this article. The source does not describe the purpose, activities, or participants of every available group. It also does not establish what any particular group will include or whether it will fit a reader’s circumstances.
Questions can clarify a particular support group
If you are considering a support group, the available description may leave questions unanswered. You can ask the organization offering the group to explain its purpose and the experiences it identifies as relevant to participation. You can also ask what information it provides for people who are considering the group.
These questions do not assume that every support group operates in the same way. They are a way to request direct information from the group or organization involved.
Therapy and Counseling in the Research Descriptions
SAMHSA describes therapy and counseling as usually focused on developing healthy skills to cope with situations such as loss, substance use, or relationship problems. SAMHSA also states that therapy and counseling can help a person better understand the core cause of thoughts and behaviors in order to change unhealthy patterns.
NIMH uses the term psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, for a variety of treatments intended to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. NIMH lists supportive counseling, problem-solving strategies, and examining interactions with other people among possible elements of psychotherapy.
Psychotherapy can involve multiple approaches
NIMH explains that therapists may use one primary approach or incorporate elements from multiple approaches, depending on their training, the condition being treated, and the needs of the person receiving treatment. The NIMH material gives examples that include identifying inaccurate or harmful automatic thoughts, developing ways to cope with stress, learning problem-solving strategies, examining interactions, and using supportive counseling to explore troubling issues and receive emotional support.
This information describes possible elements of psychotherapy. It does not establish the approach, topics, or process for a particular therapist, service, or appointment.
Individual Therapy and Group Therapy as Service Names
You may encounter the terms individual therapy and group therapy while looking for services. Rooted Integrative Therapy lists both individual therapy and group therapy among its services, along with couples therapy and therapy intensives.
The research materials for this article do not define what every service using these names includes. A direct question to the practice offering a service can be a way to learn how that practice describes it.
A clear description can support an informed conversation
NIMH notes that a preliminary conversation can help a person understand how treatment will proceed and whether they feel comfortable with the therapist. NIMH suggests questions about a therapist’s specialty, approach, rationale and evidence base, goals of therapy, a recommended time frame or number of sessions, and how progress will be assessed.
Those questions come from NIMH’s discussion of psychotherapy. They do not provide an answer about any specific therapist or service. They can, however, identify subjects to raise directly with a prospective provider.
A Question-Based Reflection Table
The following prompts are questions to bring into your own information-gathering process. They do not sort people into categories or provide a recommendation.
| Reflection question | Information to request directly |
|---|---|
| Am I looking for connection with people who have similar experiences? | How does this support group describe the experiences that connect participants? |
| Am I seeking therapy or counseling focused on thoughts, behaviors, coping, problem-solving, or interactions? | How does the therapist describe the focus and approach of psychotherapy or counseling? |
| What do I want to understand about how treatment will proceed? | What approach does the therapist use, and what are the goals of therapy? |
| What would I like to ask about a service named individual therapy or group therapy? | How does this practice describe that service? |
| What information would help me consider fit? | Is there an opportunity to ask questions in a consultation call? |
Questions to Bring to a Consultation
Rooted Integrative Therapy’s FAQs describe scheduling a consultation call as a first step, with an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit. Questions you may bring include:
- How do you describe the purpose of this service?
- What approach might be used in psychotherapy or counseling?
- What are the goals of therapy?
- How will progress be assessed?
- How does your practice describe individual therapy and group therapy?
- What access options apply to the service I am asking about?
FAQs
Are support groups and therapy the same thing?
The sources describe them differently. SAMHSA says support groups can connect people with similar experiences. SAMHSA describes therapy and counseling as focused on healthy skills and patterns in thoughts and behaviors, while NIMH describes psychotherapy as talk therapy with possible elements such as supportive counseling, problem-solving, and examining interactions with other people.
What can psychotherapy include?
NIMH states that psychotherapy can include supportive counseling, problem-solving strategies, and examining interactions with other people. NIMH also lists other possible elements, including coping with stress and identifying automatic ways of thinking that are inaccurate or harmful. This does not establish what a particular therapist will include.
Can a consultation help me ask about fit?
Rooted Integrative Therapy’s FAQs describe a consultation call as a first step and an opportunity to ask questions and consider fit. The practice’s Connect page invites inquiries and appointment requests through its contact details or form.
What services does Rooted Integrative Therapy list?
Rooted Integrative Therapy lists individual therapy, couples therapy, group therapy, and therapy intensives. Ask the practice directly for information about a particular service.
Practice Note: Rooted Integrative Therapy is the practice of Alina Hovsoyan, LCSW. The practice offers in-person therapy near Orem and Provo, with virtual therapy across Utah. Its listed access information does not establish which options apply to every service, so direct questions can clarify the service you are considering.
This article is for general education only. It is not a diagnosis, treatment plan, or substitute for individualized mental-health care. A qualified mental-health professional can help you consider what fits your circumstances.
Sources and Further Reading
Sources used for this article:
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Types Of Treatment
- National Institute of Mental Health: Psychotherapies
A Grounded Next Step
If you would like to ask about services or request an appointment, Rooted Integrative Therapy invites inquiries through its Connect page. A consultation call is described in the practice FAQs as a first step for asking questions and considering fit.
Please do not include urgent or highly sensitive clinical information in a general inquiry.