group therapy: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Formal in clinical/medical contexts; Informal/Colloquial in metaphorical use.
Quick answer
What does “group therapy” mean?
A form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group, using group interaction and shared experiences as a therapeutic tool.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group, using group interaction and shared experiences as a therapeutic tool.
Informally used to describe any gathering where members share experiences and offer mutual support, often outside a clinical context (e.g., a book club described as 'group therapy').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in definition or professional application. The spelling 'therapy' is consistent. Informal usage may be slightly more common in US media.
Connotations
In both, the core sense is neutral/clinical. Informal/metaphorical use often has a positive, bonding connotation.
Frequency
Comparably frequent in professional contexts; informal usage is common in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “group therapy” in a Sentence
[Patient] attends/participates in group therapy (for [condition])[Therapist] leads/conducts group therapy (on [topic])[Activity/Session] functions as/is like group therapyVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “group therapy” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- They group-therapised their way through the crisis. (very informal, rare)
- We're not here to group therapy this issue. (non-standard, colloquial)
American English
- Let's not try to group-therapy this at the party. (informal, jocular)
- They basically group therapized every weekend. (non-standard)
adverb
British English
- They talked group-therapy-style. (rare, hyphenated)
- The meeting proceeded quite group-therapeutically. (extremely rare)
American English
- We worked through it, kind of group-therapy-like. (colloquial)
- They interacted very group-therapeutically. (rare, formal)
adjective
British English
- She has a group-therapy approach to team management. (hyphenated compound modifier)
- The group therapy model is well-established.
American English
- It was a real group-therapy moment. (hyphenated)
- He runs a group therapy session for veterans.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rarely used literally. Metaphor: 'The weekly team catch-up is like a bit of group therapy.'
Academic
Used in psychology, psychiatry, and social work literature to describe a specific clinical methodology.
Everyday
Most common in metaphorical/informal sense to describe supportive gatherings with friends or colleagues.
Technical
A defined modality in clinical psychology with specific protocols (e.g., CBT group therapy, psychodynamic group therapy).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “group therapy”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “group therapy”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “group therapy”
- Using 'group therapy' to describe a simple meeting without the element of shared emotional support or processing (semantic broadening).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily yes, in its professional sense. However, the term is often used informally for any supportive group activity.
It provides peer support, reduces feelings of isolation, and allows individuals to learn from others facing similar challenges.
Yes, it's common in informal English to say something like 'Our weekly call is my group therapy' to mean it's a supportive, venting session.
Yes. Group therapy is typically led by a trained therapist with a treatment focus. A support group may be peer-led and is more about mutual support than structured therapy.
A form of psychotherapy in which one or more therapists treat a small group of clients together as a group, using group interaction and shared experiences as a therapeutic tool.
Group therapy is usually formal in clinical/medical contexts; informal/colloquial in metaphorical use. in register.
Group therapy: in British English it is pronounced /ˌɡruːp ˈθerəpi/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌɡruːp ˈθerəpi/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “It was cheaper than group therapy.”
- “Our Friday coffee is my weekly group therapy.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a GROUP of people getting THERAPY together, sharing to heal.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMMUNITY IS HEALING; SHARING IS A TREATMENT.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'group therapy' used LEAST literally?