5 Benefits of Group Therapy for OCD

Here at BCAOTC, we have been thrilled to continue to grow and be able to offer a variety of treatment and support groups for individuals with OCD and their families. With the addition of several groups and some group cycles returning in January 2025, we want to share more on why group therapy can be helpful. The following are five benefits and reasons to consider group therapy in general, with some added considerations for those with OCD or related diagnoses:

Support

Groups can be divided into two types: Treatment groups and support groups. Treatment groups are led by clinicians and are more structured, drawing from evidence-based treatment modalities. They tend to help group members learn skills to work towards specific goals for chance. Support groups, on the other hand, are more open and focus on providing a safe environment for people who can relate to each other. Support groups are sometimes led by peer support specialists, community members, interns, etc. Regardless of the type of group, they all have a supportive element, as they involve discussion and collaboration among others with shared experiences.

Support groups can be especially helpful and valuable for teens and adults with OCD. Due to the presence of misinformation in the media and a need for greater education, individuals with OCD can often face guilt and shame due to stigma. Support groups can help individuals with OCD combat stigma by seeing that they are not alone, growing their therapeutic community.

Evidence-Based

Before you commit to any therapy program, it is important to understand its empirical support. It is especially important to find evidence-based treatment for OCD, such as Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy, as other common therapy modalities are not helpful and can even worsen OCD symptoms. Fortunately, group therapy itself, as well as group therapy for individuals with OCD, has been researched for decades, demonstrating that CBT-based therapies, including ERP, can reliably benefit individuals with OCD in their reduction of symptoms. References and more information can be found through the International OCD Foundation (iocdf.org).

Accountability

Have you ever benefitted from an accountability buddy? More likely to go to the gym if a friend is joining? The same often goes for group therapy!  Group members often report that being accountable to their therapist and other group members helped them improve consistency and follow-through with their exposure and other skills practice. Treatment groups specifically tend to involve weekly homework and follow ups,

Cost-Effective

Treatment groups vary in price due to factors such as type of treatment modality, clinician expertise, and others. With closed groups having a set time frame, they can generally be more cost-effective than longer term programs, since there is a known upfront cost. Each group session generally costs less than an individual therapy session.

Support groups tend to be a free resource and are not bound to clinician state licensing requirements. Therefore, support groups are often open to people living in any location when held virtually.

Helpful Introduction to Treatment

Starting therapy in general, especially exposure therapy, can often feel overwhelming. A temporary group can allow for someone to learn more about ERP without a major time commitment. As a result, that’s why we often say that our 7-week ERP Treatment group for adults can be helpful for those who are “ERP Curious,” or those who would like to learn more and give it a try with a limited time commitment. This is especially the case for “closed” groups, which have a set timeline. Most of our treatment groups at BCAOTC tend to take place over 6-8 weekly or bi-weekly sessions.

We have various ongoing free support groups and several paid treatment groups now recruiting for January (Moms with OCD, ERP group for adults, and an in-person teen group). To learn more, visit: https://www.bullcityanxiety.com/groups

If you’re looking for OCD Treatment groups outside of our practice, the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) has a directory here.

Written by Erin Jones, LCMHC