New Year, New Group

January is when a lot of people decide to do something. Then February comes and nothing happened. The gap between "I should find a group" and walking into one is where most plans die. This page closes that gap. It takes you from the idea to the first visit in four small steps. It also gives you a way to find a group that is open now.

This page is for

Anyone who has thought about a group and has not gone yet.

People whose therapist or doctor suggested a group, and who nodded, and who have not followed up.

Safety first

A group is not crisis care. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.

Four steps, one week each

Week 1: Name the problem. One phrase. "I'm grieving." "I drink too much." "I have no people." That phrase is your search.

Week 2: Pick the kind. Peer support, a therapy group, or a community group. The handout "Support, Peer, or Therapy Group: Which Fits" walks you through it.

Week 3: Pick one and contact it. Not three. One. Email or call. Ask the questions in the box on this page.

Week 4: Go. What the first visit is like

1You will not have to talk. Most groups let a new person listen the first time. Say so if you need to.

2It will feel awkward for about ten minutes. That is the price of everything after.

3Decide after three visits, not one. The first visit tells you about you. The third tells you about the group.

What the research says, in plain words.

A review of 67 studies found therapy in a group works about as well as one-on-one therapy for most problems, at a lower cost.¹

A review of peer-led mutual help groups found steady benefit for wellbeing, coping, and social support across many kinds of problems.²

A 2021 review of 40 studies found group peer support brought gains in hope, connection, and feeling less alone. The connection effect was the strongest.³

Making it stick

Put it on the calendar now. A standing time beats "when I get around to it." Same day, same hour.

Tell one person. "I'm trying a group Tuesday." Saying it out loud doubles the odds you go.

A bad fit is information. If it is wrong after three visits, try a different group. Do not try no group.

Questions to ask a group before you go

1Is the group taking new people right now?

2What does it cost, and is there a free or sliding scale option?

3Can I come once and just listen?

Ready to find a group?

Browse 2,000+ therapy, support, and community groups in all 50 states.

Free to browse · No account needed · thegroupguide.com

In crisis? Call or text 988 (US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).

The Group Guide is a directory, not a clinic. This handout is general education, not medical or mental health advice. Listings are written by group leaders and are not endorsements. Confirm details, cost, and fit with any group you contact. Sources on page 2.

The Group Guide

Connecting people to community

Client and Family Education

Sources

New Year, New Group · references keyed to the numbers on page 1.

1Burlingame, G. M., Seebeck, J. D., Janis, R. A., Whitcomb, K. E., Barkowski, S., Rosendahl, J., & Strauss, B. Outcome differences between individual and group formats when identical and nonidentical treatments, patients, and doses are compared: a 25-year meta-analytic perspective. Psychotherapy (2016), 53(4), 446–461.

2Pistrang, N., Barker, C., & Humphreys, K. Mutual help groups for mental health problems: a review of effectiveness studies. American Journal of Community Psychology (2008), 42(1–2), 110–121.

3Lyons, N., Cooper, C., & Lloyd-Evans, B. A systematic review and meta-analysis of group peer support interventions for people experiencing mental health conditions. BMC Psychiatry (2021), 21, 315.

In crisis? Call or text 988 (US Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24/7).