When your teen is struggling, choosing the right starting point for care can feel like one more decision during a stressful time. The good news is that both group therapy and individual sessions are effective forms of mental health treatment- each with unique benefits. The preference for either group or individual sessions depends on your teen’s goals and current symptoms. Here’s a clear breakdown to help you decide (and why combining individual and group therapy is often the strongest, more effective plan).
What Individual Therapy Offers
Individual therapy offers one on one time with a licensed therapist focused entirely on your teen’s needs and history. It’s especially helpful when a teen is experiencing a specific mental health concern, recent crisis, or complex family stressors.
Who Typically Benefits from Individual therapy?
Teens who:
- Feel too guarded to talk in a group at first
- Are processing sensitive experiences (grief, trauma, identity questions)
- Need targeted work for a specific mental health presentation.
Strengths:
- Privacy and safety: Safe space to discuss vulnerable topics without worrying about peers.
- Tailored care: Targeted strategies/skills for a mental health condition like depression/anxiety, OCD, or trauma-related symptoms.
- Flexibility: The therapist can pivot quickly to whatever surfaced that week, while implementing skills that are specific to meet your teens needs.
It’s the best modality when: Your teen is new to therapy and anxious about sharing or requires specialized modalities before practicing skills with peers.
What Group Therapy Offers
Group therapy offers a supportive environment where teens meet other teens facing similar challenges- which can be a relief all by itself. Typical group therapy sessions include check-ins, teaching and reviewing DBT skills, and real-time practice within a safe space.
Who Typically Benefits from Group therapy?
Teens who:
- Want peer connection and are tired of feeling alone
- Need skill building for communication, boundaries, or stress management
- Are managing depression/anxiety and ready to learn skills in a safe peer setting
- Are navigating school stress, friendship issues, or family transitions
Strengths:
- Belonging: being surrounded by teens experiencing similar concerns can help lower shame and isolation.
- Skill building: Groups teach concrete skills that include- emotional regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.
- Feedback and accountability: Peers reflect on what’s working for them and motivate one another to meet their goals or utilize the skills.
It’s the best modality when: Your teen is seeking connection, is stuck in avoidance behaviors, or would benefit from practicing social and coping skills with peers.
Individual vs. Group at a Glance
- Focus: Individual = depth and personalization; Group = connection and practice.
- Pace: Individual moves at your teen’s speed; Group follows a structured pace.
- Symptoms: Individual is ideal for acute or sensitive issues; Group normalizes common mental health challenges and builds everyday tools.
- Outcomes: Both can help improve mental health symptoms; the advantage of group therapy shows up in faster real-world skill use, while individual therapy excels at insight and customized interventions.
The Strongest Path: Incorporating both Individual and Group Therapy
Many mental health professionals recommend a blended treatment plan: start with individual therapy to stabilize, then add group to practice to incorporate skills in a faster pace- or do both in parallel.
Getting Started with Mindsoother
Still unsure where to begin? Start with your top goal: stabilization, connection, or both. At Mindsoother, we offer individual and group therapy for teens and we’ll help you map a personalized treatment plan- whether your teen needs privacy to process, peer support from others facing similar challenges, or both.