Identity, Social Connection, and Loneliness

Helping is fundamentally a group process, even when working with individuals, as two people constitute a group. In a therapeutic context, it focuses on assisting individuals facing “life challenges such as addiction, trauma, or mental health issues” (p. 5). The therapist’s role is not to “change people,” but to “empower them with knowledge and tools so that they can change themselves if they choose to” (p. 6). This is likened to a facilitator guiding a group to overcome a shared obstacle by leveraging their collective strengths.