Group Therapy vs. Individual Therapy: Which Is Right for Your Child?

Carolina School Services Team

7 days ago

4 min read

When your child is struggling with anxiety, emotional regulation, confidence, friendships, or social skills, knowing how to help can feel overwhelming.

Should your child meet with a therapist one-on-one? Would they benefit from practicing skills alongside other children? Or could a combination of individual and group therapy be the best fit?

We spoke with Carly Schug, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Registered & Board-Certified Art Therapist at Carolina School Services, about the differences between individual therapy and group therapy for children, what each setting can offer, and how parents can determine where to start.

Individual Therapy vs. Group Therapy: What’s the Difference?

Both can provide meaningful support, but they create very different therapeutic environments.

Individual Therapy: Personalized One-on-One Support

Individual therapy centers around the relationship between the child and therapist. This therapeutic alliance creates a private space where the therapist can focus specifically on your child’s needs, challenges, strengths, and goals.

Individual therapy can offer:

Personalized, one-on-one attention
A dedicated therapeutic relationship
Direct guidance from a trained therapist
A private space to explore emotions and challenges
Support tailored to your child’s individual needs

Group Therapy: Learning and Growing With Peers

Group therapy adds something that individual therapy cannot fully recreate: real-time interaction with peers.

Within a therapist-facilitated group, children can practice communication, empathy, emotional regulation, boundaries, and other social skills while interacting with other children.

Group members can become valuable peer supports, helping one another realize something incredibly important:

“I’m not the only one going through this.”

Group therapy can provide:

Real-time peer interaction and feedback
Opportunities to practice social skills
Connection and community
Practice navigating real social situations
Opportunities to build empathy and co-regulation skills
A sense of universality and belonging

How Do I Know Which Type of Therapy My Child Needs?

There isn’t one answer that fits every child.

A child may benefit from individual therapy when they need a higher level of one-on-one support for concerns such as anxiety, emotional regulation, hyperactivity, or other challenges that could be difficult to manage initially in a group environment.

A child may benefit from group therapy when they have foundational emotional regulation skills but need more opportunities to practice interacting, communicating, problem-solving, and connecting with peers.

And importantly, your child does not have to be “perfect” at managing their emotions before joining a group.

Learning how to navigate those emotions with other children can be part of the therapeutic process.

What Skills Can Kids Practice in Group Therapy?

Think about some of the skills children need to navigate friendships, school, family relationships, and everyday life. Many of them involve another person.

Groups give children opportunities to practice skills such as:

Taking turns
Starting and maintaining conversations
Reading social cues
Communicating wants and needs
Setting healthy boundaries
Managing disagreements
Resolving conflicts
Practicing empathy
Understanding different perspectives

These skills can be discussed during individual therapy, but a group gives children the opportunity to practice them with peers in the moment.

Why Does Practicing With Peers Make a Difference?

There is a major difference between talking about a social situation and actually experiencing one.

In individual therapy, a child might learn strategies for handling conflict or setting a boundary.

In group therapy, that child may have an opportunity to use the strategy in a genuine social interaction.

They receive natural feedback from other children, practice responding to different personalities, and experience the outcomes of their choices.

Individual therapy can help children learn and develop skills.

Group therapy can give them a place to put those skills into practice.

Does My Child’s Age or Personality Matter?

Absolutely.

The goal isn't simply to place a child into a group. It’s to find an environment that fits their age, developmental level, needs, and readiness.

For example, a highly anxious or introverted child may benefit from beginning with individual therapy to develop foundational skills and comfort.

Another child may already have those foundational skills but struggle to apply them when interacting with peers. A group environment may give that child the practice they need.

This is why talking with a therapist before choosing an approach can be so helpful.

Is My Child “Ready” for Group Therapy?

Parents sometimes worry that their child needs to have everything figured out before participating in a therapy group.

They don’t.

Learning how to navigate emotions, communicate, build confidence, and connect with others is part of what the group is designed to support.

Common misconceptions about group therapy:

“My child needs to be emotionally regulated first.” Emotional regulation can be one of the skills children practice within a therapeutic group.

“My child has to be outgoing.” They don’t. Quieter children can benefit from group experiences too.

“My child will be judged.” A thoughtfully facilitated therapeutic group is designed to create a supportive environment where children can learn and grow.

“My child needs confidence before joining.” For some children, confidence develops through participating, practicing new skills, and experiencing successful interactions.

Where Does Art Therapy Fit In?

For some children, talking about emotions isn't easy.

Art-based approaches give children another way to communicate, explore, and express what they are experiencing.

Art can be especially useful because it:

Doesn't rely exclusively on verbal communication
Can be adapted for different ages, abilities, and needs
Creates opportunities to express difficult emotions or experiences
Allows children to see their own growth and progress
Offers another avenue for emotional exploration and connection

For children who struggle to put their feelings into words, creative expression can help open a different door.

What If I Know My Child Needs Support, but I Don’t Know Where to Start?

Start with a conversation.

You don't need to know whether individual therapy, group therapy, art therapy, or a combination is right before reaching out. That’s something you can explore with a professional.

At Carolina School Services, our team can listen to your concerns, learn more about your child, answer your questions, and help you explore what kind of support may be appropriate for their individual needs.