Six therapy groups · Carlsbad + Vista + online (CA)
Six therapy groups led by doctoral-level clinicians: interpersonal process groups, DBT skills, grief, parenting, and LGBTQ+ support. In person in Carlsbad and Vista, North County San Diego, and online across California.
The directory
Six groups, each led by doctoral-level clinicians. Most meet weekly for 90 minutes in our Vista or Carlsbad offices.
A daytime process group for adults who want to see their relationship patterns in real time.
An evening process group for adults who want honest feedback about how they come across.
A weekly 50-minute skills group for anyone who wants practical tools for emotions and relationships.
For parents of kids 4–8 who want to understand what their child's behavior is really saying.
For adults living with loss. In person in Carlsbad Village, or online for California residents.
A group for LGBTQ+ adults navigating identity, relationships, and belonging.
Not sure which one fits? Start with a free 15-minute consultation.
The case for group
The reason it feels scary is the reason it works.
Decades of research, including a 25-year meta-analysis by Gary Burlingame and colleagues in Psychotherapy, find that group therapy is as effective as individual therapy for many of the concerns people bring to us: anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship struggles.
And group does something individual work can't. In individual therapy you describe your relationships. In a group, you have them, live, in a room where the patterns can actually be seen and worked with. That is interpersonal learning, and it is the engine of group counseling.
The practical math helps too. Most groups run 90 minutes, and sessions cost $60–$125, a fraction of the $230–$300 that individual therapy runs at our practice.
Everyone is nervous before their first group. That nervousness is material, not a barrier.
A term worth knowing
An interpersonal process group is a small therapy group, usually 6–10 people, where the focus is on what happens between members in the room. There is no curriculum and no worksheets. The relationships in the group are the material, which makes it the rare place where your patterns are visible, not just remembered.
Two of our six groups, The Social Lab and Real Talk, are process groups. If the idea is new to you, our essay on what actually happens in one is a good place to start. And if one-on-one work sounds like a better fit right now, that is what individual therapy at CTG is for.
Locations
Home to five of our six groups, in a dedicated group room. Just off the 78 at Mar Vista, an easy drive from Oceanside, San Marcos, Carlsbad, and Encinitas.
Our Vista office →Where the in-person grief group meets, a few blocks from the coast in the heart of the Village.
Our Carlsbad office →Our online grief group is open to adults anywhere in California. It is currently our only virtual group.
No pressure, just a conversation
Start with a free 15-minute consultation. You'll talk with a clinician, not a scheduler, about what you're looking for. Together you'll figure out which group fits, or whether individual therapy is the better first step.
Fill out the form and we'll reach out soon. Or call us directly.
(760) 334-6262A clinician reads every submission. We'll reach out within one business day.
Frequently asked
Group therapy is psychotherapy with one or two clinicians and a small group of members, usually 6–10 people, who meet at the same time each week. At Coastal Therapy Group, our groups range from interpersonal process groups, where the relationships in the room are the work, to structured skills groups like DBT. Every group is led by a doctoral-level clinician.
You join after a free consultation and an intake, then attend the same group at the same time each week. In process groups, members bring whatever is alive for them and the group works with what unfolds in the room. In skills groups, sessions follow a curriculum. Either way, change is cumulative: the longer you stay, the more visible your patterns become.
Groups at CTG cost $60–$125 per session, depending on the group. Individual therapy at our practice runs $230–$300 per session, so group is a fraction of the cost. See our cost and insurance page for the full picture.
For many concerns, yes. A 25-year meta-analysis led by Gary Burlingame and colleagues found group therapy performs on par with individual therapy across a wide range of concerns. And for relationship patterns specifically, group offers something individual work can’t: other people to practice with.
That depends on the group. In a process group there is no agenda: members bring what's on their minds and the facilitator helps the group stay with the relational work. In DBT skills, you learn and practice a specific skill each week. Grief and parenting groups blend structure with open discussion.
No. You go at your own pace. Most people listen more than they talk at first, and that's expected. Facilitators never force disclosure; they help you participate in the way that's right for where you are.
Yes, and many members do. Group and individual therapy work on different things and tend to reinforce each other. Some members attend group alongside individual therapy at CTG or elsewhere; others find group alone is what they need right now.
Coastal Therapy Group is a private-pay practice. We're out-of-network with all insurance plans, but we provide monthly superbills you can submit to your PPO for possible reimbursement.
The first step is a free 15-minute consultation with the group's facilitator. You'll get a feel for them, ask questions, and decide together whether the group fits. If it does, you'll complete a brief intake before your first session.
Most groups run 90 minutes; the DBT skills group runs 50. Every member agrees to confidentiality before joining, and that agreement is central to how every group functions.
Ready when you are
Six groups, two offices, one free consultation to figure out where you belong. The first step takes fifteen minutes.
