Fit
Choose a group when learning beside other people is part of the value.
Participants practise a shared framework, learn from similar barriers, and return with information from the week.
- Getting started, following through, or recovering after a slip is the central concern.
- You want structure and repeated practice, not only discussion.
- Learning from other people's questions and experiments would be useful.
Process
The final programme still needs to be confirmed.
The focus and online format are set. Dates, size, number of meetings, fee, screening, and curriculum are not yet published.
- 01
Waitlist
Share your interest so the clinic can contact you when the actual format and dates are available.
- 02
Fit and expectations
Before a group begins, participants should understand its focus, practical requirements, boundaries, and whether another service would fit better.
- 03
Structured meetings
The planned focus is practical behaviour change: starting, following through, rebuilding routines, and interrupting relapse cycles.
Evidence
Group delivery can work well, but evidence depends on the group.
Treatment, leadership, screening, structure, and online conditions all matter.
A large review of CBT for adult depression found no clear outcome difference between individual, group, telephone, and guided self-help formats. It does not mean every group suits every concern.1
Reviews of online groups are promising but incomplete. Screening, clear rules, privacy, technology, therapist presence, and the quality of the specific programme remain important.23
Tradeoffs
The group is both the advantage and the tradeoff.
A group can offer
- Perspective from people working on related behaviour-change problems.
- A shared structure that supports practice and return after a slip.
- More opportunities to hear questions and solutions than one person can generate alone.
Things to weigh
- Less individual attention and less control over the pace of each meeting.
- A fixed schedule once dates are set.
- The need for a private location, reliable technology, and sustained attention online.
Practical fit
Decide when the format is concrete.
- Time
Dates, length, frequency, and number of meetings are not yet set. Confirm them before deciding whether the group fits your schedule.
- Cost
Fee not yet published. Join the waitlist to receive confirmed programme details.
- Coverage
Insurance treatment of group psychological services can vary. Once the fee and billing format are confirmed, check whether your plan covers group services by a registered psychologist.4
Useful questions before deciding
- What are the dates, number of meetings, and attendance expectations?
- How are participants screened and prepared?
- What is the fee, and what receipt will be provided?
Source trail
Research used on this page.
Primary sources for the research above.
- 01Effectiveness and Acceptability of Cognitive Behavior Therapy Delivery Formats in Adults With Depression: A Network Meta-analysisPim Cuijpers et al., 2019
- 02Online Group Psychotherapy: A Systematic ReviewKatrina Andrews, Dyann Ross, and Tenelle Maroney, 2024
- 03Comparative Efficacy of Online vs. Face-to-Face Group Interventions: A Systematic ReviewMaryam Rafieifar, Alice Schmidt Hanbidge, Sloan Bruan Lorenzini, and Mark J. Macgowan, 2025
- 04Health insuranceFinancial Consumer Agency of Canada