We all know the saying "Two is better than one". When it comes to little ones in therapy, often times two IS better than one. You cannot teach a child interpersonal skills without another person to work with. This is why groups are important in therapies and this is even more a reason why we here at Muzique are offering groups through our new program Muzique@Resonance located at Resonance School of Music in Woodbury, NJ!
Wondering why groups are so great? Well here's a list of a few reasons why groups are so beneficial:
1. Socially- This reason is first because, I mean really... children cannot improve social goals without another child present, so groups are really the only way to accomplish these goals. Social interaction amongst peers can increase a child's standard of living and help them to adjust to society and perform in social situations.
2. Emotionally- Group settings can allow children and even adults to mirror or learn from other's emotions. Reflecting and studying the affect of others can improve emotional self-awareness and make the client more likely to attempt to express his or her emotions. Also, a group is often a setting where people feel that they can express without a lot of attention drawn to them. This allows for more open expression knowing that it is not all about only one person and also knowing that there is a group to support them.
3. Physically- When clients are in a group, they are able to see and mirror those who may be more physically able, especially when it comes to children. For a child who is physically underdeveloped, having others who have more movement can be motivating and can act as an example to increase the movement and physical abilities of the child.
4. Cognitively- Allowing clients to think together and work together can increase brain function. In a group setting, clients become spatially aware of others which forces them to begin to think more about their body in space and to think a bit more about others.
5. Behaviorally- Although some may say that a child's behaviors increases when in groups due to more eyes being on them and attention, I believe that a child's behaviors have the ability to decrease when in a groups. When a client sees that those who are behaving themselves get more opportunities to participate and do things on their own, clients tend to at least attempt to compose themselves enough to get their turn to shine. In a group setting, clients can learn from others and act accordingly.
6. A new challenge!- Many clients, especially as children, receive individual therapies from a young age. Once a child is ready to move forward with therapy, a group is a big, challenging step that can help the client to make progress and accomplish old and new goals.
Groups can benefit any age; from infants all the way to seniors. Although groups for different ages may have different purposes, all of the reasons listed above can contribute to groups in all therapies! Interested in groups for you or your little ones? Muzique now offers music, dance and theater groups for all ages through Muzique@Resonance! Click here to see what we have for your family!
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Have another reason that groups can be beneficial for any age group? Let us know in the comments!