Call them what you will:  therapy groups, counseling groups, discussion and inspirational groups.  Group work is one of the most effective methods of getting help.  In a group we are validated, supported and encouraged to be who we are, and to change, if change is desired.

Potential group members are screened in order to ensure, as far as possible, the safety and stability of the group.  A further safeguard is the signing of an agreement to a set of ground rules regarding confidentiality, honesty, compassion, and respect for boundaries.

In one of my groups a sixty year-old gentleman found the safe haven he needed to discuss a terrible childhood experience, which he'd never been able to address in years of individual therapy.  The group members were inspired by his progress and gained the courage they needed to explore their own issues more deeply.  In the end the members became close friends and remain so to this day.