Rooted and Wild: Group Therapy as a Living System
Group therapy disrupts our longing for a linear, individualised narrative. It challenges the notion that healing follows a straight path, instead illuminating the fluidity of our thoughts and inner workings. In group, the self is neither isolated nor static—it is socially constructed, shaped and reshaped within the living ecosystem of relationships.
A group is both a reflection of the broader culture and a mirror of our own minds. It is mycelial in its movement, branching off into multiple perspectives and identities, thriving in the dynamic interplay of voices. Like an emergent system, it forms patterns of interaction that are unpredictable yet deeply intelligent—akin to bird flocking, tornadoes, or fish schooling. Healing is not a goal to chase but a moment when chaos coheres into synchrony.
The Living System of Group
Group therapy is not about structured self-improvement or setting fixed objectives. It’s not a quest for an elusive cure. Instead, it’s an invitation into an ancient, participatory relationship with the untamed wilderness of our minds. It’s a living, breathing entity—part compassionate nurturer, part irreverent trickster, part spontaneous wanderer. It resists categorisation, operating as an organic and dynamic force.
Where modern life has become regimented and predictable, group therapy reawakens something primal and miraculous. It moves like a murmuration of birds, a tangle of vines, an underground network of fungi—spontaneous, adaptive, alive.
Adaptability and Resilience
A well-functioning group mutates and reforms, responding intelligently to the needs of the moment. It mirrors the principles of resilience ecology, flexibly adapting to disruptions, fostering homeostasis rather than prescribing rigid solutions. Just as a forest regenerates after a fire, group therapy nurtures the conditions for healing—without dictating how that restoration unfolds.
Much like our immune system, a group does not impose order but rather facilitates balance. Its emergent intelligence guides members to become more flexible, resilient, and capable of navigating life's unpredictable terrain. Group members learn to tell fluid, adaptable stories rather than rigid, formulaic ones—stories that allow for improvisation, growth, and transformation.
Beyond the Psychological Realm
The effects of group therapy extend beyond the psychological into the biotic, metabolic, and sensory realities of being human. It reduces the stress responses that overtax our nervous systems, stimulates neurogenesis, and promotes rejuvenation. Like a thriving ecosystem, it nourishes the mind-body connection, encouraging members to stay attuned to the shifting needs of their emotional and physical landscapes.
Life is not static; it demands flexibility. Different seasons call for different diets, movements, and interactions. Different environments stir different stories from our mycelial depths. Group therapy, at its core, teaches us how to re-fruit—how to rise again with fresh insight, renewed vitality, and a deeper capacity to weather storms while remaining rooted in what sustains us.
Reclaiming Our Reciprocal Nature
Let us rediscover the fungal flexibility to experiment with creative, spiritual, and relational expression. Let us move away from rigid, patriarchal narratives that demand control and certainty, and instead embrace the wisdom of interconnectedness. To adapt is to survive. To stay responsive to life’s shifting tides is to thrive.
A healthy group is not a static institution but a celebration: an unpredictable symphony, a murmuration of birds, a secret underground network of connection ready to burst forth at the right moment. It is a magician, a trickster, a humming hive of bees, a cluster of grapes, a throng of singing voices. It is life itself—wild, evolving, and deeply human.
Conclusion
Group therapy, like the natural systems it reflects, is not about fixed goals or predictable paths. It’s a dynamic, evolving process that invites us into a relationship with our minds, as complex and wild as the ecosystems around us. This journey of healing is not about control, but about flexibility, growth, and interconnectedness.
Acknowledgement
Much of the imagery and inspiration for this post was drawn from Sophie Strand’s work, particularly Chapter 7 of The Flowering Wand, which delves into the wisdom of ecological thinking, resilience, and interconnectedness.