Depending on your child's needs, they may undertake one or the other and sometimes both types of therapy. Sometimes a child or teen may need an individual session prior to joining a group in order to be "group ready" and get the most out of the group situation as possible. Or sometimes individual sessions are undertaken at the same time as participation in the group.

Individual therapy is helpful in addressing issues outside the group (for example, experiencing a loss or family problems) or when a child seems depressed or anxious. Some issues are too large or not relevant enough to the group work to be dealt with in a group setting.

Situations in which individual sessions would be preferable over group sessions would be when a child or teen is so resistant to the idea of group that they are determined to sabotage their experience. That is, that they do not want it to work and see themselves as being forced to participate.