Group Therapy · Biddeford, Maine
Addiction isolates. Group therapy reconnects.
Group therapy is the heartbeat of treatment at Portland Treatment. Sitting in a circle with people walking the same road, from Saco, Portland, Old Orchard Beach, and across Southern Maine, breaks the isolation that keeps addiction alive and builds the accountability that keeps recovery going.
Confidential · Small groups · Led by licensed clinicians
Accredited & Licensed
LegitScript Certified
Joint Commission Accredited
Maine DHHS Licensed
Psychology Today Verified
Why it works
Recovery is a team sport
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recognizes group therapy as a core, evidence-based component of substance use treatment, as effective as individual therapy for many people, and for some, more so.
You're not the only one
Hearing your own story come out of someone else's mouth is the fastest way to dissolve shame. That recognition, 'me too', is something no workbook or lecture can replicate.
Practiced, not just discussed
A group is a rehearsal space for real life. You practice saying no, asking for help, and setting boundaries with real people, so the skills hold when you're back in Biddeford, at work, or at a family dinner.
Accountability that lasts
It's harder to disappear on a room of people who notice when you're gone. Group members check in, call each other out kindly, and celebrate milestones, the texture of long-term recovery.
Medically reviewed
Benjamin Crocker, MD
Psychiatrist · Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine · MD, The Ohio State University · Residency & fellowship training at the University of Michigan and LAC+USC Medical Center
Last reviewed August 2026. Read our editorial standards & clinical review process
What a session looks like
Inside the circle
Groups at our Biddeford center are small, confidential, and led by licensed clinicians, not open mic night. Everything said in the room stays in the room, and the structure is the same every time, so you always know what you're walking into.
01Check-in
Every session opens with a brief round, where you are today, what's on your mind. Nobody is forced to share more than they're ready for.
02The work
The clinician guides the room through a topic or skill: triggers, boundaries, guilt, grief, communication. Members weigh in with lived experience, not lectures.
03Feedback
This is the part people fear, and then love. Honest, respectful reflection from peers who've been exactly where you are, and want you to win.
04Check-out
Sessions close with a takeaway: one thing you'll carry into the week. Small, concrete, and yours.
More than one kind
The groups you'll sit in
Group therapy is woven through PHP, IOP, and outpatient care, your weekly schedule blends several formats so treatment never feels one-note.
Process groups
Open, clinician-guided conversation about what's actually happening in your recovery, wins, slips, fear, family, and everything in between.
Psychoeducation groups
Learn how addiction rewires the brain, how relapse works, and how medication, sleep, and stress fit into the picture.
Skills groups
Structured practice in CBT and DBT skills, thought challenging, distress tolerance, urge surfing, and refusal skills.
Relapse prevention groups
Map your personal warning signs and build a written plan for the moments that used to end in use.
Peer support & alumni connection
Ongoing community after programming ends, so the room you built trust in doesn't disappear when treatment steps down.
Paired with individual therapy
Every client also meets one-on-one with a dedicated clinician. What surfaces in the group gets processed privately, and what you build privately gets practiced in the room.
About individual therapyIf you're nervous
Almost everyone dreads their first group. Almost everyone stays.
The fear
"I'll be forced to share my deepest secrets on day one."
The reality
You share at your own pace. Many new members just listen for their first sessions, and listening is participation. Your clinician will never put you on the spot.
The fear
"A group can't help with something as personal as my addiction."
The reality
Addiction feels unique from the inside and painfully common from a chair in the circle. The group reveals patterns you can't see alone, and your individual sessions handle what's truly private.
The fear
"Everyone will judge me."
The reality
The room is made of people who have lied to family, lost jobs, and woken up ashamed, and shown up anyway. Judgment doesn't survive that kind of company.
The fear
"Someone from town might recognize me."
The reality
Confidentiality is a hard rule, reviewed on day one and enforced always. Southern Maine is small, that's exactly why we take it seriously. What happens in group stays in group.
Insurance
In-network with almost every plan.
Portland Treatment is in-network with Anthem, UMR/UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Harvard Pilgrim, Martin's Point, TRICARE and MaineCare, Cigna is our only out-of-network plan. In-network means contracted rates, lower coinsurance and no balance bill. We verify your benefits free, in minutes, with no obligation.
Free, confidential, no obligation
Or read the coverage guide for your plan, Anthem rehab coverage, Cigna rehab coverage, MaineCare rehab coverage and other accepted insurance plans.
Questions
Group therapy, answered
How many people are in a group?+
Groups are kept small enough that every voice matters, typically 8 to 12 members with a licensed clinician facilitating. You won't be lost in a crowd, and you won't be alone in the spotlight.
Is group therapy confidential?+
Yes. Every member agrees to strict confidentiality rules, and substance use treatment carries additional federal privacy protections (42 CFR Part 2). What is shared in the room does not leave the room.
What if I'm not comfortable talking in a group?+
That's the most common thing new clients tell us, and it's okay. You can listen at first and share when you're ready. Your individual therapist will help you build comfort, and most people are surprised how quickly the room starts to feel safe.
Is group therapy included in PHP and IOP?+
Yes. Group therapy is a core part of the daily schedule in our Partial Hospitalization Program and Intensive Outpatient Program in Biddeford, and continues in outpatient care. It's included in your program, never billed as an add-on.
Do you accept MaineCare and private insurance for group therapy?+
Yes. We're in-network with MaineCare and nearly every major insurance plan in Maine, Cigna is the only exception. Call 855-449-7674 or verify your benefits online, it's free, confidential, and there's no obligation to enroll.
Keep exploring
Related care at Portland Treatment
Levels of care
- Partial hospitalization program (PHP) in Biddeford
Our most structured day treatment, five days a week, home each night.
- Intensive outpatient program (IOP) in Southern Maine
Nine-plus clinical hours a week with day and evening tracks.
- Virtual IOP for anywhere in Maine
The same IOP curriculum by secure telehealth, statewide.
- Outpatient program (OP) for ongoing recovery
One to two sessions a week that fit around work and family.
How we treat
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Practical tools for the thoughts that drive use and relapse.
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
Distress tolerance and emotion regulation skills that hold up.
- Individual therapy in Biddeford
One-on-one counseling with the same clinician each week.
- Family therapy and support
Bringing partners, parents and adult kids into the work.
Where we serve
- Addiction treatment in Biddeford, Maine
Our home clinic, in the mill district off Route 111.
- Addiction treatment for Portland, Maine
A 20-minute drive down I-95 from the Portland peninsula.
- Addiction treatment for Saco, Maine
Minutes across the river from our Biddeford clinic.
- All Southern Maine areas we serve
Every city and town within driving distance of Biddeford.
You don't have to do this alone.
A room full of people who get it is waiting.
855-449-7674Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Free and confidential.