I'm very grateful for your replies so far,and I'm a little taken aback and pleased at the large number of positive experiences people have talked about.
Yes my opener was indirect. As a therapist,my job is not to tell people what to think,and that tendency spills over. [I haven't spotted the ambiguity.]
What you've written has,as usual,clarified my thoughts,so thanks for that.
The views of those who have counselling/therapy experience is very interesting.
I can see i was, and am, especially interested in the first responses of those who have no such experience. And I still am.
Personally,I can't remember what I thought about them before my late 20s when i first started doing 'groups' - I don't think they even got on my dial.