Frequently Offered Groups
Below are some groups we often offer during fall and/or spring semesters. Whether a group starts or not depends on how many students express interest in it, so please contact us ASAP if you are interested in any of these groups. If you are interested in a group, please fill out, print, and bring in a "Group Interest Form". The form is also available from your counselor or at the Student Counseling Service (195 Health Services Center). A brief screening interview is required for all groups. Please call 529-4634 if you have any questions or for scheduling a screening interview.
Transformations: Substance Use/Abuse Group
Women, Indetity and Intimacy
Circle of Stones
Stress & Anxiety Management Workshop
Wise Minds Workshop
Understanding Self and Others
Images: Eating Disorders and Body Image Group
Transformations: Substance Use/Abuse Group
This 4-week group is for students who are concerned about their use of alcohol and/or various other substances. The focus will be on identifying how substance use influences everyday life and functioning; including ways it may be interfering with personal goals, relationships, etc. Additionally, the group will address ways to reduce one’s risk of future problems associated with substance use.
This group is for women who are interested in exploring issues related to identity, relationships, and intimacy. It will focus on your relationship with yourself and others, and how past relationship experiences may affect you now. Issues addressed will include feeling unsure or unhappy about who you are, hurt or rejection in relationships, not having the kind of relationships you want, and/or managing closeness and distance. This group will consist of six to eight women with diverse experiences and concerns and will center around developing and enhancing relationships with themselves and others.
This women’s group is an exploration of ways women can discover and reaffirm a positive sense of self and connection with others in working beyond chronic depression, anxiety, and social isolation. Members should have experience with self-exploration from prior psychotherapy, meditation, or groupwork. The group will use the text Circle of Stones (Duerk) as a resource for some discussions and members may purchase their own copy (about $12.00) or rely on group handouts for these materials.
Stress & Anxiety Management Workshop (see flyer here)
This 4-week group will provide experience and practice in anxiety management techniques including deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and managing negative self-talk. It will be especially helpful for students dealing with social or academic anxiety including test anxiety as well as persons experiencing physical symptoms of stress such as headaches, stomachaches and sleeping problems. This group will be offered at least twice each semester.
This 6-7 week group provides participants with helpful skills and ideas for how to better cope with distress in their lives. Core components of this group include mindfulness (being more present in the moment), emotional regulation and distress tolerance knowledge and skills. Members learn the value of their emotional experience and how to respond in more effective, self-building ways. Wise Minds is recommended for students who consistently find themselves overwhelmed by stress and emotion. This group will be offered up to two times each semester.
This ongoing therapy group will provide a context for members to improve difficulties in their lives connected to developing and maintaining satisfying relationships with friends, family, lovers, etc. A confidential environment will be created to help each member to learn how to trust, confront conflicts, understand one's interactional style, and develop healthy relationships with others and with one's self.
Images: Eating Disorders and Body Image Group
This group is designed for students who identify themselves as having an eating disorder, disordered eating traits, and/or body image concerns. This typically means that they engage in behaviors designed to control weight and feel very obsessed and preoccupied with food and dieting. This preoccupation leads to binge eating, periods of self-starvation, laxative abuse, vomiting, or over-exercising. The focus of the group depends somewhat on the members but topics typically include: family, self-esteem, guilt, shame, and relationships. A brief screening interview is required.
This ongoing therapy group will provide a confidential context in which female graduate students can work to improve their lives with respect to a wide range of difficulties. The group will be committed to two core goals of helping each individual develop a healthy, accepting relationship with one's self as well as developing and maintaining satisfying relationships with others, including family, friends, lovers, etc. A supportive but challenging environment will be created to help learn how to trust and to confront the conflicts in ways that help one feel effective and flexible in control.
Last Updated: 05/24/2011
Contact: Tonia Farthing, Administrative Assistant
(513) 529-4634