Available Groups
Body Image and Eating Concerns
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Essential Insight (DBT group)
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Grief and Loss
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Neurodiversity Process GroupThis is a group for students who identify as neurodiverse and struggle with all or some of the following social awkwardness, picking up and interpreting social cues and nonverbal communication, the give and take of communication, expressing emotion, making friends, or talking to romantic interests. This group attempts to help members gain insight into the many and varied ways that neurodivergence shows up for them that can be beneficial as well as an opportunity for growth. |
Understanding Self & OthersThis group provides a safe environment for experiential learning by enabling new social behaviors and ways of relating as the group is happening. Patterns that were previously challenging can be approached differently in the group. Members may also develop more self-awareness and grow personally, learn about themselves and others, gain insights into the origins of their concerns, give and receive social support and meaningful feedback, improve communication and connection with others, overcome barriers to sharing authentically and openly about emotions, and improve interpersonal difficulties and social isolation. |
Family Understanding Self & OthersChildren are often scripted into familial roles, such as the responsible or good child; the problem or bad child; and the hero, rescuer, or invisible child. Most students are still filling these limiting childhood roles, which can distort and deny many important aspects of who they really are. For many students, they internalized these roles. That is, these familial roles have become their identity, and even though their parents now may live far away or even be deceased, the continue to place their families’ expectations on themselves and to re-create these problematic relational patterns with others. Additionally, students may experience family rules that governed their family relations and establish repetitive, predictable patterns of family interaction. Adding to the complexity of this tapestry, these family rules, roles, and communication patterns operate within a broader cultural context. This group draws on these basic family systems concepts and considers the impact of parental relations and familial experiences on students’ personality strengths and challenges. This group attempts to understand this impact and to come to terms with both the good news and the unwelcome news in their families of origin. Change is indeed possible and facilitated through a relational processing of experiential relearning within this group context.
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Women's Understanding Self & Others
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Men’s Understanding Self & OthersOftentimes, men are attending men’s groups to talk about things that they are not fully comfortable discussing with others in their lives. They might feel that they do not want to burden their partner or best friend with their problems or do not even want to tell them at all due to embarrassment. This group attempts to provide an emotionally safe environment in which male identified students can develop further self-awareness and grow personally towards their goals, while connecting with other men. As a men’s group, members can expect facilitators to ask clarifying questions about your relationships, career, emotions, inspirations, lifestyle, communication, the list goes on. Often this group may focus on the impact of cultural/familial messages about male identity(ies) and emotional/psychological issues often experienced by men, including self-esteem, relationship issues, assertiveness, social anxiety, body image/eating concerns, sexual assault/trauma related concerns, etc. In addition to the focus on the identify of group members as men, the intersection of other identities is often explored and processed in the group. Group members are encouraged to provide support and helpful/genuine feedback. |
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Previously Offered Groups
ADD/ADHD Focus GroupThe Focus Group is an opportunity to meet with other students to discuss the challenges and emotions associated with living with ADD/ADHD. Participants can expect to talk about strategies and resources to assist with fulfilling their personal and academic goals, and to recognize and build upon the many strengths they already possess. Anxiety GroupAnxiety Group creates a space to connect with others; learn about anxiety and its impact; understand connections between anxious thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; face fears in a supportive setting; and increase skills to manage anxiety. Through group relationships, members also learn about themselves and others, gain insights into the origins of their anxiety, and give and receive support and meaningful feedback. Because anxiety often affects relationships, this group also gives opportunities for overcoming barriers to sharing authentically and openly about emotions, improving interpersonal difficulties and social isolation, and trying new behaviors and ways of relating in a safe environment. Back to BaselineThis is a group for students who have recently returned to campus following a period of absence from the university due to hospitalization or another mental health crisis, or who recently experienced a crisis that did not require hospitalization. Students actively in crisis are not appropriate for this group. Students in this group will have the option to receive wrap around services with other campus providers, and are expected to be involved with at least one other mental health service in addition to group. This group is short term, with the goal of helping group participants to stabilize and successfully implement crisis prevention strategies/tools, and then transitioning to a more typical outpatient service. Group content focuses on developing an overall crisis prevention plan, regularly creating safety plans, improving emotion regulation, and providing support during a transitionary time for those returning campus. Journey (Trauma group)Journey is a group for survivors of trauma. The group is intended to provide a safe and confidential space to receive support from other survivors and work on issues related to trauma recovery. The group is comprised of up to 8 members who will have the opportunity to connect with other survivors, develop new skills, and continue their journey of healing and hope. |
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If you are interested in joining a group, please call the Counseling Center at (757) 221-3620 and ask to schedule a initial consultation appointment. Be sure to request group when you meet with a clinician! For more information check out what to expect in group counseling, what W&M students say about their experience in group counseling and our information about online groups.