Group Therapy Offerings: 2023 - 2024
If you are interested in joining a group, please call 203-432-0290 and schedule an initial appointment in our department. The therapist you see will be able to answer your questions about group therapy and the group therapy options being offered. If you already see a clinician in Mental Health & Counseling, you do not need to schedule a separate appointment. Your current clinician can answer your questions and refer you to a group if appropriate.
As the semester progresses, some groups may fill up. If you are interested in joining a group that has already started or has already been filled, we may be able to start another section of the same group.
The following are descriptions of groups that we may offer in any semester:
CBT for Anxiety
This 60-minute group meets for 8 weeks and will focus on developing strategies for managing anxiety through cognitive behavioral techniques. The goal of the group is to offer an overview of how to identify triggers and maladaptive ways of thinking that contribute to anxiety and then change either thoughts or behaviors to help reduce anxiety. The format of the group will be largely didactic and will require both in group exercises as well as weekly take-home exercises to practice what has been discussed in group.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression
This 2 hour and 15 minute group meets for 8 weeks and is based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program that teaches skills to develop a different way of relating to one’s thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations that are frequently present when mood is low. MBCT is specifically designed to help people who suffer repeated episodes of depression and chronic unhappiness, and it combines principles of cognitive therapy with meditative practices and attitudes that cultivate mindfulness. Participants become acquainted with the modes of mind that often characterize mood disorders while simultaneously learning to develop a new relationship to them. MBCT format is a combination of structured class format and experiential mindfulness practices.
DBT Coping Skills
This 90-minute group will meet weekly for approximately 10-12 weeks, depending on the start date and group member preferences. The DBT skills group is a behavioral skills training group intended to help individuals learn how to purposefully and non-judgmentally attend to the present moment, get through distressing situations without making things worse, understand and manage emotions, accept painful events and emotions, assert their needs, improve relationships, and maintain self-respect. These reflect a balance of both acceptance skills (i.e., mindfulness and distress tolerance) and change skills (i.e., emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness). This group will be helpful to those who struggle with chronic emotion dysregulation as well as those who engage in ongoing impulsive and harmful behaviors.
Sleep Health
This 60-minute group will meet for 8 weeks. We all know how important sleep is for our wellbeing and health. Sometimes, the things we do to make the most of our sleep end up making it worse. In this group, we will review the basics of sleep, identify what can go wrong, and develop individual plans to achieve optimal sleep and circadian health. The group is based on the principles of sleep and circadian physiology, with behavioral and acceptance-based strategies to help you feel well rested.
Thriving at Yale w/ ADHD
This semester-long, weekly, 50-minute, neurodiversity-affirmative group focuses on understanding the diverse ways in which ADHD can show up in your life; developing academic success strategies and accurate self-understanding; navigating a neuroptypical world; how neurodiversity and ADHD intersects with other lived identities; effective self-advocacy; and managing anxiety and social concerns. Group is a great format to connect with others who “get it,” and you don’t need a formal ADHD diagnosis to attend. Undiagnosed students, newly diagnosed folks, as well as long-time ADHDers are welcome. Group is open to graduate and undergraduate students.
Making Peace with Food
This is a 60-minute weekly group that will address eating issues that frequently come up for students, such as binging, purging, and restricting. The focus of the group will be to develop permanent healthy eating habits and to develop healthier ways to manage difficult thoughts and emotions. The group aims to be a supportive place for those interested in better understanding their relationship with food and their body.
Grief/Loss Group
This 60-minute weekly group is open to both graduate and undergraduate students who have experienced the death of an immediate family member or caregiver. The group will offer a space to connect with other students who have experienced significant loss with the intention of providing support and to allow exploration of thoughts and feelings associated with bereavement.
Coping with Medical Issues
This is a 60-minute semester-long group that meets weekly for students managing chronic medical conditions or with a history of serious medical issues. The group offers a space for members to support each other and explore topics such as: how our illness affects our relationships with loved ones, how we cope with pain, how to get the support we need, and how to manage anxiety around our health.
Interpersonal Skills for Students on the Spectrum
This 60-minute weekly group is for students on the autism spectrum (or for those who struggle with social interactions) to have a space to practice connecting with peers in a safe and supportive environment. It will be run like a Relationships/process group but co-leaders will more directly address interpersonal dynamics to facilitate learning and growth.
Women of Color Group
This 60-minute semester-long group meets weekly and focuses on the needs of students who self-identify as women of color and who are experiencing depression, anxiety, or stress. This group offers a space for students to explore their experiences, navigating internal experiences and social interactions within and outside of the Yale community. Students are encouraged to give voice to feelings related to campus culture, racism, discrimination, racial/ethnic identity, oppression and privilege, relationships, family, self-esteem, and intersectionality. The group aims to provide therapeutic interventions focused on affirming each student’s cultural narrative, improving coping skills, and fostering resiliency and growth.
Being Biracial
This 60-minute, semester-long weekly group (with the option to continue for the next semester) is a space for students to reflect on the unique experiences of being a biracial or multiracial person. This group will provide a supportive space for students to explore how their identities have developed over the course of their lives and how their identities influence them today. Students will be encouraged to consider how their intersecting identities and contexts (gender, sexual orientation, nationality, language, geographic location, culture, religion) impact their self-image and self-understanding. The group will also explore how students’ experiences at Yale influence and are influenced by their biracial/multiracial identities. The group will provide a space that is affirming of students’ choices regarding how they racially identify.
FGLI Group
This is a 60-minute weekly group for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students to address the concerns and challenges facing first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students at Yale. Topic many include navigating finances, supporting family members, adjusting to the culture at Yale, accessing resources at Yale, seeking academic support and mentorship, discrimination, managing feelings of shame or isolation involving financial status, “imposter syndrome,” split identities, and exploring other ways in which participants’ identities intersect with their lives at Yale. The goal of this group is to create a liberated space to share experiences, process feelings, form connections to others with a shared background, and learn how to access resources at Yale.
Men’s Group
This 60-minute semester-long group meets weekly and focuses on the needs of students who self-identify as men. Men, like everyone else, have mental health needs, but most men have been socialized to neglect these needs. The goal of this group is to create a space for students to explore their intersectional experiences as men, their emotions and feelings, and their relationships with other people both within and beyond the Yale community. Through this group, participants will improve coping skills and gain new perspectives on themselves and others.
International Students Group
This 60-minute semester-long (with the option to continue for the next semester) group meets weekly and focuses on the needs of international students. This group offers a space for students who are experiencing acculturative stress, language difficulties, cultural misunderstandings, racial discrimination, and loss of social support within and outside of the Yale community. The group aims to increase social support, reduce cultural isolation, and normalize the challenges of studying abroad.
Living Your Best Queer Life at Yale
This 60-minute semester-long weekly group is a space for LGBTQIA+ and questioning students to make connections, build relationships, explore gender and sexuality, and find resources at Yale. Topics may include understanding our identities, coming out, accessing medical care, navigating difficult conversations, gender identities, intersectionality, and more. The aim of this group is to support each other in realizing and living our best lives as queer people at Yale and beyond.
Exploring Gender
This 60-minute semester-long weekly group is a space for students to explore their relationship with gender and identity. This group is open to trans, nonbinary, questioning, or other gender-diverse identified students. Topics may include understanding our identities, accessing medical care, navigating difficult conversations, sexuality, gender expression, intersectionality, socially transitioning, gender norms, and more. The aim of this group is to support each other in connecting as a community as we delve into our relationship towards gender and our bodies.
Living with Trauma at Yale
This 60-minute weekly group offers a supportive space for students with a history of trauma. Many of us have lived through experiences that overwhelm our minds and bodies. While this overwhelm takes its own toll, it is often exacerbated by feelings of shame, guilt, and loneliness. Carrying these feelings while trying to meet academic, professional, and social expectations at Yale presents its own challenges. This group aims to remind participants that we are neither alone nor to blame for what has happened to us.
Parent and Parent-to-Be Grad Group
This 60-minute semester-long group (with the option to continue the next semester) meets weekly and focuses on the unique needs of parents and soon-to-be parents as they try to balance their academic and family responsibilities. In this group, grad students will get to connect with each other around themes of parent guilt and self-sacrifice, the idea of being “good enough,” and the elusive goal of balance.
Undergrad General Therapy Group
This 60-minute, year-long group is an opportunity for undergrads to improve their ability to open up to others and connect. It is a space where students can share what they are going through and hear how others have dealt with similar situations. In the process, students will come to understand more about how they come off to others and what their role is in groups, allowing them to change patterns that aren’t working for them. Above all, the group aims to be a supportive place for students interested in developing and maintaining healthy relationships of all kinds.
Grad Relationships Group
This 60-minute, semester-long group (with the option to continue for the next semester) will focus on issues associated with interpersonal relationships, including communication, understanding, assertiveness, and connectedness. These weekly sessions will allow students to better understand and manage the complicated dynamics that inherently arise in relationships (romantic, familial, friendship, professional, etc.), and to process the thoughts and emotions that come up as a result. Above all, the group aims to be a supportive place for students interested in developing and maintaining healthy relationships of all kinds.
Healing Through Art
The art therapy group meets weekly for 90-minutes throughout the semester and is a safe and supportive space where individuals can expect each session to blend hands-on art projects with guided discussions and coping skill-building exercises. Each group will begin with a check in and review a coping mechanism or a therapeutic concept. Next, general instructions will be given for the art project to get the group started (creative freedom welcomed). The remainder of class will offer ample time to work on the project with opportunities to engage in group discussion or to enjoy moments of mindfulness individually. Whether you're a seasoned artist or just starting your creative journey, this group welcomes everyone who is interested in embarking on a creative experience towards healing, self-discovery, and a supportive community.
Nature Group
This 60-minute semester-long group meets weekly rain or shine. Ecotherapy is a type of therapy that uses the natural environment to promote mental and emotional well-being. Ecotherapy can help to reduce stress, improve mood, and boost overall well-being. It can also help students to connect with nature and develop a deeper appreciation for the environment. Each session will focus on a different aspect of ecotherapy. Some of the topics that the group will cover include, the benefits of spending time in nature, how to connect with nature in a meaningful way, using ecotherapy to manage stress and anxiety, as well as personal growth and development.