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University Counseling Center

Group Therapy & Workshops

What is the difference between groups and workshops?

Both groups and workshops are powerful treatment modalities. Their power lies in the support and feedback given by other participants as well as by the facilitators. They offer a supportive and affirming space for students to discuss challenges and build connections. Appropriate self-disclosure within groups and workshops may take place at the student’s own comfort level and pace. While joining a group or workshop can feel intimidating, these treatment modalities offer advantages that cannot be found in individual counseling.

GROUP THERAPY:

  • Mostly focused on the development of resilience and self-awareness.
  • Generally closed format (i.e., maximum number of participants); no session limits.
  • Includes other participants who wish to receive support around a shared identity or lived experience.
  • Requires continuous attendance in order for participants to obtain full benefits.
  • Group facilitators will often screen group members before their joining the group.
  • Requires a referral from an OSCC care coordinator or UCC provider.

GROUPS – SPRING 2023

Please select a group for more information.

THURSDAY 4-5:30 PM (Virtual Group)

Continuum is a group for students wishing to give and receive support around sexual identity and/or gender identity.  Individuals interested in this group may identify as LGBTQI, or may choose not to subscribe to any particular label or category. Continuum provides a safe, confidential, and affirming environment to discuss identity, community, self-esteem, intimate relationships, family & friendships, and other issues of relevance.

If interested, please contact one of the following UCC staff members:
Kyle Shadrick at aaron.k.shadrick@vanderbilt.edu 
Ashley Weber at ashley.c.weber@vanderbilt.edu

Co-leaders will conduct a brief meeting with interested students prior to joining the group.

Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills

(Start Date TBD) Fridays, 12-1:30 pm (In-person at the UCC)

Do you sometimes find it hard to manage relationships in your life?  By engaging in Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills, you can learn how to apply specific problem-solving, assertiveness, and social skills to modify aversive environments and to obtain your goals in interpersonal encounters. After this group, you will have your own toolkit of strategies to pull from whenever you have difficult life circumstances.

Open to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.

Please contact heather.n.bay@vanderbilt.edu to schedule a brief informational meeting.

Screening required.

 

Fridays at 1 PM (Virtual)

Coming to the United States and picking up a non-native language for day-to-day communication can be a lot. Navigating different culture norms, social dynamics, and interpersonal relationships - the list goes on. English as Second Language - International Student group is a space for ESL-international students who want to provide and receive support and connections.  

If interested, please contact the following staff member: 

Wenzhi Pan, wenzhi.pan@vanderbilt.edu  

The facilitator will conduct a brief meeting with interested students prior to joining the group. 

WEDNESDAY 3-4:30 PM (Virtual Group)

The Graduate Process Group is designed to provide a space for graduate students with a broad spectrum of mental health concerns. Group members will offer each other support and feedback in working toward change. Common concerns that may be addressed in this group include: navigating graduate programs and demands, interpersonal relationship difficulties, transitioning from graduate school to the work environment, individuation, identity concerns, and work/life balance. This group is a virtual offering.

If interested, please contact one of the following UCC staff members:
Tamaki Silver at tamaki.silver@vanderbilt.edu
Jay Steinberg at jay.steinberg@vanderbilt.edu 

 

Mondays at 4 PM (In-person at the UCC)

Start Date: 2/6

It’s Giving Social is an eight-week group designed to support students that want to build social skills. Students are encouraged to bring in social skills they would like to work on and the group will use multiple activities such as role-playing and games to practice skills. Some topics that may be covered include ways to say no, engaging in small talk, and how to ask for what you need. This group is open to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.

This group will be facilitated by: Maya Williams, M.A., Ed.M. (maya.m.williams@vanderbilt.edu) and Jaya Bhojwani, M.S. Ed (jaya.s.bhojwani@vanderbilt.edu). Please feel free to reach out to us with questions that you may have! 

WEDNESDAY 5 – 6 PM (In-person at Project Safe)

Rooted in Resilience is a support group, designed for students who have been impacted by interpersonal violence. This could mean experiences of sexual violence, dating violence, domestic violence, emotional abuse, stalking, harassment, and/or childhood abuse. This group is intended to provide a supportive environment for survivors. Time is spent listening, sharing experiences, sharing challenges associated with trauma, and gaining tools and knowledge as students work toward healing. Group is open to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. This group is a collaboration between the University Counseling Center and the Project Safe Center.

No formal referral is required.

If interested in this group, please email sarah.jordan.welch@vanderbilt.edu. 

TUESDAY 4-5 PM (In-person at the UCC)
Bi-weekly, 1/17-4/25

Are you a graduate student in BRET or another STEM department? Join us! This support group will  provide an opportunity to share, listen, and connect with other BRET students in a safe and private space. A support group often helps members feel less alone and better able to cope with concerns. The group will explore themes that include stress and coping, impostor syndrome, managing difficult relationships, identity, helping a friend, and grief. This is an open group and members are encouraged to join at any time throughout the semester. 

For further information, please contact Aneesa Anderson aneesa.anderson@vanderbilt.edu or maya.m.williams@vanderbilt.edu 
 

TUESDAY 4:30-6 PM (In-person: North Campus)

Understanding Self & Others is a weekly interpersonal process group for undergraduate students who want to explore personal growth, increase self-awareness and enhance their experiences in personal and academic settings. In this safe space, group members will practice communicating more honestly and effectively with others while gaining support from peers and therapists. Group topics may include adjustment, loneliness, academic/general stress, social anxiety, and relationships.

Screening required

If you have any questions, please contact one of the following UCC staff members: 

ashley.c.weber@vanderbilt.edu

wenzhi.pan@vanderbilt.edu

WEDNESDAY, 3PM - 4:45PM (In-person at the UCC)

Untangle and align your thoughts and emotions at our expressive arts group. The Untangle group offers a space to connect, in the “here and now”, and experience the healing power of creativity. Through visual art, movement, music, and storytelling emotions are liberated facilitating insight and growth. No prior experience in art making is needed and art material will be provided.

For more information, please contact one of the following UCC staff members:

Viviana Grice: viviana.a.grice@vanderbilt.edu

Stephanie Singer: stephanie.m.singer@vanderbilt.edu

Screening Required.

TUESDAY 2:00-3:30 PM (In-person at the UCC)
 

The Women’s Group is a process group where participants explore their concerns about relationships, academic and work stress, problems with depression or anxiety, family, life transitions, and communication, among other concerns. This exploration enables participants to work on changing their thinking or behavior patterns in order to make their lives work better, enjoy their lives more fully, and achieve a sense of personal authenticity. In addition, the Women’s Group focuses on the ways in which women’s lives are impacted by societal gender stereotypes and the guilt and shame that can be experienced when e sense that we do not fit certain stereotypes.  An important aspect of this group is the chance to explore here-and-now relationships with the other women in the group, to see how others’ experiences are like your own, and to support and encourage positive change. This is an in-person group for graduate and professional students and is open to anyone identifying as a woman. 

Screening required

If you have any questions, please contact one of the following UCC staff members:

Ruth Howard ruth.howard@vanderbilt.edu or

Kea Brown krystian.elizabeth.brown@vanderbilt.edu

 

WORKSHOPS:

  • Mostly focused on the development of everyday skills.
  • Workshops tend to be intermittent and take place in series, not requiring continuous attendance.
  • There is no necessary screening (drop-in registrations are welcome).

WORKSHOPS – SPRING 2023

Please select a workshop for more information.

Anxiety Toolbox is a three-week workshop designed for students experiencing a variety of anxiety-related concerns. This workshop is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Attendance at all 3 sessions is required, as each week builds upon the previous one.

Sessions cover:

·  understanding what anxiety is and how it impacts us

·  exploring how thoughts and behaviors affect anxiety

·  developing strategies to better cope with anxiety

 

Round 1:

Tuesdays: 1/31, 2/7, 2/14

2-3 pm

https://vanderbilt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYuc-2grzsqGtVtwb5LOu1Udz-VIOSjFr-k

 

Round 2:

Thursdays: 2/16, 2/23, 3/2

10-11 am

 https://vanderbilt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0sdOqvpjkvHND6aD62kTGqNhJOQJ0-XKPZ

 

Round 3: 

Wednesdays: 3/22, 3/29, 4/5

2-3 pm

https://vanderbilt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAqfuuupzMiEtAF4ly_d8vsX03wfzYLZS7t

 

Round 4:

Tuesdays: 3/28, 4/4, 4/11

2-3 pm

https://vanderbilt.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUqc-moqzIiHdW_7VckYsUKlFaP2s4h-EsN

 

Please contact Stacey Appiah-Opoku at stacey.appiah-opoku@Vanderbilt.Edu if you have any questions.

Self-Compassion Workshop Series - This workshop series is designed to help students become less self-critical and respond to their daily struggles with kindness and compassion, rather than judgment and criticism. The workshop is comprised of 2 sections, Part 1: Developing Self-Compassion Workshop and Part 2: Practicing Self-Compassion Group, that will integrate psychoeducation, experiential exercises, and interactive discussions to help participants develop tools that will serve to increase their overall level of self-compassion and well-being. This workshop series is being offered to currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate Vanderbilt students.

  • Part 1: Developing Self-Compassion Workshop - The Developing Self-Compassion Workshop is the first part of the Self-Compassion Workshop Series. This workshop is a 3-week, virtual introduction to the concept of self-compassion and participants will learn various strategies for incorporating self-compassion in daily life. In this mini-course, students are invited to actively participate in exercises, engage in dialogue, and are encouraged to practice the tools regularly throughout the week. Students who complete this section are welcome to join the Part 2: Practicing Self-Compassion Group. Two rounds of the Developing Self-Compassion Workshop will be offered this semester:
  • This 3-week workshop is the first part of the Self-Compassion Workshop Series

 

  • Part 2: Practicing Self-Compassion Group - The Practicing Self-Compassion Group is the second part of the Self-Compassion Workshop Series and is intended for students who have completed the Part 1: Developing Self-Compassion Workshop. This group is a 6-week, in-person opportunity to explore self-compassion with additional depth. Students will be invited to further their self-compassion development with the use of reflective journaling, mindfulness exercises, and expressive art activities in a supportive and confidential group environment.

 

WEDNESDAY 4PM – 5PM (Virtual)

With an emphasis on deepening understanding of what ADHD is and isn’t, improving work completion, time management, and organization, while also touching on cognitive,  behavioral, and mindfulness interventions. 

Weekly workshops: Actively engage in skill-building in these areas in a scaffolded, supportive environment.

Open Discussions: Ask questions about surviving and thriving with ADHD and other executive function issues, as well as follow up on skills from prior weeks. Bring your questions! A verified diagnosis of ADHD is not required for this workshop; any interested student is welcome!

Search ADHD on Anchor Link for the Zoom link

  • 25 January: What is ADHD?
  • 1 February: TLCs (therapeutic Lifestyle Choices)
  • 8 & 15 February: Time & Task Management
  • 22 February: Mindfulness for ADHD
  • 1 March: ADHD & Academic work
  • 8 March: Wrap-up

For more information, please contact one of the following staff members:
Frances Niarhos: frances.niarhos@vanderbilt.edu
Samantha York: samantha.york@vanderbilt.edu
Vanessa Bell: vanessa.bell@vanderbilt.edu