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Group Therapy

During the winter 2021 term, the Counseling Center will offer a range of counseling groups to provide students with the opportunity to connect with other Drexel students via Zoom. These groups are led by Counseling Center staff and meet for 60 - 90 minutes each week over the course of the quarter. Group members share problems or concerns to better understand their situation, to improve interpersonal relationships and to learn from one another. Students receive remarkable support and encouragement from others facing similar issues and gain different ideas and perspectives. Although it is not uncommon to be somewhat apprehensive at first, many individuals report that their group experience exceeded their expectations. For some, group is recommended in lieu of individual therapy.

Group therapy offers many benefits, including:

  • Gaining support
  • Sharing struggles and experiences while exploring and better understanding yourself
  • Personal growth and development
  • Receiving advice and feedback from diverse perspectives and viewpoints
  • Combating feelings of isolation and loneliness
  • Learning more satisfying ways of relating to others
  • Developing new ways to cope with difficulties

Members talk about whatever is troubling them or whatever drove them to seek therapy. It is not uncommon for people to initially feel nervous or embarrassed about talking in group. Members are encouraged to proceed at their own pace, and to decide what and when to share. As members become more comfortable with the group, they often find that they are able to share their experiences and stories and receive support from other members. Members have the opportunity to give and receive immediate feedback in the form of encouragement and respectful challenging. Facilitators and members agree to maintain confidentiality and discuss any issues that may affect confidentiality.

Please note that while we are operating remotely, we ask that all members keep their cameras on during group therapy. Keeping cameras on allows for a more interactive experience while also ensuring that all members are in a private space during the group.

We offer different group options depending on what you hope to gain from the experience. See below for more information on group topics.

For more information on joining a group at the Counseling Center, please contact counseling@drexel.edu and indicate which group(s) you are interested in joining.

Please return to this website for more information as it will be updated regularly.

Counseling Center Teletherapy Groups for Winter 2021

STUDENTS OF COLOR: CONNECTING AROUND SIMILARITY AND DIFFERENCE

This weekly 90-minute group aims to provide Black students, Indigenous students, and students of color with a safe and supportive space in which to connect around similarities and differences. Students will be invited to share experiences, process emotions, provide support, give feedback to one another, and develop self-awareness. While all topics will be welcome in group discussion, space will be made to examine the ways ethnicity and racial identity affect one’s experience navigating the world.

UNDERSTANDING SELF AND OTHERS: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

This group offers a safe, supportive space to explore the unique experiences of international students. Adjusting to a new culture, school, and country can be both exciting and stressful. This group allows the opportunity for international students to connect with one another and share their successes, difficulties, and personal growth as they navigate the culture of Drexel and the United States.

UNDERSTANDING SELF AND OTHERS: INTERSECTING QUEER IDENTITIES (USO:IQI)

This group provides a safe and supportive environment for undergraduate and graduate LGBTQ+ or questioning students to share their concerns and experiences, receive and give honest feedback and support, and learn about themselves and how they relate to others. This is a space where members can explore gender and sexual, or affectual, orientation at the intersection of other cultural and social identities (e.g., race, religion).

CHAOTIC FAMILIES

This group offers students support for managing difficult family relationships. For example, students who were raised by caregivers who struggled with addiction or mental illness, and/or controlling behavior. Students might have had to navigate complicated family dynamics, such as estrangement. Students can share their experiences and offer support to one another while learning more effective communication and boundary setting. This group might be helpful for individuals who struggle with self-esteem, current relationships, self-confidence and comfort in social settings as a result of these experiences.

UNDERSTANDING SELF AND OTHERS (USO)

A safe, supportive environment for students who want to gain awareness of their functioning in relationships (with friends, family, romantic partners, classmates, etc.). Participants will learn about themselves by exploring their interpersonal patterns, getting feedback about how they function in relationships, and using the group to experiment and try out new behaviors, such as sharing honest thoughts and feelings. Students who are struggling with establishing or maintaining satisfying relationships may especially benefit from this group.

GRAD GROUP

Similar to the Understanding Self and Others group, this group is for graduate-level students who want to experience stronger emotional connections with others while also working through personal issues that may be unique to being a part of a graduate program at Drexel.