Group Therapy
Group Therapy Heading link
What is group therapy?
You might imagine group therapy as individual therapy in a circle, or that it’s only an good option when individual therapy isn’t available. The truth is, group therapy is an empirically supported treatment for a wide range of mental health concerns, and group therapy has its own unique process that is intended to be different from individual therapy.
Group therapy is widely regarded as the best option for students whose distress involves difficulties in relationships with others. Rather than talking one on one with a therapist, the shared space of group allows for greater experiencing of relational dynamics between members, and the processing of these dynamics facilitates healing.
Groups do not have a session limit, making them a wonderful place to take on long-term goals (an exception to this is the time-limited Conquering Anxiety Group). Our groups are offered in virtual, hybrid, and in-person models, meet once a week, and have 5-8 members and 1-2 trained group therapists. They meet throughout the school year and sometimes over the summer, and many groups have rolling admission, meaning you can join at any time of year. And don’t worry, we take measures to limit the likelihood that you will run into somebody you know in our process groups.
Group therapy can be an ideal place to:
- Explore personal concerns and connect with others, who may have similar experiences, in a trusting, confidential environment.
- Understand your interpersonal style, patterns, and reactions and their potential impact on your relationships with others and on your mental health.
- Empower yourself to change relationship patterns that are not working for you and practice these changes in your relationships with group members.
- Practice openness and vulnerability with trusted others in a way that reflects your values, honors your cultural identities, and facilitates healthy relationships and outcomes.
- Experience healing in relationships and translate this into relationships outside of group.
It is normal to feel nervous about joining a group, but often the reasons you are nervous to get started are the same reasons why group can be helpful for you! If your distress involves concerns in your relationship with a friend, family member, romantic partner, professor, advisor, boss, etc., or if you have concerns about how you function in relationships more generally (loneliness, people-pleasing behavior, feeling like an outsider, difficulty prioritizing or communicating your needs, etc.), then group therapy might be for you! Keep scrolling to learn more about which groups are available and how to take the next step.
Group Therapy Offerings for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 Heading link
Check out each tab below to learn more about our therapy groups! Because we do not typically add more than one student per academic program to a group, we cannot guarantee that every group will be an option for you. But please reach out and we can work together to see what is available!
CAG
Mondays 1:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m, next session starting January 27th, 2025
This six-week group will help you address anxiety using the evidence-based approach behind Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The aim of ACT is to bring an open and willing attitude toward all internal experiences and actively working on what you truly care about, even when pain is present. The goal of this group is to help you relate differently to your anxious feelings, depressed moods, worrying mind, and self-defeating behaviors. Sessions will include skill-building, mindfulness activities, group discussion, and experiential exercises.
Please note that the Conquering Anxiety group does not screen by major/academic program, so you may run into a classmate. However, self-disclosure is more limited in this space.
General IPG
Mondays 2:05 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., virtual!
Wednesdays 3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m., in person!
Fridays 1:05 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., in person!
An interpersonal process group is a space for students to grow in their understanding of themselves and their relationships with others. Members often find that they have similar experiences, and they benefit from offering their diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
While sharing about their lives, members can identify patterns and use their safe relationships with others in the group to change patterns that are no longer serving them. By creating healthy, authentic relationships with others in the group, members are able to develop healthy, authentic relationships with others in their lives.
Grad Groups
Tuesdays 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., meeting in-person every-other week!
Thursdays 3:05 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., virtual!
These groups provide space for graduate students to grow in their understanding of themselves and their relationships with others. Members often find that they have similar experiences, and they benefit from offering their diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
While sharing about their lives, members can identify patterns and use their safe relationships with others in the group to change patterns that are no longer serving them. By creating healthy, authentic relationships with others in the group, members are able to develop healthy, authentic relationships with others in their lives.
LGBTQ+
Tuesdays 3:30 p.m – 4:45 p.m., starting Spring 2025!
This interpersonal process therapy group is for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or other gender or sexual minority identities to explore issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and interpersonal experiences. The group is also open to students who are questioning their gender or sexual orientation.
TNBGE Group
Mondays 4:00 p.m – 5:30 p.m., virtual!
This interpersonal process therapy group is for students who identify as transgender or gender expansive to explore issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and interpersonal experiences. This interpersonal process group offers a space for group members to gain support in integrating their identities with other areas of their lives.
Women of Color Group
Mondays 3:05 p.m – 4:30 p.m., virtual!
New! Thursdays 1:05 p.m. – 2:30 p.m., virtual!
This interpersonal process therapy group welcomes students who are women of color, including cis, trans, nonbinary, and gender-expansive women. This group provides space for members to explore issues related to their experiences as women of color and to understand themselves and their relationships in the context of their intersecting identities.
Getting Started with a Group for Fall 2024 or Spring 2025 Heading link
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Get started by emailing Caroline Lavelock (laveloc2@uic.edu) or by scheduling an initial consultation (312-996-3490).
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If it seems like a good fit, you can then schedule a 30-minute "pre-group meeting" with the co-facilitators of the group. During this meeting, the group leaders will help you determine whether that particular group is a good fit for your clinical and interpersonal needs.
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An exception to this is the Conquering Anxiety group, which requires you to attend an initial consultation but does not screen for major or require a pre-group meeting.
