UB Counseling Groups – Fall 2021
In order to participate in a group, students must complete a Needs Assessment with a UBCS counselor. All groups are virtual for Fall 2021. Contact Counseling Services for more information.
Identity-Based Support Groups
Students of Color Support Group – Wednesdays 2:00-3:30 pm
This semi-structured support group is committed to providing an affirming space for Students of Color to reflect on their experiences at a Predominately White Institution. In this group, we recognize the unique challenges of Students of Color and aim to foster a community for students to give voice to their experiences, gain support, and develop healthy coping strategies. Topics explored in this group include but are not limited to: navigating microaggressions, feelings of isolation, imposter syndrome, family/social relationships, and maintaining healthy self-care in the current socio-political climate.
LGBTQIA+ Support Group – Thursdays 2:30-4:00 pm
This is a group for students who are questioning or exploring their gender identity and/or their sexual identity. It is also for students who identify as gender variant, transgender, lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or queer. The goal of the group is to provide a safe, supportive and confidential forum to talk about multiple identities, coming out, relationships with family and friends, dating, academics, transitioning, homophobia, transphobia, the “isms”, and other issues of interest to members.
Transcend – Tuesdays 3:00-4:30 pm
This group focuses on building support, connection, and community among students who are transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and/or questioning their gender identity. The group is built to provide a safe, confidential format for students wanting a dedicated space to discuss issues relevant to being a part of the transgender community. While the agenda for each session is generally determined by group members, sample topics of focus may include: resiliency, coping with transphobia and discrimination, transitioning, pride, coming out, trans joy/gender euphoria, and the intersection of these issues with other identities (e.g., race/ethnicity).
International Student Support Group – Wednesdays 2:30-4:00 pm
This group provides a safe, supportive, and comfortable place for international students to discuss adjustment stressors and cross-cultural experiences in the U.S. The group also creates a safe and confidential environment for group members to share information and support each other.
Graduate and Non-Traditional Student Support Group – Tuesdays 1:30-3:00 pm
This group is designed to allow graduate and non-traditional students to explore the unique challenges they face in a safe and supportive environment. It can help students explore their identity, find new ways of relating to others, recognize how stressors impact them, and share personal experiences. The group can assist students in finding alternative ways of looking at life’s challenges to enable the development of healthier coping strategies.
Understanding Self and Others Groups
Connections – Mondays 3:00-4:30 pm
This group provides a warm, supportive, and confidential environment that will allow students to experiment constructively with new ways of relating to others, share personal experiences, express fears and concerns, and get support and feedback while learning from each other. Reasons for participation may include having difficulties in relationships, being in relationships that are not satisfying, being curious about how others perceive you, and seeking support when experimenting with new interpersonal skillsets.
Grief Support Group – Tuesdays 3:00-4:30 pm
This virtual support group is designed for students who have lost a loved one through death. The overall mission is to provide space, acceptance and support for students to mourn the loss of their loved one and to acknowledge the many feelings associated with grief and loss. This semi-structured support group will provide information on unique and different styles of grieving, as well as challenges of grieving. The group will also provide a space to discuss helpful strategies to support each student in their unique grief journey.
Skill-Based Groups
Coping Skills – Thursdays 1:00-2:30 pm
This structured group will teach skills to live in the present, deal with stress, manage difficult emotions, and handle interpersonal conflict in effective ways.
Body Image/Eating Concerns Group – Wednesdays 1:30-3:00 pm
A structured female only group for students who want to explore their relationship with body image concerns (including size, weight and other body insecurities) as well as concerns with food (shame and negative self-talk surrounding food intake, calorie counting, bingeing, purging, restricting, overexercising, etc). Individuals with eating concerns, eating disorders or disordered/disrupted eating patterns as well as those with body image concerns would be eligible. It is beneficial for students who are in various stages of preoccupation with food and body size. This group will teach skills to live in the present, deal with stress, manage difficult emotions, and handle interpersonal conflict. It will also assist clients in connecting with and living in their bodies more effectively. Group members have to be in individual therapy concurrently.
Emotional Wellness – Wednesdays 2:00-3:30 pm
*** 5-week group, offered twice during the semester***
This structured group will provide students with education and coping strategies to help with stress, anxiety, and mood management. Some of the topics covered may include self-care, relaxation and effective stress management, coping with anxiety in healthy ways, and increasing positive emotions.
Getting Unstuck: Tools for Academic Success – Wednesdays 1:00-2:30 pm
*** 5-week group, offered twice during the semester***
Are you feeling stuck in your studying – finding yourself easily distracted or procrastinating? This group teaches psychological tools to help students better manage the thoughts and feelings that can negatively impact academic functioning, and helps students to act more in line with their academic goals.
Mindfulness-Based Groups
Mindful Self-Compassion – Mondays 1:00-2:30 pm
Self-compassion involves being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate. Self-compassion is the opposite of ignoring our pain or punishing ourselves with self-judgment. Research suggest that the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion can help people regulate emotions, engage in healthy self-care, and respond to adversity in resilient ways. This group will help students learn the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion in order to cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and life challenges in healthy and balanced ways.
Yoga to Manage Moods – Thursdays 12:00-1:00 pm
*** 5-week group, offered twice during the semester***
A co-ed Hatha Yoga group that provides a holistic approach to mood and symptom management. Using a combination of gentle physical poses, breathing and relaxation techniques, this group allows participants to feel more connected and balanced within the body and mind. A trauma sensitive, person-centered approach will be utilized and no previous yoga experience is necessary.
For more information, Contact Counseling Services
