Individual and Couples Counseling
These are available to help students with personal, academic, and career concerns. The reasons why people seek counseling are as varied as people themselves. Seeking help through the Center does not imply weakness. Students coming into the Center for counseling are usually seeking more effective and rewarding lives by addressing personal problems, career questions, skill development issues, or value questions.
The Center offers a wide variety of groups and workshops. These include general counseling and therapy groups and special topic and population groups (i.e. understanding self and others, LGBT support, etc.) designed to help students deal with common problems. Other groups and workshops such as math confidence, and stress management are designed to improve specific skills.
Biofeedback
The center is equipped with a Biofeedback lab to help students learn to reduce stress, anxiety or related physical symptoms. To learn more about the Biofeedback lab click here.
Group Counseling
To view the details of currently offered groups, click here.
What is Group Counseling?
A therapy group consists of a small number of people, generally not more than eight, and one or more trained group therapists. The purpose of the group is to provide a safe as well as challenging place in which to work on personal and interpersonal concerns. Members can discuss perceptions of each other and receive feedback on how they are perceived by others. Therapy groups are different from other groups in that everything that happens in group is confidential; what is talked about or disclosed is not discussed outside the Counseling Center.
Establishing a level of trust allows group members to talk openly and honestly. Therapists and group members work together to establish trust and commitment to the group.
Why Does Group Counseling Work?
Groups are designed to foster active learning, a place to work on problems rather than just talk about them. Members often experience the same difficulties in group that they have elsewhere. The group, with the help of the therapist, is able to give support and understanding, offer suggestions, or gently confront the person. Groups offer opportunities to experiment with different ways of communicating with others and to try out new behaviors.
Those who benefit most are usually those who take an active part in the process and who allow themselves to give and receive honest, helpful feedback. Group Counseling also provides opportunities to learn that others have similar difficulties and to learn about yourself as others work on their problems. In an atmosphere of mutual concern, members can care about and help each other. For these and other reasons, Group Counseling is often more effective and efficient than individual therapy.
What Do I Talk About in Group Counseling?
You can expect to talk about what problem brought you to counseling in the first place. You can ask for both support and for feedback. It is important to let the group know what you want from them.
One of the major reasons people have relationship difficulties is that they haven't learned how to express their feelings effectively. Self-disclosure of your feelings is important in group and will affect how much you will be helped.
Most people are somewhat anxious about being able to talk in group. It is important to realize that you control what, how much, and when you share with the group. It is also important to realize that group leaders take the responsibility for a supportive environment in which feedback is given and received. Almost without exception, within a few sessions all members are sharing in the group.