How to Worry Well

This experience-based group helps you learn skills to manage your anxiety, depression, and stress. One of the highlights of this group is the emphasis on learning breathing and relaxation skills that are found to be helpful in improving overall mentality as well as physical health. Another highlight of our group is the emphasis on addressing problematic thinking that interferes with personal and academic performances. This group also explores various skills and information that may help you manage your distress.

Stress Management

This group is designed to help students develop coping skills and strategies to manage stress.  Topics may include:  identifying and processing current stressors, relaxation techniques that really work, adaptive coping strategies, and time management skills.  

General Therapy

Our general therapy group is not topic-based and open to a variety of students with diverse concerns. This type of group can be a good fit if you are interested in experimenting with new thoughts, behaviors, and social skills. Group members share common concerns as well as individual issues.

Self-Compassion

This group focuses on decreasing self-criticism, creating authenticity in relationships, and improving self-compassion. If you feel like you are never good enough and you spend a lot of time and energy pleasing others at the cost of yourself, this group’s aim is to help you be more self-accepting. You will learn how to utilize mindfulness techniques and critical thinking to build awareness and enhance compassion towards others and yourself.

Unmasking Autism

This is a seven-week group for late-diagnosed autistic individuals, recently self-diagnosed autistic individuals, and those questioning if they may be autistic. This group hopes to allow individuals to explore their own autistic identity, connect with others with shared experiences, and learn neurodiversity affirming coping skills, all from a neurodiversity affirming approach.

How to Communicate

In the how to communicate group, there will be a discussion on different communication styles and how each one can be beneficial within different environments whether that’s being able to communicate with our social support system regarding conflicts, needs wants, as well as learning how to communicate within an academic setting.

Healthy Relationships

In this 4-week group, students will focus on identifying ideas, concepts, and skills that promote healthy, quality relationships. This is not a process group based on deep exploration of feelings, but rather a chance to learn new tools. Topics include distinguishing healthy versus unhealthy patterns, effective communication, and boundary setting.

Art for Wellness

This group focuses on building expressive skills to support mental health and emotional well-being through creative activities like drawing, painting, and mixed media. Group members will be encouraged to develop their expressive skills using art as a tool for reflection and connection. No prior art experience is needed!

Circle of Support

This group is for survivors of sexual trauma who want to come together to feel supported, validated, and empowered.  During the healing process, many people find that they experience shock, confusion, denial, fear, and anger.  In this group you will be able to explore these feelings in a safe, supportive environment.  Topics discussed will include coping skills, emotions, social support, and societal messages about sexual trauma.  Sharing personal experiences is not required and is subject to the comfort level of each group member.

This group requires a screening with the group leader prior to joining. Please contact the University Counseling Center to schedule an appointment.

LGBTQ+ Mental Wellness

This confidential group provides a safe, gender-affirming space for registered GVSU students who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Factors impacting identity such as stereotypes, family, and religion will be explored, depending on group preference. Additional factors that may be explored include experiences of anxiety, depression, stress, and other mental health concerns. A commitment to attend each weekly meeting for the semester is required.

Managing Your Depression

This group will help you develop strategies to manage your depression. We will provide assessments each week which will explore the unique aspects contributing to each group member’s distress. We will also explore mind-body types, as well as incorporate lifestyle changes to help maintain a healthy balance. 

Black Girl Safe Space

The Black Girl Safe Space Group aims to create a safe space where participants can address and explore issues specific to their experiences. This group will encourage authenticity by honoring and leveraging the unique strengths and experiences of Black women. The group offers a platform for sharing experiences and insight to empowerment, grow, and heal through a sense of community and support. This group will be held in Kirkhof Center Room 1140.

Grief Support

This support group is for those who would like to explore their experiences with the death of a loved one or significant other. This group allows exploration of thoughts, feelings, and reactions to grief in a safe environment. Sharing personal experiences is not required and is subject to the comfort level of each group member. It is strongly encouraged that group members feel open to others’ experiences and the discussions of grief in this group. Group members are strongly encouraged to commit to attending each week.

ADHD: Finding Your Focus

In this 5-week group, students will have the opportunity to join others who understand their experience in exploring attention management strategies, assessing their own executive functioning skills, and learning how to navigate attention-related challenges in their classes, interpersonal relationships, and careers. Key components of this group include an emphasis on the strengths those with ADHD bring to communities, self-compassion, and holistic approaches to mental health management.

Comprehensive Anxiety Management Program

Students will learn about a range of strategies they can integrate to care for themselves holistically while experiencing symptoms of anxiety.

Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACOA)

This group is for individuals who grew up in an alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional environment and as a result may feel different than others. If you have trouble managing your feelings; have difficulty with relationships or meeting your own needs, this group may be for you. Topics will address learning healthy coping and healing. 

AOD Healthy Habits

This group is a space to drop-in to get your alcohol and other drugs questions answered and explore your use. You are welcome to attend one or as many as you would like.

Everyday Emotions

This group introduces specific techniques for mindfully paying attention to emotions, improving interpersonal interactions, guiding one’s own emotional experience, and tolerating distress and unpleasant emotions with healthy coping skills.

Overcoming Adversity with Resilience (OAR)

This group is not topic-based and is open to student-athletes navigating a wide variety of setbacks that may be unique to them. Examples of setbacks include experiencing injuries, time and academic demands, and anxiety. Student-athletes will be able to connect with others who understand their experience, offer peer support, and learn strategies to cultivate resilience.

This group is for NCAA athletes. Please sign up on Teamworks.