Group Therapy
Why Group Therapy?
We want to feel seen and heard. We want human connection. We want to feel like we belong. With group therapy, you get the best of both worlds: the ear of a trained therapist, and the expertise and compassion of your peers. Members learn about themselves by understanding one another. This collective learning based on interpersonal exchanges is transformative.
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Group therapy can be skilled-based, psychoeducational, and/or process-oriented. It can provide a welcoming and reflective space to develop new coping skills, a better awareness of thoughts and feelings, and supportive connections with others at Brandeis. Group facilitators offer 15-minute Group Consults so you can ask questions and learn about specific group(s) before deciding to join. In the meantime, here is some general info:
Size
BCC groups tend to have about 4-8 members and 1-2 facilitators. The small size allows for a welcoming, meaningful way for members to get to know each other.
Duration
Groups meet weekly for 45 minutes. The BCC offers shorter-term groups (4-6 weeks) and semester-long groups. Members can continue in group from one semester to the next.
Format
The first group session typically focuses on introductions and group guidelines. Confidentiality is of utmost importance so members feel comfortable to share. Subsequent sessions focus on skill-building and/or discussions of relevant issues and concerns. Some groups have handouts and some may have light homework; others are more open conversations.
Students considering group therapy may have questions and fears about joining a group. A 15-minute Group Consult allows you to meet the group facilitator, learn more about the group, and ask questions before you decide to join.
During the Group Consult, you will hear more about how group could help you. The facilitator may ask about your reasons for joining, and if you’ve been in a therapy group before. If you’re in individual therapy, the facilitator may ask what you are working on and how a group may help.
It is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about the group and discuss any concerns. The facilitator will share group guidelines and possible goals for the sessions.
Attending the Group Consult will help you decide if the group is the best match to meet your needs, and if not, then to help find other types of support.
Learn
- Explore new skills in a confidential space
- Find different ways to cope with stress
- Gain new perspectives on your experiences
- Discover more about yourself
- Practice mindfulness by living more in the moment
Express
- Sharpen your social skills
- Try out sharing with others
- Get feedback from others
- Provide and receive support to/from others
Connect
- Form new relationships
- Discover that you’re not alone
- Develop trust in others (and yourself!)
- Feel more connected at Brandeis
Spring 2024 Groups
All BCC therapy groups are 45-minutes long and are offered either in-person or on Zoom (Zoom groups will mention Zoom in their descriptions). Groups are open to both undergrads and grad students unless noted.
Register for Spring 2024 Groups
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Group Leader: Julia Horvitz
Day and Time: Thursdays at 10 a.m.
There are so many reasons to feel anxious these days *gestures broadly at everything*. You’re not alone! Join other undergrad students to share all things anxiety in school, from triggers to symptoms to coping skills. For more info, please contact Julia Horvitz.
Group Leader: Anna Meilman
Day and Time: Fridays at 12:30 p.m.
Calling Graduate Students! Come get creative and engage a different part of your brain to practice self care. We will use art making and creativity to de-stress and connect in this space, using weekly prompts for collage, painting, drawing, and other materials that are provided. Art therapy is for everyone and no experience or skills are required, just a desire to enjoy the process. For more info, please contact Anna Meilman.
Group/Program Leader: Tal Nir
Day and Time: TBD
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based practice demonstrated to be effective for a variety of concerns, including depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, and substance use. CBT focuses on identifying the connections between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as they play a part in your day-to-day life. The first assumption is that “you are the expert of you”, and the therapist will guide you in developing an understanding of how the connection between thoughts, feelings and behaviors impact you. This understanding will allow you to choose the appropriate coping skills to manage your stress and improve well being.
Group Leader: J Mann
Day and Time: Mondays at 6 p.m.
Expressing ourselves doesn't only happen through words; we can also use our bodies to check in with our mental health. Come join this non-verbal space to move the body and process daily stress through mindful breathing, stretching, and organic movement. For more info, please contact Joanna Mann.
Group Leader: Roxann Mascoll
Day and Time: Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
In this weekly group, participants will learn how to balance work and life. This 4-week group is open to graduate students and will be held at The Heller School starting April 2. For more information or to register, please contact Roxann Mascoll.
Group Leader: Ruby Yarmush and Katherine Giraldo Escobar
Day and Time: Wednesdays at 3 p.m.
This is a support group for both undergraduate and graduate students who have lost someone close to them. Discussions focus on how to cope with the pain, shock, and/or trauma of loss while being expected to proceed with one’s “normal” academic and social life. Participants are also invited to share stories about the person they have lost in the service of continuing to honor them. For more info, please contact Ruby Yarmush.
Group Leader: Peining Lo-Bromberg
Day and Time: Fridays at 11 a.m.
Come join this weekly group for international grad and undergrad students to discuss experiences related to living in the U.S. You can come once, a few times, or all sessions. This discussion group serves as a confidential space to receive support from one another, share resources, and form your own community. For more info, please contact Peining Lo-Bromberg.
Group Leader: Roxann Mascoll
Day and Time: Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
This anxiety symposium is open to graduate students and will be held via Zoom. The group will run for 4 weeks, beginning March 5. For more information or to register, please contact Roxann Mascoll.
Group Leaders: David and Ruby
Day and Time: Wednesdays at 4 p.m.
This psychoeducational/support group will provide a safe and supportive space for students to discuss what it means to be a man on campus and in today’s society, and explore how this relates to mental health and wellness. This group provides an opportunity to recognize and break down stereotypes about masculinity.
Themes will include masculinity and other intersecting identities (toxic masculinity, gender roles, social construction), externalizing/internalizing behaviors, physical well-being, emotional well-being, and relationship well-being. For more information or to register, please contact David Slatkin.
Group Leader: Julia Horvitz
Day and Time: Fridays at 10 a.m.
Feeling overwhelmed? Isolated? Homesick? Lonely? Join and connect with other midyear undergraduate students to receive support and guidance around navigating Brandeis and finding community. For more info, please contact Julia Horvitz at juliahorvitz@brandeis.edu.
Group Leader: Amy Armstrong
Day and Time: Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
Are tough emotions getting in the way of living your best life? Do you struggle with keeping big feelings in check? Emotions are a fundamental part of the human experience, but sometimes they can be overwhelming and prevent us from being our best selves. Learn ways to honor your emotions while making sure they don’t control you! This group is based on the empirically-validated therapy approach of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and teaches skills for Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Effectiveness. For more info, please contact Amy Armstrong.
Group Leader: Julia Coleman
Day and Time: Thursdays at 5:20 p.m.
This is a 4-week skill-based group offering concrete practical approaches for dealing with social anxiety and worry. You will learn what anxiety is, how it works in the brain, the difference between the content and facts, and how the worry process takes over and affects how we see social situations. Together, we will learn how to think outside of the box and find ways to connect with others in this weird virtual world that we are in! Materials and handouts will be presented with weekly homework to develop and practice new approaches to challenge social anxiety. For more info, please contact Julia Coleman.
Group Leader: Ruby Yarmush
Day and Time: Tuesdays at 2 p.m.
Do you consistently put off work and other responsibilities? Do you find yourself always doing things at the last minute? Do you find it difficult to get started? Come join us in learning more about how procrastination works, skills to help improve motivation, and gain greater control of your day to day. For more info, please contact Ruby Yarmush.
Group Leader: J Mann
Day and Time: Thursdays at 5 p.m.
Come join this confidential space to explore relationships outside of mono-heteronormative ideals, and how our relationships can help us better understand ourselves and our self-esteem. This queer space welcomes individuals exploring gender/sexual identity and allies. For more info, please contact J Mann. To register, please complete our registration form.
Group Leader: Addie Wyman
Day and Time: Fridays at 12 p.m.
This weekly support space for students in recovery to build supports and share coping strategies and resources. Open to graduate and undergraduate students. For more info, please contact Addie Wyman.
Group Leader: Julia Coleman
Day and Time: Tuesdays at 10 a.m.
A welcoming space for people with (dis)abilities and ongoing conditions to connect, share strategies, and learn from one another. Come join this participant-led group for a confidential, supportive environment to openly discuss how best to thrive as a student with a (dis)ability or ongoing condition. For more info, please contact Julia Coleman.
Group Leaders: J Mann and Juanica Buchanan
Day and Time: Thursdays at 6 p.m.
A confidential affinity space for TGNC* (transgender, nonbinary, agender, genderqueer, intersex, and gender exploring/questioning) folks to discuss and embrace what it means to hold these identities at Brandeis and in the world. Come be in community and be part of a nonjudgmental space that supports TGNC people's struggles, shares community resources, and nurtures TGNC joy and pride. If you identify as anything other than cisgender this space is for you! For more info, please contact J Mann.
Group Leader: Roxann Mascoll
Day and Time: Thursdays at 3 p.m.
A weekly meet up to connect, recharge and support each other, this group is open to graduate students and will be held at The Heller School. For more information or to register, please contact Roxann Mascoll.
Group Leaders: Rachel Spekman and Katherine Giraldo Escobar
Day and Time: Tuesdays at 3 p.m.
Are you passionate about discussing women's leadership expectations, patriarchal societal norms, portrayals of gender on screen, and accessing healthcare? If so, this group might be for you! Join other students who are eager to discuss how to effectively manage women's mental health issues. All genders welcome! For more info, please contact Rachel Spekman. To register, please complete our registration form.
re:MIND Anxiety and Depression Symposia
The re:MIND Symposia program helps students build essential, fundamental mental health skills and knowledge. Each group is run by a trained clinician specifically focused on anxiety or depression.
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Group Leader: Julia Coleman
Days and Times: Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
Come explore anxiety in this 4-week group. Topics include psychoeducation around anxiety symptoms; how anxiety works in the brain and body; how worry impacts the way we see situations; and how to identify typical anxious patterns. Learn skills to manage anxiety and how to better manage difficult situations that feel scary. Materials and homework will be given to enhance learning and challenge anxiety outside of the sessions. For more info, please contact Julia Coleman.
Common Misperceptions about Group Therapy
Reprinted with permission from the Virginia Commonwealth University website:
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You decide what, how much and when you share with the group and no one can force you to reveal anything you don’t feel comfortable revealing. Most group members tend to share more about themselves when they feel safe in the group. While we recognize that sharing can sometimes be uncomfortable, we also know that many members report getting more out of group when they decide to share more personal aspects about themselves and their experiences. We encourage you to be aware of your pace for group involvement and to share when you feel comfortable doing so.
Group therapy is often more efficient than individual therapy for two reasons. First, you can benefit from being in the group even during sessions when you say little but listen carefully to others. You will find that you have a lot in common with other groups members and as they work on their concerns you can learn more about yourself. Secondly, group members will often bring up issues that strike a chord with you, but that you might not have been aware of or brought up yourself.
It is very important that group members feel safe. Group leaders are there to help develop a safe environment. Feedback is often difficult to hear. As group members come to trust and accept one another, they generally experience feedback and even confrontation as positive, as if it were coming from their best friend. One of the benefits of group therapy is the opportunity to receive feedback from others in a supportive environment. It is rare to find friends who will gently point out how you might be behaving in ways that hurt yourself or others, but this is precisely what group can offer. This will be done in a respectful, gentle way, so that you can hear it and make use of it.
Research shows that group therapy is as effective as individual therapy in addressing a wide variety of concerns, ranging from mild adjustment issues to chronic mental health concerns. For certain issues, such as relationship or interpersonal concerns, group therapy can be more effective than individual therapy. Group therapy is being recommended to you because your intake counselor believes that it is the best way to address your concerns. We do not put people into group therapy because we don't have space in individual therapy, or because we want to save time. We recommend group when it is the most effective method to help you. Your intake counselor can discuss with you why group is what we recommend for you.
Most people are anxious about being able to talk in group. Almost without exception, within a few sessions people find that they do begin to talk in the group. Group members remember what it is like to be new to the group, so you will most likely get a lot of support for beginning to talk in the group.
Questions about group therapy at the BCC? Contact Sarah McCann, Associate Director.
Group Leader: Julia Coleman
Day and Time: Thursdays at 5:20 p.m.
This is a 4-week skill-based group offering concrete practical approaches for dealing with social anxiety and worry. You will learn what anxiety is, how it works in the brain, the difference between the content and facts, and how the worry process takes over and affects how we see social situations. Together, we will learn how to think outside of the box and find ways to connect with others in this weird virtual world that we are in! Materials and handouts will be presented with weekly homework to develop and practice new approaches to challenge social anxiety. For more info, please contact Julia Coleman.