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 2025 Groups
All BCC therapy groups are 45-minutes long and are offered in-person. Groups are open to both undergrads and grad students unless noted. Group details for Spring 2025 are being finalized, and some group schedules are based on student interest/availability. Please continue to check the list below, and if you are interested in a group with day/time TBD, please reach out to the clinician. If you are interested in joining a group, please register!
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Group Leader: Julia Horvitz
Day and Time: Thursdays at 2 p.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 2 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 Leader: Anna Meilman
Day and Time: Fridays at 1 p.m.
Expressing ourselves and exploring our emotions don’t only happen through talking; we can use art! The focus of art therapy is on the process, not the product, and in this group for undergraduates we will use visual art-making to connect with ourselves and our experiences in a different way. Different prompts and materials will be provided, and can be adjusted to interests of the group. No prior experience or skill with art is required! For more information, please contact Anna Meilman.
Group/Program Leader: Tal Nir
Day and Time: Mondays at 10 a.m.
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. For more information, please contact Tal Nir.
Group Leader: Julia Horvitz
Day and Time: Thursdays at 4 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 information, please reach out to Julia Horvitz.
Group Leaders: Rachel Spekman and Allie Fuller
Day and Time: Mondays at 1:30 p.m. (CLOSED for Spring 2025)
Going through a breakup? Seeking opportunities to process romantic relationship patterns? Looking for meaningful connections with others? Join the Healthy Relationships Group at the Brandeis Counseling Center. This weekly group offers a safe, confidential space to process your romantic relationships, learn about yourself, and discover healthy ways to connect with others. We’ll also explore topics like attachment styles, dependency, healthy communication, and more. Find the support, skills, and confidence you need to build meaningful and fulfilling relationships.
This group is closed for this semester, if you're interested in future cycles, please reach out to Rachel Spekman.
Group Leader: Peining Lo-Bromberg
Day and Time: Fridays at 1 p.m.
Come join this weekly group for international grad and undergrad students and their allies 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: TBD
Day and Time: TBD
Come join us for a 4-week session to learn with others how spirituality and mental health impact each other, facilitated by BCC and Hillel. Limited to 10 participants. Open to all Brandeis students, all spiritual/humanist/religious/worldview traditions are welcomed. For more information, please contact Rachel Spekman.
Group Leader: Nancy Kwan
Day and Time: Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
Social anxiety is tough to manage, and you don't have to do it alone! Whether you are new to campus or want to better understand how you can connect with others, join this 6-week group series examining social anxiety and ways to overcome it. 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. Materials and handouts will be presented with weekly homework to develop and practice new and practical approaches to challenge social anxiety. For more information, please contact Nancy Kwan.
Group Leader: Amy Armstrong
Day and Time: Wednesdays at 10 a.m.
“Positive body image isn’t believing your body looks good; it is knowing your body IS good, regardless of how it looks.” -from More Than a Body.
What does it mean to have a positive relationship with food, exercise, and our bodies? In this group, we'll explore our current relationship with food, exercise, and our bodies and look at cultural and social media influences and what may need to change or shift in this relationship to move us in a more positive direction. Students need to be seeing an individual therapist at the BCC or in the community to enroll in this group. For more information, please contact Amy Armstrong.
Group Leader: Julia Horvitz
Day and Time: Tuesdays at 8 p.m.
For Brandeis student-athletes: Injuries are a common occurance when it comes to athletics. Come join a community of student athletes struggling through injury & recovery, driven to overcome this adversity. Build skills, learn how to thrive in a new role, and talk to other athletes going through similar experiences. Please reach out to Julia Horvitz for more information or to sign up.
Group Leader: Tal Nir
Day and Time: TBD
Being a college student is stressful. Having a space to learn how to manage stress can be helpful, and having a therapy dog in that space is extra therapeutic (if you like dogs). Join us this semester to learn and practice stress management skills with Tal Nir and the BCC therapy dog, Teddy Nir. This 4-week group will be offered multiple times this semester, based on student interest and availability. For more information, please contact Tal Nir.
Group Leader: Sarah Reilly and Becca Van Spall-Hood (PARC)
Day and Time: Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. (CLOSED for Spring 2025)
This skills-based group for survivors of sexual violence will provide empowerment and education, and teach healthy coping strategies in a safe, compassionate environment co-led between BCC and PARC. This group is closed for this semester, but if you're interested in future cycles please contact Sarah Reilly.
Group Leader: Martin Pierre
Day and Time: Thursdays at 5 p.m.
SWAWN (Spoken Words and Wellness Noise) is a culturally responsive support group for men of color and their allies. This psychoeducational/support group will provide a safe and supportive space for courageous dialogues. Participants will use “Black Aesthetics” through spoken words, personal life narratives, and literature to increase self-agency and psychological wellness. For example, rap lyrics and spoken words will help group members change their way of thinking, feeling, and behaving. If we can manage these, we can achieve our goals and succeed. Furthermore, incorporating music or spoken words helps build relationships, creating a natural coping system. For more info, please contact Martin Pierre.
Group Leaders: Leal Carter and Sarah Reilly
Day and Time: Tuesdays at 3 p.m.
A confidential affinity space for TGNC* (transgender, nonbinary, agender, genderqueer, intersex, and gender exploring/questioning) folks and their allies 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. Interested in joining or have questions? Please contact Leal Carter!
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.
Group Leader: Nancy Kwan
Day and Time: Tuesdays at 1 p.m.
Social anxiety is tough to manage, and you don't have to do it alone! Whether you are new to campus or want to better understand how you can connect with others, join this 6-week group series examining social anxiety and ways to overcome it. 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. Materials and handouts will be presented with weekly homework to develop and practice new and practical approaches to challenge social anxiety. For more information, please contact Nancy Kwan.