What is group counseling?
Group counseling provides an opportunity to improve personal, emotional and behavioral skills, develop increased confidence, overcome blocks to personal effectiveness, and acquire a keener awareness and appreciation of interactions with others. In a group setting, a group of peers and co-facilitators meet to provide feedback and support for self-improvement. Group members are encouraged to explore and express feelings, examine belief systems, reflect on and receive feedback about patterns of behavior, and work toward making healthy changes. For group counseling to be effective, active participation is encouraged. Participation involves regular attendance and respectful, honest communication. Groups may focus on a specific topic or may be general with a particular emphasis.
What kinds of groups do we typically have?
To accommodate the diverse needs, skills and interests of our clients, we hold a wide range of groups. Below you will find a list of open groups, as well as those that may have already closed. We keep the groups listed even when closed to provide a sense of what types of groups you can expect and plan for in future semesters.
For more information on available and upcoming group counseling opportunities, email sccgroups@utdallas.edu or follow @utdcounseling on Instagram. If you are interested in skills-based workshops (shorter 1-8 meeting class-like forum), please visit our Workshops page.
Spring 2024 Offerings
Process Groups
Process groups are focused on the exploration and open processing of participants. Process groups are typically open-ended and less theme based. Clients are required to complete a group screening to assess whether they are appropriate for group. If you are not a current client, please make an appointment to get started and note your interest in group therapy.
Understanding Self & Others Group (USO)
Group Facilitator: Dr. Alanna Carrasco Drummond (she/her/hers) & Zonia Huerta (she/they)
Weekly, Tuesdays 2:30-4 p.m.
Location: SSB 4.600, in person
Understanding Self and Others is a weekly interpersonal process group for students who want to explore personal growth and increase self-awareness to enhance their experiences in personal and academic settings. In this safe space, group members can practice communicating more honestly and effectively with others while gaining support from peers. Group topics may include adjustment, loneliness, academic/general stress and relationships.
Learning to Heal: Trauma Recovery Group
Group Facilitator: Dr. Jenna Temkin (she/her/hers) & Dr. Camisha Kibble (she/they)
Weekly, Thursdays 3-4 p.m.
Location: SSB 4.600, in person
Learning to Heal Trauma Recovery Group introduces students to the impacts of trauma and topics such as boundaries, power and control, healthy relationships and self-compassion. From these topics, group members will explore their own patterns of responding to trauma, begin to establish new ways of coping and begin/continue their process of healing.
Healthy Relationships Group
Group Facilitator: Dr. Erika Hanley (she/her/hers) & Rosario Olguin-Aguirre (she/her/hers)
Weekly, Tuesdays 1-2 p.m.
Location: SSB 4.600, in person
This group is open to students interested in increasing their understanding of themselves and how they relate to others. The goal of this group is to improve interpersonal relationships by examining how one contributes to relationship dynamics along with attempting to connect with others in-the-moment by sharing personal experiences. If you are struggling to understand your role in the difficulties within your various relationships, have difficulty balancing your needs with those of others, frequently disagree with others, have trouble connecting or forming relationships or have conflict with others, you may benefit from this group. Along with relationship exploration, the group will also explore general concerns or struggles members may face.
SPARK (Sex and Pornography Addiction Recovery Kit)
Group Facilitator: Cara Guziak (she/her/hers) & Hemy Choi (she/her/hers)
Weekly, Wednesdays 2-3:30 p.m.
Location: SSB 4.600, in person
SPARK is supportive and nonjudgmental meeting place for students who are questioning or struggling with the ways they engage with sex and/or pornography. This group will hold space for students to process their concerns, define healthy sex for themselves, and build tools to help navigate distress. Whether this is an issue that’s recently come up or is something you have navigated for a long time, this group can help meet you where you’re at.
Skills Based Groups
Skills-based groups are focused on building skills to help improve one’s life and tend to be based around a theme or topic (e.g., learning coping skills, distress management, improved self-compassion, etc.). Clients are required to complete a group screening to assess whether they are appropriate for group. If you are not a current client, please make an appointment to get started and note your interest in group therapy.
DBT-U (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for University Students)
Group Facilitators: Dr. Samreen Khondker (she/her/hers) & Khila Anderson (she/her/hers)
Weekly, Thursdays 3-4:30 p.m.
Location: Virtual Group via Microsoft Teams
DBT-U is an open eight-week, skills-based group for students to learn and develop coping skills and strategies to improve individual functioning. This group is specifically for clients who have difficulties in emotion regulation, interpersonal difficulties and pattern of crisis. Group members learn topics related to mindfulness skills, interpersonal effectiveness and communication strategies, emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills in a structured and supportive learning environment. Each group consists of a brief mindfulness exercise, check-in/introductions, introduction of new skills, discussion/experiential practice and assignment of practice exercise and check-out.
Attention and Motivation
Group Facilitator: Dr. Katie Niehus (she/her/hers)
Weekly, Mondays 1-2 p.m.
Location: SSB 4.600, in person
This group focuses on building skills for improving attention and focus in college settings, including lectures and studying, as well as in everyday life. Group members will also learn skills for increasing motivation to complete necessary tasks to be successful in college and life. The group will also serve as a support group for individuals who have been formally diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or for individuals who believe they are experiencing symptoms consistent with ADHD.
Support Groups
These groups provide an opportunity for support from others who hold similar identities or life experiences. Participation is open and drop-in style, meaning members do not have to be current clients of the center. Support groups are open to all UTD students, and no group screening is required. Please note support groups are not the same as therapy groups in that they are more focused on building community and peer support guided by a facilitator than in-depth therapeutic intervention.
OUTer Space LGBTQ+ Support Group
Group Facilitators: Shelly Turner (she/her/hers)
Weekly, Fridays 2-3 p.m.
Location: Virtual Group via Microsoft Teams
Sign up by emailing shelly.turner@utdallas.edu
Graduate Student Support Group
Group Facilitators: Cara Guziak (she/her/hers) & Hemy Choi (she/her/hers)
Weekly, Thursdays 5-6 p.m.
Location: Virtual Group via Microsoft Teams
Sign up by emailing cara.guziak@utdallas.edu
Family Re-Imagined Support Group
Group Facilitators: Dr. Alanna Carrasco Drummond (she/her/hers) & Zonia Huerta (she/they)
Weekly, Fridays 10-11 a.m.
Location: Virtual Group via Microsoft Teams
Sign up by emailing sccgroups@utdallas.edu
Black Women’s Support Group
Group Facilitators: Dr. Beverly Williams (she/her/hers) & Khila Anderson (she/her/hers)
Weekly, Wednesdays 4-5 p.m.
Location: SSB 4.600, in person
Sign up by emailing beverly.williams@utdallas.edu
International Student Support Circle
Group Facilitators: Dr. Samreen Khondker (she/her/hers)
Weekly, Fridays 2-3 p.m.
Location: Virtual Group via Microsoft Teams
Sign up by emailing samreen.khondker@utdallas.edu
ASTRA: An Intersectional Women & Femmes Support Group
Group Facilitators: Camisha Kibble (she/they)
Weekly, Thursdays 2-3 p.m.
Location: SSB 4.600, in person
Sign up by emailing camisha.kibble@utdallas.edu