Group Sessions

Are you feeling out of control during these uncertain times in your thoughts, emotions, relationships, or behaviors? In this group you will learn many coping skills that will help you create more balance in your life during the COVID-19 pandemic and focus on taking control in areas that you can.

Group Facilitators: Nikki Blakesley, PsyD and Heather LaRoy, LPC, LMFT

This is a group for students who have survived any type of traumatizing experience that is sexual in nature. During this time of increased social isolation due to COVID-19, we want to provide a gentle and safe place for survivors to connect and support each other. Sexual violence impacts all genders and sexual identities, and a staggering number of people experience sexual violence at some point in their lives. You are not alone!

Group Facilitators: Nikki Blakesley, PsyD and Debby Patz, PsyD

The practice of mindfulness has been linked to psychological well-being. Research suggests that as little as three minutes of daily practice can reduce our perceptions of stress. Mindfulness practice can help you monitor and manage you thinking and emotions, enabling you to be proactive rather than reactive when experiencing stressful times, such as the current stat of the pandemic and the plethora of unknowns. This 5-week mindfulness group is designed to help you transition from living life on "automatic pilot" to living life in the present moment and develop self-acceptance, patience, and compassion.

Group Facilitators: Debby Patz, PsyD and Melissa Cole, PsyD

Are you a person of color in need of safe and supportive space to process emotions related to being in a pandemic and civil unrest? If so, the Students of Color group is here for you. This group offers a safe and supportive environment where we can engage in open dialogue about issues we may be facing, including discrimination, oppression, and racism. In this group you will find a representative community and support for coping in the broader racial and social context both here at UCCS and globally. 

Group Facilitators: Heatherlyn Hoffman, PsyD and Lateka Salley, LCSW

This is a support and process group for the LGBTQIAP+ community with therapeutic guidance from facilitators. It will provide a safe space for those identifying under the LGBTQIAP+ umbrella during the current pandemic. We will use this space to process topics related to being a member of this community. 

Group Facilitators: Melissa Cole, PsyD and Lateka Salley, LCSW

This group will focus on helping those who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, believe they have an eating disorder, or are in recovery from an eating disorder. We will explore how our relationships and our daily functioning during this stressful time are impacted by the way we view and fuel our bodies.

Group Facilitator: Cathy Calvert, PsyD

Communication can be difficult during "normal" times, but what about when our world has been turned upside down and our "new normal" is different than what we used to have? This group will focus on couples who are struggling with having effective communication within their relationship. Skills will be taught to help the couple specifically ask for what they need or want from each other while maintaining a strong relationship. 

Group Facilitators: Cathy Calvert, PsyD and Melissa Cole, PsyD

This group focuses on the wholehearted work of self-acceptance and self-compassion. We can often struggle to respond to ourselves with compassion and acceptance, especially when life stressors reach their peak. In this group, we’ll examine various domains of wellness and how to respond to all aspects of self with kindness. This group will be educational and supportive in nature, providing a space for members to process through challenges and accomplishments together.

Group Facilitator: Lateka Salley, LCSW

Many are struggling with body issues during the pandemic. This group supports those struggling with unhelpful food habits and negative thoughts about body image. This group is a skills based group with a sharing and processing component. 

Group Facilitator: Cathy Calvert, PsyD

This groups supports students experiencing loss and bereavement. Loss comes in many forms: the loss of a person, the loss of relationships, or even the loss of stability and security. While this specific group is for those who have lost someone important to them, we encourage you to reach out with ANY loss, as we are able to form groups for symbolic loss as well. (i.e. The loss of a relationship, declining health, loss of future plans because of COVID, etc.) This group will be process oriented, allowing participants to share and gain support from peers and facilitators, while also offering education on relevant and helpful ways to cope with the pain of loss.

Group Facilitator: Heatherlyn Hoffman, PsyD and Cathy Calvert, PsyD

Do you find yourself stressed out at test time? Do you mentally freeze up on important tests? You might be a “worrier.” Are you struggling with time management? Do you feel so overwhelmed that you wait until the last minute to complete assignments? You might be a “procrastinator.” Or do you struggle with both worry and procrastination? Then you must be a “college student.” Please join us to learn effective strategies for managing anxiety and procrastination.

Group Facilitator:  Keith Kutnar, PsyD

Explore and discuss being a stronger, more competent and effective ally in race relations. This is a free group, open to anyone who would like to have informed, intelligent, inclusive, sensitive discussions while exploring their own identities in relationship to others. 

Group Facilitators: Debby Patz, PsyD and Benek Altayli, PsyD

This will be a process and skills building group for students who are interested in learning about their relationship with themselves and with others in their lives. Members gain awareness about interpersonal patterns that they may engage in without even realizing it, and about how they are perceived by others. Members work towards improving self-confidence, appropriate and assertive communication, comfort with addressing conflict, and appropriate boundary setting.

Group Facilitators: Cathy Calvert, PsyD and Heatherlyn Hoffman, PsyD

Do you use substances more than you'd like and want skills to reduce and/or stop your use? This group will help you look at what drives your use, what perpetuates it and help you explore other options to have fun and help alleviate distress and boredom.

Group Facilitators: Debby Patz, PsyD and Lateka Salley, LCSW

This group is for athletes whose competitive sport ended (or will soon) due to retirement, ineligibility, injury, etc. This group creates a space for athletes to support each other through a challenging transition out of their competitive sport. Athletes in this group will help each other create a new identity beyond “athlete” and cope with the stressors that accompany redefining “self” outside of sports and competition. This process group will support members in developing new identities and relationships beyond athletics, processing emotions around transitioning out of competitive sports, developing body positive perspective in a post-competition life, and exploring new purpose in life beyond competition.

Group Facilitator: Benek Altayli, PsyD

All of the groups cost $10 per visit. We strive to meet the needs of all of our students so if you are struggling with something, but may have difficulty paying for therapy, please reach out to the Wellness Center to discuss options.

Most people are surprised at how useful group therapy can be. Unlike individual counseling, group counseling provides you the chance to connect with others who may be struggling with similar problems, gain new perspective, and practice interpersonal skills. Outcome studies show that in most cases, the effectiveness of individual and group therapy are equal.

The preferred size of most of our groups is 7 to 8 participants. However, sometimes we run smaller or occasionally larger—the size of each group varies. Feel free to ask the group facilitator how many members will be in the group you intend to join.

Of course not! As a group participant, you are always in control of how much you decide to share, and no one will force you to reveal anything. Most group members tend to share more once they feel safe in the group. While we know that talking about personal feelings and experiences can sometimes be uncomfortable, we also know that many members get more from the group once they start opening up. We encourage you to be aware of your pace for group involvement and to share when you feel comfortable doing so.

It’s normal that some members will talk less than others in the group. If you’d like, inform the group that you hope to share more as you feel more secure. We encourage group members to be respectful of individual differences, and you can take your time to open up to the group.

Figuring out how to get your needs met in group is a very common concern. If you find yourself needing more time in the group, we recommend that you bring it up within the group or with the group facilitator. Group is an excellent place to work on assertiveness!

We recognize that it might be awkward to be in the same group with a friend/classmate. Please let group leaders know immediately if you have an existing relationship with someone else in the group. If that happens, the group leaders, in consultation with the group members, will decide how best to resolve the situation. This hurdle is no reason to stop participating!

Of course! It’s possible to leave the group if you’re uncomfortable, but we also know that group is often uncomfortable at the beginning – if you feel this way, you’re probably not alone. You will most likely feel less awkward after a few sessions, so we encourage you to give the group a chance before deciding to leave.