Working Together in Group Therapy

The Institute of Psychiatry and Counseling is pleased to host a wide range of psychotherapeutic groups. These groups are developed out of our professional staff identifying the needs of the community we work with. We welcome new families, children, teens and young adults.

Group therapy provides participants and their families the opportunity to meet and work with others facing similar issues. Exchanging helpful, practical information and learning new skills to establish healthier  patterns of behavior, people in group therapy improve not only from the interventions of the therapist, but also from observing others and receiving feedback from other group members.

Social Skills Group:

The goal is for members of the group to help one another develop healthy relationships with friends and family, as well as positive self-concept and self-acceptance.

Through conversations, activities, and role-play they learn how to better relate to others and enjoy social relationships. We target specific skills such as coping with strong feelings, advocating for oneself, resolving conflict, developing greater self-awareness, and maintaining self-control. The group offers opportunities for personal growth and social skill development in a private, non-competitive setting.

Specific Topics and Areas of Focus:

• Increasing awareness of individual strengths and abilities to improve self-esteem
• Accepting different opinions, compromising, and working together
• Improving communication with parents, teachers, friends, and coaches
• Increasing self-confidence in areas such as sports and social clubs, as well as accepting/declining invitations
• Initiating, planning, and executing activities with friends; dealing with rejection and coping with anxiety
• Coping with parental rules, limits, and expectations

Children are referred to this group for a variety of presenting issues, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, social adjustment issues, and spectrum disorders. This group will be held on a weekly basis for 10-12 weeks.

Executive Function Building:

This group focuses on a series of skills necessary for academic as well as psychosocial success. Being able to focus, retain and work with information learned as well as to shift attention refers to executive functions. These functions are the building blocks for self-regulation and academic as well as social success. This group is a structured 10-12 week program for children in middle school or youngsters entering high school as well as those transitioning to college.  Age group will divide the groups.

SibShop:

This group is for all 6 to 12 year old children who have siblings with special needs. Meetings include children’s activities that encourage discussion which are processed in the group under the guidance and supervision of a trained clinician. The frequency of the meetings will be determined based on the needs and dynamic of the group.

Support Group for Teens with Chronic Illness:

This group meets weekly and is open to teens with chronic health needs. The group provides educational and social opportunities for teens to connect with each other and learn better ways to manage their needs as they grow into independent young adults. 

Making Worries Go Away:

If your child is often worried, anxious or tense and fears are taking over, come to CHILL…. an educational program for kids and their parents. GAD, Social phobia and OCD are common childhood conditions, where kids worry about bad things happening to them. The worries interfere with the child’s concentration, peace of mind, sleep and everyday functioning. Your child will learn cognitive behavioral strategies to undo destructive thinking to distract worry, and calm one’s mind, emotions and body.  This an 8 week group which will be held weekly.

De-Stress for Teens

As a teen, of you are frequently stressed by academic pressure, peer relationships, social media, family issues and body image to name a few, this group offers the opportunity to learn how to manage the stress by incorporating cognitive restructuring, breath work, mindfulness, yoga and guided imagery.

Transitions:

These groups focus on assisting students during those periods of adjustment and transition from middle school into high school and from high school into college. Age groups appropriately divide students in these groups because the needs are developmentally distinct.

CHAT

This group is for children to assist with friendship building and understanding emotions. This group intends to assist children with navigating the complexities of peer relations, appropriately tending to conflict resolution and emotions that come about in relationships.