Group Therapy

CAPS Spring 2024 Groups

Spring 2024 groups will be held  in-person or remotely through secure video depending on the group. Note that group times may change, or groups may be canceled based on demand and other factors. 

 

fill out our group interest form

 

Or contact CAPS at (415) 422-6352 or -6351 during business hours if you have any questions or to sign up. While therapy groups can only be offered to students residing in California, due to state licensure laws, all USF students, regardless of location, are invited to join CAPS' online workshops. These are not drop-in groups, please fill out the interest form if you'd like to attend a group. Note that most of our groups will be closed to new members after the first few weeks. The following section lists the groups available this semester and when they are held.

Group Therapy Calendar

This is a process and support space for LGBTQIA+/questioning students. Members will connect around community-specific stressors, coping, and resilience. Topics will be responsive to group member needs. 

  • Wednesdays, 5:00pm-6:00pm
  • (Early February Start)
  • In-Person at CAPS
  • Leader: Dr. Caitlin Merrill (she/her)

LGB

ACT for Anxiety and Depression: This 8-week workshop-style group includes didactic and experiential methods to teach skills for managing anxiety, depression, and stress.  Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people identify their unique values and commit to taking actions in line with them, while accepting discomfort and things out of their control. Mindfulness meditation and letting go of unhelpful thought patterns are emphasized. 

  • Thursdays, 1:10pm-2:30pm
  • 02/29 - 04/25/2024
  • In Person at CAPS
  • Co-leaders: Dr. Stephanie McGrath (she/her) and Sophia Norman, M.A. (she/her)

ACT Group Flyer

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) helps people develop skills and tools to manage uncomfortable emotions and interpersonal conflicts in a healthy way. It increases mindful awareness in order to effectively respond, rather than impulsively react.  This 8-week workshop-style group utilizes didactic methods and group discussion of skills, which group members are encouraged to practice outside of group.

  • Fridays, 1:10pm-2:30pm
  • 02/23 - 04/26/2024 
  • In Person at CAPS
  • Co-leaders: Dr. Stephanie McGrath (she/her) and Montana Holmes, M.S. (she/her)

DBT Group Flyer

This is a mindfulness skills-based group to help cope with stress and anxiety, and promote self-compassion. Students will learn concepts of mindfulness and self-compassion as well as practice experiential mindfulness activities. This is a great opportunity for students who are feeling overwhelmed and/or anxious and are looking for coping skills for stress.

  • Tuesdays, 1:00pm-2:00pm 
  • 03/05 - 04/16/2024
  • Zoom Meetings
  • Leader: Dr. Yuqi Chen (she/her/她)

Mindfullness Group

    Based upon an interpersonal process group model, this group is ideal for students who wish to better understand themselves and their relationships with others, whether that be with family, friends, colleagues, or romantic partners. Through engaging in the group "process" experience of the group (which includes both members and facilitators openly addressing the many factors that underlie interactions that take place in the group), members become better aware of their own feelings and those of others in the group as they occur in the moment. This includes actively exploring how their interpersonal style impacts their emotional experience (as one’s psychological well-being is often tied to one’s experience of fulfillment in relationships). Over time, students begin to better understand themselves, their interpersonal style, and their relationship patterns and develop ways to improve the quality of their relationships, and, by extension, their emotional experience in general. This group is ideal for a broad range of students with interpersonal concerns, including those who are coping with social anxiety or difficulties adjusting to a new environment.

    • Wednesdays, 3:15pm-4:30pm 
    • 02/07 - 05/08/2024
    • In-Person at CAPS
    • Co-Leaders: Dr. Ben Molland (he/him) and Dr. Christina Schreiner (they/she)

    USO Group Flyer

    Benefits of Groups

    • Groups help you realize you’re not alone and reduce isolation. While each of us is unique, none of us are alone in our struggles.
    • Groups facilitate giving and receiving support. In support, discussion, and process groups, members share their experiences and give and receive feedback and support from the facilitators and other members.
    • Groups help you find your “voice.” Participating in a group can help you become more aware of your feelings and needs and learn effective ways of expressing them.
    • Groups help you relate to others in healthier ways. Often people don’t understand why their relationships aren’t working. Groups provide the opportunity for you to see how you relate to others in real time and receive direct feedback.
    • Groups provide a safety net. As members learn and practice skills in a group, their confidence for practicing them in other situations grows. Members also carry the group's support with them between meetings.
    • Many CAPS groups are held on a weekly basis throughout the semester, and students are not limited to a set number of group meetings per year, as they are with brief individual therapy appointments.