The Syracuse University Counseling Center will continue to offer group therapy sessions throughout this semester in addition to the standard individual counseling meetings. 

Any student currently enrolled at SU can attend group therapy. There are nine sessions that will be available this semester, each focusing on a specific topic. These range from support for anxiety, sexual assault and depression, to understanding substance use, gender roles and social justice. In order to attend some sessions, people need to be referred ahead of time, but others are open to all students. 

The center has also added an additional session for students of minority ethnicities entitled “Students of Color: Releasing the Invisible Weight,” which is meant to help students discuss issues not only dealing with race, but are also occurring in Syracuse and on a larger scale. 

Carrie Brown, a staff therapist at the SU Counseling Center, said group therapy is extremely effective with college students because the sessions give them a safe space to talk. 

In particular, with group therapy students are able to receive understanding and support from others, while also benefiting from the different perspectives, ideas and viewpoints offered in discussion, Brown said in an email. 

Group therapy conditions, she said, cannot be replicated during one-on-one therapy meetings.

While group therapy has been prevalent for many years, it became prominent after World War II and has grown in popularity over the past decade, Brown said. Research has shown the positive effects of group therapy on adolescents and young adults. She said this is due to the strong support system that it provides, consisting not only of professional counselors but also of other individuals their own age.

Given the growing need for accessible mental health services, Brown said group therapy service is increasingly used because people are aware of its effectiveness and it allows two therapists to meet with multiple students who are addressing similar concerns at the same time. This allows the counseling centers to make the best use of their resources, Brown said.

There are usually five to eight students in each group session with one or two therapists, and all the meetings are highly confidential, according to the Counseling Center’s website. 

To be a part of group sessions, a student needs to schedule an appointment over the phone with a therapist to discuss different options. The therapist will then recommend particular groups based on the call and will organize a group orientation appointment. These group orientation appointments give students the opportunity to meet with their group leaders, learn more about the group and set goals as to what they hope to achieve or learn by being part of the session, according to the website.

Brown said the groups the Counseling Center plan stem from concerns brought up by the student body in order to ensure that the topics covered are relevant. Some explore common themes for college students, such as relationships and anxiety, and others cover more serious topics that students generally don’t feel comfortable discussing openly.

“We hope that these groups help student to see that their voices and experiences matter and provide them with a place to come together to process, connect, empower and heal,” Brown said.

Published on October 5, 2016 at 8:18 pm

Contact Sandhya: ssiyer@syr.edu