Groups Program -- Spring 2012
The University of Iowa
3223 Westlawn S
Iowa City IA 52242-1100
(319) 335-7294
Each semester the University Counseling Service (UCS) offers a number of groups. The groups are open to University of Iowa students, and the enrollment is free and can be made directly through the UCS at (319) 335-7294, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Confidentiality in group counseling is strictly respected. At this time, all groups are held at the UCS. You may view our "Group Scoop” brochure which describes what it might be like to participate in group counseling or psychotherapy.
Therapy and Process Groups
- Requires an individual pre-group meeting (please contact the UCS for an appointment)
- Requires commitment (will be discussed in pre-group meeting)
Mindfulness Group for Anxiety and Depression
Psycho-Education and Support Groups
- Commitment to regular attendance is encouraged.
- Please contact the group leader(s) for more information about joining.
Therapy and Process Groups
ACT on Life
This is a 12 - week program based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an approach that teaches emotional and behavioral skills for living more effectively with life's ups and downs. This group can be especially helpful for individuals that are struggling with unpleasant thoughts and emotions often associated with depression and anxiety. In this group we will:
- Learn how our thought process works and how to be less bound to unhelpful thinking.
- Learn how to respond effectively to our emotions, without being disconnected from them or entangled with them.
- Learn how to recognize and let go of ineffective patterns of behavior, and to develop more effective behavior.
- Explore our life values and learn how to live more congruently with those values to experience greater meaning in life.
- Support each other as we learn these skills and work towards living a more meaningful life with less struggle.
Tuesday 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. (Full and Closed)
Ren Stinson, Ph.D.
Eating Issues Group
Participants in the Eating Issues group will discuss body image and eating concerns, explore emotional reasons for eating problems and learn coping skills for emotion and anxiety management. Other life issues that are related to problems with food and eating (relationship concerns, trauma, stress, perfectionism, etc.) will also be addressed. A pre-group screening appointment with the group facilitators is required.
Tuesday 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Eva Schoen, Ph.D.
Becca Brock, M.A., Psychology Intern
General Therapy Group
Open to both graduate and undergraduate students, general therapy groups tend to focus on relationships, intimacy, boundaries, self-awareness and other components of interpersonal process. These groups are designed to help members learn to deal with a variety of concerns including feelings of depression and anxiety, relationship issues, and other personal and academic concerns.
Group 1
Monday 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Kathleen Staley, Ph.D.
Tzu-An Hu, M.S., Psychology Intern
Group 2
Wednesday 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. (Full and Closed)
Lanaya Ethington, Ph.D.
Becca Brock, M.A., Psychology Intern
Men's Group
In this group, men have the opportunity to form close relationships with other men, to realize that they are not alone with their problems, issues, and concerns; and to discover that other men also struggle with not being able to get in touch with their feelings, or to identify and know that they are, in fact, anxious or depressed, or full of anger or sadness. Do you relate to or identify with this? If so, come to find out if this group is right for you.
Group 1
Monday 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. (Full and Closed)
Scott Liu, Ph.D.
Jeremy Kinser, B.A., Psychology Intern
Group 2
Tuesday 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Ren Stinson, Ph.D.
Mindfulness Group for Anxiety and Depression (8-week group)
Open to both graduate and undergraduate students, this is an 8-week group program based on an integration of teaching mindfulness meditation and strategies from cognitive therapy. Participants will learn a combination of skills from mindfulness meditation that will help them bring attention and awareness to the modes of mind that tend to characterize anxiety and/or depression while practicing new ways of relating to them more effectively. Research has revealed that the benefits of mindfulness practice include increased self-awareness and improved concentration as well as significant alleviation of anxiety and depression. Group members will be introduced to a variety of mindfulness practices and activities while being encouraged to share experiences, discuss home-practice assignments, and offer support as members work toward making changes. For more information, please refer to the Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy website.
Monday 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. (Full and Closed)
Brad Brunick, Psy.D.
Tzu-An Hu, M.S., Psychology Intern
Social Skills 101 for Pervasive Developmental Disorders
Students in the Social Skills 101 therapy group will work on developing social skills that focus on the basic fundamentals of human interaction. Students will:
- Learn to recognize interpersonal cues
- Explore ways to manage emotions in interpersonal situations
- Consider how body language impacts relationships
- Find ways to initiate conversations
- Explore ways to establish relationships
- Learn avenues for maintaining relationships
Students with Asperger's Disorder, high functioning Autistic Disorders, or other Pervasive Developmental Disorders are welcome in this group. Please contact Dr. Staley for a group screening meeting if interested.
Wednesday 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Kathleen Staley, Ph.D.
Women’s Therapy Group
Do you:
- Want to learn better relationship skills?
- Want to deal with low self-esteem or low self-confidence?
- Recover from trauma in your life?
- Want better assertiveness skills?
- Have perfectionist concerns that are interfering with your happiness in life?
- Struggle with depression and/or anxiety?
- Want to share your struggles, hopes, and goals in a supportive environment?
Come join the Women’s Therapy Group!
Monday 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. (Full and Closed)
Eva Schoen, Ph.D.
Psycho-Education and Support Groups
Dissertation Support Group
An ongoing weekly self-help and support group for those who are involved in all stages of the dissertation process. Degree of structure of the group will depend upon the needs and requests of the participants. The program will address some of the most frequently encountered challenges doctoral students experience while writing the dissertation. It will also suggest strategies to minimize those potential challenges.
Friday 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Helen Brady, Ph.D.
Graduate Student Support Group
The goals of the group include: establishing a supportive community, learning coping strategies for success, and sharing your struggles and supporting others in their individual challenges. Examples of issues to be discussed and processed are:
- Creating balance between school, personal, and work demands
- Dealing with advisors and committees
- Discovering meaning and direction
- Managing relationships with others
- Finding and maintaining motivation and momentum
- Approaching milestones in graduate school (e.g., comps, thesis, dissertation)
- Dealing with time management, perfectionism, procrastination
Wednesday 12 Noon – 1:00 p.m. (starting on 1/18/2012)
Kathleen Staley, Ph.D.
International Student Conversation Group
For all international students who would like to share their thoughts and feelings about adjusting to life at The University of Iowa and in the United States.
The group is a place where students can:
- Learn new ways to cope with the challenges of living in a new cultural environment
- Find support for living away from home
- Discuss concerns about language, friendships, and customs, etc.
Friday 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. (starting on 1/20/2012)
Scott Liu, Ph.D.
Tzu-An Hu, M.S., Psychology Intern
You may view our "Group Scoop” brochure which describes what it might be like to participate in group counseling or psychotherapy.
Note:
For general questions regarding the University Counseling Service groups program, please contact the group coordinator: Dr. Scott Liu at (319) 335-7294 or scott-liu@uiowa.edu for more information.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate, please contact the University Counseling Service in advance at (319) 335-7294 to discuss your needs.
updated 02/09/2012