Spring 2024
All groups will be held in person at the Counseling Center, Suites on Maple East G31.
Participation in these groups requires an initial 30-minute appointment—an information and assessment session to see if the group is right for you.
To schedule this appointment or to ask questions, contact the Counseling Center by phone at 724-357-2621 or email counseling-center@iup.edu.
Groups are a therapeutic experience unlike any other, including
- a great source of feedback
- a place to get support
- often humorous and fun
- creative exploration surrounding each member's individual challenges
Research has shown that group counseling is as effective as individual counseling. Talking with other students who have similar experiences helps us realize we are not alone.
Contact the Counseling Center by phone at 724-357-2621 or email counseling-center@iup.edu.
The Gay Agenda
Tuesdays 4:00–5:30 p.m.
This is a therapeutic group designed for individuals from marginalized backgrounds who identify under the LGBTQIA umbrella.
The purpose of this group is to foster a sense of community and provide a safe space for individuals to explore the complexity and empowerment of their identity. This group will also help students identify and reach their therapeutic goals related to their identity development and mental health. With the support of IUP counselors (who are a part of the LGBTQIA community), the group will address common stressors such as discrimination and anxiety, and develop an awareness the authentic self.
We will facilitate the development of healthy connections and emotional wellness anchored in the experience of being a part of a marginalized identity at IUP.
Building a Better Me (Approaches to Well-being)
Wednesdays 3:30–4:30 p.m.
College is an exciting and stressful time. We have the freedom to choose who we want to be and what is important to us, but it can be difficult to be our best and most authentic selves when we are under stress. The Counseling Center has created a group to give students a safe space to explore these issues through conversations, writing, art, and other fun activities, while also teaching foundational mental health skills for navigating adulthood. Join us to learn more about yourself, understand your values, and build essential skills such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, problem solving, and communication.
Belonging: A Process Group for BIPOC Students
Wednesdays 4:00–5:30 p.m.
This will be a confidential space to connect with one another around the challenges and blessings that come with our racial identities, as well as the experience of attending a predominantly white institution and existing in a rural community.
With the support of IUP counselors (who are also POC), the group provides an opportunity to find validation, new perspectives, motivation, and acceptance among BIPOC and international peers. We’ll also take some time to focus on general wellness and staying emotionally healthy during college and beyond.
We welcome anyone who identifies as BIPOC or international with their whole intersectional selves.
Understanding Self and Others
Thursdays 4:00–5:30 p.m.
This is a therapy group where students meet with others and share who they are, and learn about themselves and each other while gaining skills and insight to use outside of the therapy room. This is a meaningful way to receive multiple perspectives, support, encouragement, and feedback, and to learn how to relate to others in a safe and confidential space.
The Men's Connection Project
Fridays 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
This group for men and male-identified people provides a safe and honest space where you can meet other men in a way that may be quite different from your normal day-to-day interactions. It is a place where men bring in their experiences, thoughts, questions, concerns, and feelings, and work to understand them in a new way—with feedback and support from a community of other men. Likely topics will include masculinity and society, identity and issues of the self, relationships, and emotional intelligence and expression.
Participation in group therapy requires an initial 30-minute appointment.
To schedule this appointment or to ask questions, contact the Counseling Center by phone at 724-357-2621 or email counseling-center@iup.edu. Counseling services are open to all students who are currently paying the Wellness Fee.