Group Therapy

Group Support

Group Therapy Available - Spring 2025 Semester

Referring for a Group?

If you are self-referring for a group, please contact the SHCS front desk to schedule a brief screening to confirm eligibility. All groups will require a group screening, and some will be held via Zoom, In-Person or Hybrid (In-Person and Zoom)

If interested, please sign up for a group.

Download a PDF copy of all our Group Therapy handout. (Groups subject to change)

Academic Support Group (Zoom)

This is s a support group open to all students looking for a space to disucss, receive support, and learn skills to manage their academic challenges. Topics can range from time management, imposter syndrome, test taking anxiety and beyond.

Who: Marcy Ryan, LMFT
When: Thursdays at 12:00 pm -1:00 pm

DBT-Based Skills Forum (Zoom) *

This group helps students learn and practice skills drawn from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) including distress tolerance, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills.

Who: Dr. Juan Alvarez
When: Fridays at 3:00 pm -4:30 pm

Entre Familia (Zoom) *

This group provides Latinx/Latine students a space to share, learn, and explore issues relat-ed to their culture, identity, family, academics, and any other issues affecting them. The group also focuses on building community, mutual support, and empowerment. This group is conducted in English and Spanish.

Who: Dr. Lissa Lim
When: 1:00 pm -2:00 pm

Gathering Compassion (Zoom)

This group is a safe space to practice self-care and learn about the different ways compassion and mindfulness can help you cope with everyday stress. The goal of the group is to learn to manage painful emotions and life's difficulties through the daily cultivation and practice of self-compassion.

Who: Dr. Juan Alvarez
When: Thursdays at 4:00 pm -5:00 pm

Get Focused (Zoom)

This is a support group open to all students who are struggling with attention, concentration, and focus in classes and/or home life. Topics discussed are time management, monitoring distractions, and completion of tasks. Learn great tips and tricks for navigating a distracting environment.

Who: Dr. Sara Heinemann
When: Fridays at 2:00 pm -2:50 pm

Grief and Loss (In-Person)

This group will provide a framework for understanding grief, processing, receiving support, and most importantly to understand your own grief in context. This group is for those who are 6+ weeks post loss.

Who: Dr. Alli Peters and Emma Kennan, M.A.
When: Thursdays at 12:00 pm -1:00 pm,

Healing Hearts (In-Person)

This group is designed for people affected by seuxal trauma, and is open to people of all genders. The group provides a safe and empowering space space for students to gain support, connect with each other, and learn coping skills that can help them move toward healing.

Who: Dr. Lissa Lim
When: Fridays at 3:00-4:30 pm

Healing thru Art from Interpersonal Harm (In-Person)

Students will explore the impacts of trauma, tap into their inner strength, enjoy social connection, create meaning and cultivate awareness. Each session will begin with a check-in and end with a strength, mantra or mindful movement. The group format will include brief psychoeducation of trauma and art practices.

Who: Gricelda Alva-Brito
When: Please contact if interested for signing up for Spring 2025. Please email advocates@csusm.edu
Location: TBD

Mind Body Connection (Zoom)

This group is for students who want to develop skills and process the connection between their mental and physical wellness. Topics include sleep hygiene, intuitive eating, intention-al movement and exercise, meditation and mindfulness, pain and the mind, immunity and stress, and trauma in the body.

Who: Karolyne Stucki, M.A.
When: Fridays at 2:00 pm -3:00 pm

Mindfulness for Depression (Hybrid)*

This group helps students learn and use Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) skills to manage depression.

Who: Dr. Ryan Stevenson and Patrick Enrico, M.A.
When: Tuesdays at 3:30 pm -5:00 pm

Navigating the Storms: Emotion Regulation (In-Person)

This group is available for students seeking to understand what, why, and how we feel strong emotions. Whether it feels like our emotions “control” us or are overwhelming, this group will help identify emotions, how to listen to them, and how to address “storms” of emotions in a healthy way. We will use emotion-focused therapy methods to listen to the messages our emotions give us, validate them, and navigate them.

Who: Zach Grounds, M.S.C.P.
When: Wednesdays at 3:00 pm -4:00 pm

Relationship Support Group (Hybrid)*

The Relationship Support Group provides a space for students to process current and/or past romantic relationships. This group is a safe space for all gender, gender-nonconforming, and sexual orientation identities.

Who: Patrick Enrico, M.A.
When: Wednesdays at 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

Women of Color Connection (Hybrid) *

This support group is for cis and trans women of color students to explore, share, and learn how their multiple identities impact their personal and interpersonal experiences. Members choose topics which can include cultural identity, family, gender roles, academic stress, romantic relationships, friendships, social justice concerns, and mental health and well-being.

Who: Dr. Leah Tappero
When: Fridays at 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Drop-In Groups

Coping with Current Events

Coping with Current Events is a drop-in group that provides a safe space to navigate the emotional impact of today's world. With constant news of political unrest, social challenges, and global crises, feeling overwhelmed is normal. In this group, you’ll have the chance to share your feelings, gain perspective, and learn practical strategies to manage stress, fear, and uncertainty. Each session encourages open discussion, helping you stay grounded while processing current events. Drop in whenever you need support—no commitment required.

Who: Counseling Staff
When: Wednesdays at 11:00 am -12:00 pm

Flutter

This is a drop-in group for students connected to immigrant communities. The group cretes a safe and onfidential space fto discuss resources, gives and recieve support around the experiences off being undocunmented or mixed status. Join anytime!

Who: Dr. Lissa Lim
When: Counselor will provide time and location.

Social Anxiety Toolbox (Zoom)

This is a drop-in weekly workshop that will help provide participants with a better understanding of social anxiety. It will also teach skills to manage it, including cognitive, behavioral, and mindful self-compassion approaches.

Who: Dr. Ryan Stevenson
When: Thursdays at 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm