The Counseling Center will offer two new group therapy options beginning fall semester. Descriptions of each are listed below. Interested students who are not currently seeing a Counseling Center therapist should call 217-333-3704 and schedule an initial appointment to determine if a group is appropriate for their needs. Students who are presently seeing a Counseling Center clinician should speak with them at their next appointment to determine if group therapy is a good fit for them at present. In addition to the two new groups for fall, the Counseling Center offers a range of other group therapy options.

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Group (meets Wednesdays from 1 to 2:30 p.m.)

This group is a structured and time-limited (10-12 weeks) psychoeducational group that teaches skills from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Skills taught in this group will focus on four overall areas: mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance. The DBT Skills group is designed to help students who struggle with out-of-control emotions and stormy relationships to find greater balance in their lives. Students will learn and rehearse DBT skills in group, and will be expected to complete small amounts of homework between group sessions.

Expressive Arts Group (meets Mondays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.)

The Expressive Arts Interpersonal Process Group is an arts-based interpersonal process group. This group focuses on developing greater self-awareness while using creative processes that can help contribute to the participants’ overall experience of interpersonal health and well-being. Visual arts, movement, storytelling, drama, music, and other creative arts will serve as a foundation for deeper self-exploration. Each session will use an expressive arts therapy activity to explore a common theme that group members wish to explore on a deeper level. This group is open to all undergraduate and graduate students who are open to using expressive arts as a springboard to interpersonal process.