The Student Counselling Centre provides free and confidential support to students registered at the University of Windsor.

However, its staff has found that students are unaware of the available supports and when they do reach out, they are already in a state of crisis or overwhelmed.

“To best support students in a proactive way, we want to bring awareness that group therapy is a service provided to individuals that are experiencing distress related to anxiety, depression, loss, interpersonal challenges, academic struggles, motivation etc.,” says group therapy co-ordinator Brianna Valenzuela.

She lists several group options available this semester, including:

GROW/Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (six-week cohorts)

A group dedicated to working through the four pillars of DBT: Emotional regulation, mindfulness, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

GROW/Codependency and Adult Relationships (six-week cohorts)

Students will learn about their attachment styles, how it relates to people pleasing, the negative effects our behaviour can have on ourselves and our adult relationships, assertive communication, and boundary setting.

GROW/Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: The Struggle is Real (four-week cohorts)

Students will learn the thoughts/feelings/behaviour connection, unhelpful thinking styles, challenge automatic thoughts, and reframe new perspectives.

COPE/drop-in groups – Managing strong and difficult emotions (two-week cohorts)

Students will learn skills that help you understand the purpose of emotions, debunk myths about emotions, and discover a pathway to the wise mind.

COPE/drop-in groups – Managing conflict and getting needs met (two-week cohorts)

Students will learn the different goals associated with interpersonal effectiveness, barriers to interpersonal effectiveness, assertive communication, and boundary setting.

Therapeutic Skills Maintenance (rolling enrolment, offered every week throughout the semester)

Students who want to keep the therapeutic skills they have learned, practised, and maintained.

Workshop/Drop-in/Registration – Understanding Anxiety

Psychoeducational group for understanding the physiological symptoms of anxiety.

Workshop/Drop-in/Registration - Mindfulness/Meditation

Students will learn skills and techniques to keep them in the present moment.

To register and find out more details about dates and time, visit the Student Counselling Centre website, inquire via email scc@uwindsor.ca, or stop by the Student Counselling Centre main office in room 293, CAW Student Centre.