Group Counseling Services at Auburn An Informational Guide for Auburn Students What is Group Counseling? Groups offer a safe space to discuss any con-cerns or issues you might be experiencing. They are comprised of 4-10 participants (other AU students) and 1-2 facilitators (staff members or graduate students at Student Counseling Services). Group counseling services are confidential. Group members are asked not to disclose any identifying information about other members outside of the group.
Types of Groups The most common types of groups offered at Student Counseling Services are: Process Group: This type of group focuses on gathering information about and improving relationships. Members give and receive feedback about the ways in which they interact with each other. They also explore potential new ways of behaving in relationships. Support Group: Support groups allow members who have a common characteris-tic or concern to discuss this with others in their situation. Members offer
empathy, support, and understanding, and encouragement to one another. Educational Group: This type of group, similar to a workshop, provides members with knowledge about a specific topic. Members also participate in activities/ exercises to help them gain greater insight and/or practice skills.
How Can Group Help Me? Some of the potential benefits of group counseling include ‌ Getting feedback about others’ impressions of you and discovering patterns of communication and relating that you may not be aware of. Being honest with others and showing parts of yourself that you often keep hidden. Experimenting with new ways of behaving. Learning to initiate things and express your needs in ways that are more assertive Becoming more sensitive to the ways that people communicate, including
subtle messages received through facial expressions, tone of voice, postures, and gestures. Becoming more aware of emotions and how to express them. Learning about closeness and intimacy. Rediscovering a sense of self-worth and confidence. Learning to communicate in the here-and-now and focusing your awareness on the present moment.
Group vs. Individual Counseling Individual and group counseling have different benefits and help people in different ways. Research has shown that group participants are equally, if not more, satisfied than people who participate in individual counseling. While neither form is inherently better than the other, there are some struggles that are better suited for group counseling, such as developing communication skills, getting interpersonal feedback, obtaining social support, and understanding relationship patterns.
How Do I Sign Up? If you are interested in getting involved in group and have not previously been to Student Counseling Services, the first step would be to schedule an intake session. In this meeting, your intake counselor would explore the issues that are bringing you into counseling and help you to figure out which group would be most helpful for you and help you to arrange the next step. Next, all students interested in group are asked to complete a pregroup screening session. This appointment is a chance for you to meet with the group facilitator(s), find out more information about group, and determine whether the group would be a good fit for you.
Which Groups Are Available? Student Counseling Services offers a variety of groups each semester. If you are interested in finding out about current offerings, please visit our website or stop by our office to obtain a list of groups that are currently available.
Group Counseling I want to connect with people more deeply... Are there others like me? I want to get some other opinions on this...
Examples of groups offered in previous semesters: • Understanding Self and Others (Interpersonal Process Group) • Non-Traditional/Graduate Student Group
Office Hours: 8 am - 5 pm Monday - Friday
• Pride Group (LGBTQQ Support/ Process Group)
Call 844.5123 to make an appointment
• Romantic Relationships Group
www.auburn.edu/scs E-mail: scsinfo@auburn.edu
• Shyness/Social Anxiety Workshop • Let’s Get it Started: Building Self-Confidence
Maybe some people close to my age and in my situation can help me through this... I want to learn skills to help me relate to others well... What are my “blind spots?” What do people like about me?
• Academic Performance Enhancement Seminar
Suite 2086 • AU Medical Center • 400 Lem Morrison Dr. • Auburn, AL 36849
P/ 334.844.5123
E/ scsinfo@auburn.edu
www.auburn.edu/scs Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution employer.