Process Therapy Groups

Photo of students sharing in a process therapy group.

What is process therapy?

Process therapy groups allow students to explore a variety of topics, speak on their personal experiences and receive group support. These groups typically emphasize relationships, interpersonal skills, feedback and strategies to feel more connected with others. Groups also offer a unique opportunity to receive different perspectives, support, encouragement and feedback in a safe and confidential environment. 

Learn more about process group therapy

How to get started

All students must complete a screening appointment in order to join a process therapy group.

Attend a screening appointment

Undergraduate Process Groups

Undergrad All-Gender Process Group Undergrad Men's Process Group
Undergrad All-Gender Process Group

Undergrad All-Gender Process Group

This group provides a supportive space for students to deepen self-understanding and to explore ways of relating more comfortably to others. This group is also designed to help students learn to deal with feelings of depression and anxiety, family dynamics and other personal concerns.

  • Day: Mondays
  • Time: 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
  • Location: CAPS Office (C4C, N352)
  • Facilitator: Lisa Boyle, LCSW and Jose Flores, MA

Schedule a group screening

  • Day: Tuesdays
  • Time: 12:15-1:30 p.m.
  • Location: CAPS Office (C4C, N352)
  • Facilitator:Melissa Bottiglio, LCSW and Christi DeSimone, MA

Schedule a group screening

Undergrad Men's Process Group

This group provides a supportive space for students who identify as men to deepen self-understanding and explore ways of relating more comfortably to others. This group is also designed to help students learn to deal with feelings of depression and anxiety, family dynamics and other personal concerns. Members may focus on challenging traditional norms within our society that constrain men, how to increase choice and lead a lifestyle that fits one's own needs. 

  • Day: Thursdays
  • Time: 12:15-1:30 p.m.
  • Location: CAPS Office (C4C, N352)
  • Facilitator: Lamar Lewis, LCSW

Schedule a group screening

Graduate Process Groups

Graduate All-Gender Process Group Graduate Women's Group Graduate Men's Group
Graduate All-Gender Process Group

Graduate All-Gender Process Group

A supportive environment for students to examine patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are creating problems in relationships with friends, roommates, family members, and others. Group members also work on a range of symptoms, such as anxiety and depression.

Schedule a group screening

  • Day: Mondays
  • Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
  • Location: CAPS Office (C4C, N352)
  • Facilitator:Stacy Gerberich, PsyD

Graduate Women's Group

This group is intended to support graduate women experiencing the full range of stressors common to student life—academic pressures, financial concerns, and relationship issues with family, friends, faculty, and partners, among others.

Schedule a group screening

Graduate Men's Group

This group is intended to facilitate graduate men’s awareness of self and interpersonal styles of relating to others. Members may focus on challenging traditional norms within our society that constrain men and how to increase choice and lead a healthier lifestyle. Issues discussed include independence and dependence, intimacy and autonomy, strength and vulnerability, and responsibility and choice.

This process group is currently on hold. Please check back later.

Topic-Specific Therapy Groups

Autism Spectrum (ASD) Support Group Chronic Care Support Group Creating Safety to Move Past Trauma Gender Creative Group BIPOC Student Group Graduate Postpartum Support Group
Autism Spectrum (ASD) Support Group

Autism Spectrum (ASD) Support Group

This support group is for students on the Autism Spectrum (ASD) who want to connect with a supportive community and discuss topics related to sensory needs, communication, advocacy and 'unmasking.'

Schedule a group screening

  • Day: Mondays
  • Time: 2:30-3:30 p.m.
  • Location: CAPS Office (C4C, N352)
  • Facilitators: Audrey Gilfillan, LPC and Abby Rackley, MA

Chronic Care Support Group

Living with a medical condition can be isolating and challenging to navigate. This group provides a space for students who are coping with chronic medical conditions or chronic pain to share their experiences, explore coping strategies, and build a support community with others going through similar journeys.

Schedule a group screening

Creating Safety to Move Past Trauma

This group is intended to help individuals who have had a traumatic experience deal with the past, feel safe in the present, and move towards the future. By offering a space to feel supported and the opportunity to learn healthy skills for safely managing the present, this group aims to allow individuals to develop a sense of strength, security and empowerment that may be hard to find after experiencing trauma.

Schedule a group screening

*This group is currently full. Please reach out to the facilitating providers for waitlist information.

Transgender and Gender Creative Group

This group welcomes CU students of all ages and backgrounds who identify as cross-gendered, transgender, gender variant and gender queer to a supportive space. This group will focus on encouraging individuals towards personal development, creating and utilizing workable coping skills and providing acceptance of each person’s unique journey.

Schedule a group screening

  • Day: Mondays
  • Time: 2:15-3:30 p.m.
  • Location: CAPS Office (C4C, N352)
  • Facilitators: Sarah Haueisen, MA and Mick Zuniga, MA

BIPOC Student Group

This group provides a way for students to openly engage in dialogues around what it means to be a student of color on this campus. It is intended to serve as a resource for BIPOC students to unapologetically show up and let themselves be fully seen as intersectional beings, where they can speak from the heart rather than worrying about what is socially acceptable. In a supportive and therapeutic environment, students will have the opportunity to deepen self-understanding and explore ways of relating to others.

Graduate Postpartum Support Group

This group is for people and moms who have recently given birth. This group is focused on offering support, connection and psychoeducation to individuals within the first three years of giving birth. Some topics that may be covered include self-care, navigating different roles and responsibilities, bonding, attachment and relationships.

Skill-Based Therapy Groups

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Group ACT Skills Group Animal-Assisted Therapy Group
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Group

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Group

DBT combines cognitive, behavioral and Eastern mindfulness strategies to teach skills for managing crisis situations, highly reactive emotions, as well as developing  self-acceptance, assertiveness and communication skills.

Schedule a group screening

  • Day: Mondays
  • Time: 1-2:30 p.m.
  • Location: CAPS Office (C4C, N352)
  • Facilitators:Rachel Goold, MSSW and Caitlyn Wilson

ACT Skills Group

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is focused on helping you stay in the present moment and accept your thought and feelings without judgment. This includes efforts to avoid, control or get rid of unwanted thoughts, feelings and/or sensations, which can cause unnecessary suffering. This group will teach skills to help you engage in mindfulness, get unstuck, remain flexible and take steps to accept unwanted thoughts, feelings and/or sensations. 

Schedule a group screening

Animal-Assisted Therapy Group

This 4-week group helps students practice building relationships, communication and emotion regulation skills by interacting with therapy dogs through games and activities. Topics include, but are not limited to, how to create new relationships, navigate conflict within relationships, set boundaries, sensory grounding techniques and communicate emotions to others. One example of an animal-assisted therapy activity is having group members take turns trying to teach the therapy dog a new skill and then having the group provide feedback on their process of doing so, which offers an opportunity to practice giving and receiving feedback. 

  • Day: Fridays
  • Time: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
  • Location: CAPS Office (C4C, N352)
  • Facilitator: JB Mitchell, PhD and Wylie (Canine Therapist)

Learn more about process therapy

Here are some of the most common questions we get about process therapy:

Process therapy groups allow students to explore a variety of topics, speak on their personal experiences and receive group support. These groups typically emphasize relationships, interpersonal skills, feedback and strategies to feel more connected with others. Groups also offer a unique opportunity to receive different perspectives, support, encouragement and feedback in a safe and confidential environment.

Students who join interpersonal therapy groups typically want to be able to improve their relationships and self-confidence. Students may also choose to join a therapy group if they are:

  • Feeling angry, frustrated or dissatisfied with their relationships
  • Having difficulty trusting others
  • Struggling to create close or meaningful relationships
  • Relying on drugs or alcohol to socialize
  • Struggling to communicate their thoughts, feelings or needs with others
  • Experiencing anxiety in social situations
  • Having difficulty with opening up or being vulnerable with others
  • Frequently experiencing loneliness
  • Struggling with self-esteem

Interpersonal therapy groups are relatively unstructured. These groups do not follow formal agendas or rely on prompts for discussion. Instead, sessions focus on what members bring up and what happens within the group. Members are encouraged to pay attention to their own thoughts, feelings and reactions in the present moment and report out to the group.

Groups allow space for students to:

  • Learn to identify and communicate their thoughts and feelings
  • Give and receive feedback
  • Experience new ways of relating to others
  • Practice skills like initiating activities, saying “no”, taking social risks, etc.
  • Accept praise or recognition
  • Find out that you are not alone in what you may be experiencing
  • Be open and show up as their true selves
  • Ask for help and let others be helpful
  • Develop compassion for yourself and others
  • Disclose information that feels uncomfortable or difficult to say in other settings
  • Allow themselves to be close and develop trust with others