COVID-19 Mental Health Services Update
• Thrive Workshops and Group Counseling are available via Zoom video chat during the Summer
• Processing Spaces are available for connection and exploration
For more information, visit covid19.wisc.edu.
Community starts here.
Group counseling is an opportunity to connect with others in a safe, confidential and supportive space. Groups allow students to share their experiences with others who can understand and relate; learn new perspectives; and experiment with new ideas, behaviors, and ways of being or interacting. Through group engagement, students develop insights and skills that (remove) to work through their (add) challenges and improve their quality of life.
For some students, joining a counseling group may be intimidating or provoke anxiety. That hesitation and uncertainty is understandable, yet students consistently report having positive and impactful experiences from participating in groups, and feeling improvement in the areas of concern that motivated them to seek help.
Read our FAQs and Common Concerns page for more information.
Handouts:
Group Counseling Schedule
Read descriptions of sessions available.
Student Success Workshops
Single-session workshops that focus on providing participants with information and strategies to confront common challenges and enhance academic success.
How to join a group
If you are interested in joining a group, and do not wish to consider any other services, contact the Mental Health Services reception desk by dialing 608-256-5600 (option 2). Please inform the reception staff about the particular group you are interested in, including the day and time, and that you would like to be scheduled for a group screening appointment.
If you are interested in joining a group in addition to other services, log in to your MyUHS account to schedule an Access Appointment or contact the Mental Health Services reception desk by dialing 608-256-5600 (option 2). During your Access Appointment, let the counselor know that you’re interested in joining a group.
Group counseling is one of the most effective strategies to address most issues experienced by students, such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Discomfort in social situations
- Challenges in relationships
- Loneliness and isolation
- Low self-esteem and confidence
- Coping with difficult emotions
- Academic stressors
- Substance use
- Grief
- Eating concerns
Benefits of group counseling
- Increase self-awareness and understanding of others
- Connect with others who have similar problems and experiences
- Decrease isolation and loneliness
- Receive multiple perspectives on your concerns
- Enhance the quality of relationships
- Experience meaningful and authentic connections with others
- Develop new, healthier ways of relating to others
- Identifying, experiencing and expressing feelings with greater ease
- Increase confidence and self-esteem
- Increase ability to give and receive honest feedback
- Internalize lessons learned by helping others in the group