What is Group Therapy?

Group therapy is a supportive and confidential space where students come together to share their experiences, challenges, and goals with peers and a CAPS provider. It offers a unique opportunity to connect with others who may be facing similar situations, fostering understanding, empathy, personal growth, and creating a sense of community.

CAPS offers a wide variety of groups and workshops designed to help you alleviate stress and anxiety, teach you new skills, and let you try out new ways of approaching challenges.  

Want to join a group?

Group therapy and workshops, including workshops focused around specific identities or experiences, are available to all WSU Pullman students as indicated by a CAPS provider. Referrals to group therapy and workshops are made by CAPS providers based on each student's presenting concerns and their treatment objectives.

If you’re interested in group counseling at CAPS, please call 509-335-4511 to schedule your initial consultation appointment for more information.

If you are in crisis and need immediate assistance, call 911. If you need urgent help, please let us know when you call. 

What to Expect

In group therapy, you’ll join a small, diverse group of students who meet regularly to discuss relevant topics in a safe and respectful environment. Sessions are led by a CAPS provider who guides conversations and helps the group work toward individual and shared goals. You can expect to listen, share, and learn new skills that can help you navigate college life. If a mental health provider recommends group therapy to you, they will work with you to find a group that fits your schedule and needs. 

Counseling groups are typically composed of 6-10 members and 1-2 professional group leaders. They meet once a week for either 60 or 90 minutes.  

Types of Groups we Offer

Process Groups: These groups emphasize open sharing and self-exploration, helping members gain insight and build self-awareness through dialogue.

Support Groups: Designed for students facing similar challenges or shared identities. These groups provide encouragement, understanding, and support.

Skill-Based Workshops: Our skill-building groups focus on giving you tools that help you face challenging situations with confidence. Our workshops are designed to help you thrive academically and personally. In our skill-building workshops you will

  • Learn and practice new skills to ease distress
  • Learn to not react to unwanted thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations
  • Shift your focus on what matters most to you
  • Gain specific tools like stress management, mindfulness, communication, and emotional regulation

Benefits of Group Therapy

  • Can be as effective, if not more so, than individual therapy
  • Offers multiple perspectives and fresh ideas to understand your challenges
  • Reduces feelings of loneliness and isolation
  • Build meaningful connections with peers who understand your experiences
  • Provides a safe space to learn and practice new relationship skills
  • Allows you to progress at your own pace
  • Receive support from other group members
  • Identify new ways to improve your relationship with yourself and others
  • Encourages honest, respectful feedback to build healthier relationship patterns
  • Helps develop communication, stress management, and problem-solving skills
  • Creates opportunities to build meaningful, fulfilling connections with peers
  • Experience a sense of belonging and encouragement

Common Goals Addressed in Group Therapy

  • Managing stress and anxiety
  • Improving self-esteem and confidence
  • Navigating relationship challenges
  • Coping with academic pressure
  • Enhancing communication skills
  • Building resilience and emotional well-being
  • Overcoming feelings of isolation or loneliness
  • Managing symptoms of depression or anxiety
  • Developing healthy coping strategies
  • Exploring identity and self-expression
  • Processing grief or loss
  • Balancing time and life responsibilities

Interpersonal Process "Understanding Self & Others" (USO)

Topic-Focused

Skills-Based Workshops

Our skill-building groups focus on giving you tools that help you face challenging situations with confidence. In our skill-building groups, you will: 

  • Learn and practice new skills to ease distress.
  • Learn to not react to unwanted thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations.
  • Shift your focus to what matters most to you.

Workshops can have between 6-18 members. Once a workshop starts, it meets weekly for 5-7 weeks (depending on the workshop). Some workshops follow a set schedule and are closed once the workshop starts; other workshops are open throughout the semester, and you can join at any time. 

Student Feedback

  • 100% of students agreed or strongly agreed they would recommend group counseling to a friend.
  • 100% of students surveyed were pleased with their decision to join group therapy.
  • 100% of students surveyed felt they made progress toward their goals by participating in a skill-based workshop.

Frequently Asked Questions