Why Group?
Groups can help you gain support, share experiences and struggles, learn about yourself, and develop skills to relate to others. Students who participate in group therapy tend to feel less isolated, more self-aware, and more connected to others as a result of being in group.
Group Guidelines
- Group sessions are confidential. Group members are bound ethically not to disclose information about the group.
- Regular and timely attendance is necessary for relationships to develop and for you to have sufficient continuity to get as much as you can out of group. If you truly must miss group, please let the leader(s) know as soon as possible.
- If after the initial commitment the group does not feel like a good fit or at some point you feel as though you have gotten all you need from the group, it is important that you inform the group and give the other members the opportunity to say goodbye.
- You are encouraged to take your own pace in group. However, you get more out of group if you work on the concerns that brought you to the group through active participation.
- You may be referred to group during your initial assessment if your counselor believes that your needs would be best met in a group setting.
- Most group leaders prefer to conduct a group intake in which they meet with you individually to learn about what you’re looking for, to give you specific information about how the group works, and to help you decide if the group seems like a good fit.
*All groups will take place at the Student Health and Counseling office at 3624 Market Street, First Floor West.
Groups and Workshops Open for Registration
Ramadan Reflections:
Navigating Your Mental Health During Ramadan
Monday, April 17, 2023 from 4 - 5 pm
A safe space to share experiences around fasting and mental health during Ramadan, build community, and learn ways to increase self-compassion. This group will be open to all Muslim identifying students and is queer and gender inclusive.
Register for the workshop here.
Self Care for Survivors: A Psychoeducation Series
Mondays, March 13 - April 17, 2023 from 11 am - Noon
A psychoeducation workshop that will provide survivors of sexual trauma with the space to practice grounding techniques and coping exercises in a safe space with experienced facilitators. Participants will leave feeling empowered and supported by their community. This group was created through a collaboration between Wellness at Penn, Penn Violence Prevention(link is external), and the Penn Women's Center(link is external).
Register for the workshop here. If you have questions or would like more information, email Reema Malhotra at reemam@upenn.edu.
Cultivating Calm
Mondays, March 20 - April 10, 2023 from 4 - 5 pm
Connect with peers, gain self-awareness, learn tools for managing stress and anxiety, and realize you are not alone. All four workshop dates are encouraged, and participants should register in advance. Drop-ins are also welcome.
Week 1- Anxiety: How We Get Stuck & How We Get Out
Week 2 - Let’s Take A Deep Breath: Grounding Techniques
Week 3 - Revealing & Healing: How Social Support Can Help
Week 4 - Play All Day: Using Childhood Toys as Coping Skills
Registration no longer required. For additional information, questions, or assistance with registration please e-mail gtanaya@upenn.edu and leehana1@upenn.edu.
Substance Use and You
Wednesdays, January 25 – April 26, from 5 - 5:50 pm
This group is designed for Penn students who are reassessing their relationship with substance use. This is a confidential group, not an AA group or a 12-step group. Students with a willingness to examine what is happening around their use of substances are welcome. There is no requirement of abstinence (though some attendees may choose that), nor is there a requirement of regular weekly attendance, although that is a good way to get the most out of the group experience. Students may join at any point in the semester. A brief screening meeting is needed beforehand to ensure that students are matched appropriately to the group.
Learn about Wellness at Penn's SUPER Program (Substance Use, Prevention, Education, and Recovery). Email the facilitator to learn more / register for this group: meilman@upenn.edu
International Student Empowerment Group
Thursdays, March 2 - April 20 (except Spring Break week), from 3:30 - 4:45 pm
English-speaking support group for International Students. Share your stories, challenges, and successes at Penn in a safe and supportive space.
Email the facilitators to learn more / register for this group: miaotian@upenn.edu and yao@upenn.edu
Mandarin Community Support Group
中文社群互助小组 中文社群互助小組
Wednesdays, March 1 - April 19 (except Spring Break week), from 3:30 - 4:45 pm
This Mandarin-speaking group aims to provide members of the Mandarin community with a safe space to build meaningful connections and share useful information and resources. It is open to all graduate, undergraduate, and professional students who speak Mandarin. 由心理师带领，中文社群互助小组旨在为国际学生提供一个保密，安全并能互相支持的场域，以建立同侪间的连结，彼此分享有用的信息与资源。由心理師帶領，中文社群互助小組旨在為國際學生提供一個保密，安全並能互相支持的場域，以建立同儕間的連結，彼此分享有用的信息與資源。
Email the facilitator to learn more / register for this group: miaotian@upenn.edu
Mindfulness Workshop
Tuesdays, March 14, 21, 28, and April 4, 2023, from 4 - 5 pm
Mindfulness is a practice to assist in reducing stress, bringing an open-hearted awareness to life. Research studies show that mindfulness can greatly potentially foster resilience in the face of life challenges. In this introductory workshop, students will have an opportunity to practice mindfulness and apply this practice in daily life.
Register here: https://tinyurl.com/pennmindfulnessworkshop
For additional information, questions, or assistance with registration please e-mail moriconi@upenn.edu
Support Group for Survivors of Sexual Assault
Tuesdays, February 7-May 9, from 3 - 4:30 pm
This group is open to all woman-identifying (including cisgender women, trans women, genderqueer women, and non-binary people who are most comfortable in woman-identified spaces) Penn undergraduate and graduate students who have survived sexual assault that occurred during adolescence and/or adulthood. The group will aim to offer support, psychoeducation, and collective empowerment, and participants will choose weekly topics related to healing, reestablishment of safety, coping, and self-care (e.g., coping with emotional/physical triggers related to sexual assault, issues related to trust and emotional intimacy in relationships, ways of managing self-blame/guilt/shame following sexual assault, and issues related to sexual identity; particularly, the will offer the space to process the specific barriers to justice that LGBTQIA+ women face and stigma surrounding queer experiences of sexualized violence). Please note that this is a closed group, so no new members will be added after the group starts, and students must complete a pre-group screening with the facilitators before joining.
Email the facilitators to learn more / register for this group: brittand@upenn.edu and bramble@upenn.edu
Groups Closed for Registration
Grief Group
The Grief Group is closed for the Spring
This group aims to create a safe space for students to share feelings and experiences associated with bereavement and loss. The group is open to all graduate, professional, and undergraduate students who are grieving the death of a significant person or persons in their lives. The group will provide connection and support to help guide participants through their grief process. Please note that this is a closed group, so no new members will be added after the second group meeting, and students must complete a group intake with the facilitator before joining.
Email the facilitator to learn more / register for this group: downie@upenn.edu
Returning Students Group
This group is currently closed.
The Returning Students Group is open to all full-time undergraduate students returning to Penn after a leave of absence. This group will provide a space to connect with other returners, discuss the unique challenges of returning, and nurture self-care. Join us as we discuss the transition back to full-time studies and life at Penn. This group is confidential and commitment to all five sessions is highly recommended.
EVERYbody Project
This group is currently closed.
The EVERYbody project is a two-part workshop series focused on creating an inclusive space to have diverse body image conversations. Participants will explore societal pressures surrounding body image and gender and how they affect us. Participants will examine current ideals and challenge them through various exercises to foster positive attitudes about body image, dieting, and appearance. Attendance and participation are encouraged for both sessions.
For additional information, questions, or assistance with registration please e-mail Isra Abuyounis, MSW, LSW at israa@upenn.edu or Sennur Khoso, BA at wel-sennur.khoso@pobox.upenn.edu.
BIPOC Body Image Support Group
This group is currently closed.
A safe space to share experiences around body image and identities, build community, and learn ways to increase self-compassion. Open to all female/femme BIPOC identifying students.
Email the facilitator to learn more / register for this group: israa@upenn.edu