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Group Counseling

Group counseling offers a safe environment in which to give and receive support, understand yourself and your relationships, relate to others dealing with similar concerns, practice communicating, and develop new ways of coping. While all of our groups have an interpersonal focus, our General Therapy Groups are designed to explore your identity and patterns in the context of your relationships. Our other groups are focused on specific challenges or for individuals of a particular community. 

Unlike individual counseling, there is no limit to the number of group therapy sessions available to students. To get started, schedule a brief assessment with the Counseling Center or email the facilitator of the group you are interested in joining from the list below.

Spring 2025 Group Schedule

Below is the list of our current therapy groups. Click the tabs to find more information about each therapy group.

General Therapy Groups (IN PERSON)

A safe space to understand and express emotions, explore better ways of interacting with others, and find increased authenticity in relationships in and out of the therapy room.

Undergraduate/Graduate Student General Therapy Group – Tuesdays

  • 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. (contact Dr. CJ Polihronakis, Ph.D. (he/him) at cjpoli@umd.edu)

Graduate Student General Therapy Group – Mondays

  • 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (contact Dr. Erica Merson (she/her) at merson12@umd.edu)

Graduate Student General Therapy Group – Tuesdays

  • 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. (contact Dr. Allison Asarch (she/her) at aasarch@umd.edu)

Undergraduate Student General Therapy Group – Fridays

Creating Confidence (IN PERSON)

This time-limited group is for students who struggle with anxiety and fears that keep them stuck, afraid, or unable to fulfill their social or personal potentials. Students will learn new skills to overcome their anxiety and build social confidence.

  • Thursdays, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (contact Dr. Michelle Farrell (they/them) at farrell2@umd.edu)
Hope and Healing (IN PERSON)

A supportive and confidential environment for female survivors of sexual assault.

  • Mondays, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. (contact Dr. Stephanie Burrows (she/her) at sgb@umd.edu)
Memory Circle (IN PERSON)

This group offers emotional support and information about the process of grief and helps students develop adaptive coping strategies for managing loss.

  • Wednesdays, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. (contact Dr. Yi-Jiun Lin (she/her) at ylin1234@umd.edu)
My Body My Self (IN PERSON)

Explores the experiences of women-identified and nonbinary people in their struggles with body image and self-worth and the ways that dieting, obsessing about thinness, binge-eating, over-exercising, and purging may affect their lives.

  • Wednesdays, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. (contact Dr. Erica Merson (she/her) at merson12@umd.edu)
Dissertation Support Group (IN PERSON)

Members will receive support from the facilitator and each other in getting through the struggles involved in completing their dissertation or thesis.

  • Mondays, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. (contact Dr. Jihee Hong (she/her) at jhong114@umd.edu)
International Student Support Group (IN PERSON)

International students are invited to participate in a weekly support group where they can talk about adjustment concerns, acculturative stress, academic stress, social challenges, personal problems, and mental health. This also is a great place to share information and connect with others.

  • Fridays, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (contact Dr. Jihee Hong (she/her) at jhong114@umd.edu)
Circle of Sisters (IN PERSON)

Undergraduate students only

A support group for Black women to talk about various topics such as identity development, self-confidence, family, friendships, dating & relationships, academics, sexuality, and navigating life at a PWI and beyond.

  • Thursdays, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. (contact Dr. Shealyn Blanchard (she/her) at sblanch1@umd.edu)
Men and Masculinities (IN PERSON)

This group aims to assist men- and masculine-identified students better understand themselves and how they interact with people of the same/similar and other genders. Topics of discussion may include - but are in no way limited to - exploration of gender roles and expectations, body image, emotional expression and communication patterns, sex, sexual health, and intimacy, relationships with partners, friends, peers, and family, as well as academic and professional concerns. Group sessions will also consider the intersection of additional sociocultural identities (e.g., race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious/spiritual identity, social class) in relation to the varied experiences of being a masculine- or man- identified person.

  • Fridays, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. (contact Dr. CJ Polihronakis, Ph.D. (he/him) at cjpoli@umd.edu)
Queer Students of Color Support (IN PERSON)

This group is open to undergraduate and graduate students of Color who represent the sexual orientation and gender continuum. Members of the group are invited to participate in co-creating a space to discuss identity, coming out, transitioning, relationships, struggles, victories, and more - a space to decompress, share what's on your mind, and find support.

  • Thursdays, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. (contact Dr. Alex Agiliga (she/her) at aagiliga@umd.edu)
LGBTQIA+ Support Group (IN PERSON)

The LGBTQIA+ Support Group provides a co-created space for sexually marginalized (e.g., bisexual, asexual, queer, lesbian, gay, questioning) and gender expansive (e.g., transgender, non-binary, genderqueer, agender, gender non-conforming) undergraduate and graduate students to engage in discussions around their intersecting identities, coming out and/or transitioning experiences, relationships, families, as well as struggles and victories. This group aims to provide a space for LGBTQIA+ students to decompress, share what is happening in their lives, and find support from other Queer individuals.

  • Mondays, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (contact Dr. CJ Polihronakis (he/him) at cjpoli@umd.edu)
Entre Nosotrxs Latinx Support Group (IN PERSON)

This group is meant to be a safe space for Latinx students to share their stories, struggles, and successes as they work to accomplish their academic goals at UMD. Students may discuss experiences related to their identity, cultural values, academics/career, family, and relationships, among other topics. Students will learn about themselves, gain support, and work on improving their self-care and life balance.

  • Fridays, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. (contact Dr. Maria Berbery (she/her) at mberbery@umd.edu)
“Queerating Art” (IN PERSON)

Practice creative self-expression, gain persona insight, and build connections through artmaking with other LGBTQ+ identified students. Group meetings are spent making art based on a provided prompt, then processing the art you made as a group. No previous art experience is required, and all skill levels are invited to participate in this group! Basic art supplies and materials will be provided. This group will run for 6 weeks.

  • Wednesdays, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. (contact Dr. Merrill Reiter (she/her) at mreiter@umd.edu)
The Art of Processing (IN PERSON)

Practice creative self-expression, gain persona insight, develop new coping skills, and build connections through art-making. Group meetings are spent making art based on a provided prompt, then processing the art you made as a group. No previous art experience is required and all skill levels are invited to participate in this group! Basic art supplies and materials will be provided.

  • Tuesdays, 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. (contact Dr. Merrill Reiter at mreiter@umd.edu)
“Queerating Art” (IN PERSON)

Practice creative self-expression, gain persona insight, and build connections through artmaking with other LGBTQ+ identified students. Group meetings are spent making art based on a provided prompt, then processing the art you made as a group. No previous art experience is required, and all skill levels are invited to participate in this group! Basic art supplies and materials will be provided. This group will run for 6 weeks.

  • Wednesdays, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. (contact Dr. Merrill Reiter (she/her) at mreiter@umd.edu)
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