Group Counseling

Group counseling is offered to enrolled students throughout the academic year and provides students the opportunity for a mutual exchange of support and education through interacting with others with similar distress or concerns. 

If you are interested in participating in or want more information on these groups, please contact our office at 601.266.4829. 

View the Group Counseling Guidelines.

Please e-mail us at counselingFREEMississippi or call 601.266.4829 for up-to-date group information related to upcoming semesters.

Students will need to attend an intake appointment before an official group referral.

Group Counseling Guidelines 

Group therapy is often the treatment of choice for people who experience troubled relationships, loneliness, depression, anxiety, grief/loss, and low self-esteem. People who participate in groups can benefit from sharing personal experiences, giving and receiving support/constructive feedback, and experimenting with new interpersonal behaviors. For group to work, a safe environment must be created and expectations for members and group leaders must be understood by the participants. The best way to create a safe environment for personal growth is for you to understand and to agree to these guidelines. 

❖ What’s said in the group stays in group 

Feeling safe in group is very important to a successful group experience. Confidentiality is the shared responsibility of all group members and leaders. Please keep discussions that occur in group confidential, along with the names and identities of other group members. You are free to disclose to others that you attend and are a member of a group, but to protect confidentiality, please do not discuss person-specific details of other group members to persons outside of the group. 

❖ Weekly attendance is expected 

Group members are expected to make a commitment to attend group for its duration during the semester (6-12 weeks depending on group), and also attend for the full allotted time each week (60-90 minutes). Members also agree to come on time every week. If you are running late or have an emergency/illness that prohibits you from coming to group, we ask that you call or email one of the group leaders or let the front desk know. If you know ahead of time that you will miss a future group session, we ask that you share the date of your absence with the group beforehand. If you are unable to attend group consistently, you may be asked to discontinue group. 

❖ Group members do not socialize outside of group 

Outside relationships between members can disrupt group cohesion and the therapeutic process. While group members are in group, relationships outside of group should be avoided. This includes texting and social media. If you do have contact with someone outside of group (e.g., see someone on campus), we ask that you share that contact with the group at the next meeting. 

❖ Safety of group members is important 

If you experience thoughts of self-harm, suicide, or harm to others, it is expected that you will mention this in group and/or make separate contact with an SCS counselor to discuss your thoughts. If you are in crisis, you commit to seek out the help that is necessary to keep you and others safe. Possible actions include coming to SCS for a walk-in crisis appointment (M-F 8:00-4:00), calling the National Crisis Line at 988, calling 911 or going to the emergency room.