Groups & WorkshopsCounseling Center

Fill out this form if you would like to register for one of our groups or workshops or if you would like further information about these offerings.

Support Groups

Divergent Discourse

A supportive and educational space for Gusties who identify as neurodivergent and/or have executive functioning challenges. This group meets on Tuesdays from 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm in the Counseling Hub, JSU Room 105 (next to Center for Inclusive Excellence). If you have interest in this group or have any questions, contact jmauel@gustavus.edu.

Queer & Questioning

A safe and confidential space to examine diverse gender and sexual identities for students who identify as LGBTQ+ or are questioning their identities. This group meets on Fridays at 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm in the Counseling Hub (JSU 105, next to the Center for Inclusive Excellence). For any other questions, contact ageringe@gustavus.edu or jortmeier@gustavus.edu.

Workshops

ACT of Adjusting

In our lifetime, we all experience changes or transitions that require us to adjust to a "new normal". Some examples include starting college, studying abroad, graduating and entering the 'real world', transitioning into life participating in a competitive team sport for a number of years, experiencing the loss of a relationship, and working through grieving the loss of a loved one. Using principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, this workshop provides practical tips to help participants navigate life adjustments and challenges. This is a 50 minute, single-session workshop.

Anxiety Toolbox

This 2-session workshop is specifically designed to help students who struggle with a variety of anxiety-related concerns (e.g., panic attacks, generalized anxiety, test anxiety). The goal is to provide psycho-education on anxiety and to teach effective coping strategies for managing anxiety symptoms.

B.R.I.D.G.E.

This 3-session workshop is focused on Building Relationship Intimacy and DialoGue Effectiveness. Through this workshop, you will increase your understanding about what makes for a healthy relationship (including identifying values and setting boundaries), how to communicate effectively, how to resolve conflict, and how to manage difficult emotions. Each session is 50 minutes long.

Creating Mindful Moments

Mindfulness is the practice of intentionally observing, describing, and participating fully in reality non-judgmentally, in the moment, while being skillful. When you practice mindfulness, you are able to experience more awareness of the present moment, which can lead to increased focus, fulfillment, and flexibility to change. This workshop is made up of 2, 50-minute sessions. 

Getting Unstuck

This 2-session workshop is specifically designed to help students who struggle with a variety of depression-related concerns. The goal is to provide psycho-education on depression and to teach effective coping strategies for managing symptoms.

Grief 101

No one is immune to the experience of grief, whether it be the death of a loved one, loss of a relationship, or a major life transition and missing the past. This workshop provides a broad explanation of the grief experience to help normalize and validate common reactions. Participants will also leave with ideas and tips for how to navigate their grief journey. This is a 50 minute, single-session workshop.

Parts 101
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapy approach that believes in the multiplicity of the mind. Just like a family system has members that play different roles, we are made up of parts that play different roles within each of us—parts that help us function on a day-to-day basis, parts that hold onto memories, parts that help us cope, and so on. IFS is a beautiful tool for self-exploration and inner healing. If you are interested in gaining insight into your behavior patterns, thought patterns, and beliefs, or want to resolve an inner conflict, this workshop can help. This workshop is comprised of 3, 50-minute sessions and will teach you the basic tenets of IFS as well as give you tools for ongoing self-reflection.
Self-Compassion & Embodiment Workshop

Are you hard on yourself? Do you feel like you’re not good enough? Maybe you feel disconnected from yourself. Many people feel this way at one point or another. Learning how to hold space for yourself with compassion and an open mind can help you feel more confident and at peace. In this 50-minute workshop, you will learn somatic practices to incorporate self-compassion into your daily life, leading to a more understanding, connected relationship with yourself.

Sleep Hygiene

Do you find yourself falling asleep in class or canceling plans because you're so tired? Are you frustrated that you're just not waking up feeling rested? You're not alone! Sleep is so important for our most basic functioning, and can often become one of our biggest stressors. In this 50-minute session, you will learn the fundamentals of the sleep-wake cycle, the importance of quality sleep, and tools you can start using right away to improve your sleep hygiene.

Surviving Stress

You have probably become very familiar with stress as a college student—maybe too familiar. But do you know what to do about it? Stress impacts us psychologically and physiologically, which means we don't just feel it mentally—we feel it in our chests, in our muscles, even in our guts. Through this workshop, you will learn about your stress response cycle, what gets us stuck in "chronic stress," and ways we can take control of completing the cycle to experience some relief. In one 50-minute session, you will be able to create a plan to help you reduce stress and feel better.

Visualize Away Procrastination

This 30-minute, single-session workshop teaches a visualization technique designed to help manage procrastination and boost motivation. Whether you're finding it hard to start a paper, delaying an assignment you dread, struggling to stay focused while studying, or even having trouble tackling non-academic tasks (e.g., that pile of laundry you keep avoiding), this workshop offers practical strategies to get you moving forward.