If you are dealing with concerns like depression, anxiety, or stress, your counsellor may recommend group counselling. UBC Counselling Services also offers support groups for specific concerns that you can join at any time.
If you're feeling persistently stressed, anxious, or sad, you can also book an appointment with Counselling Services.
Group therapy is as effective as individual therapy for concerns such as stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship concerns. It can also benefit you in different ways.
Connect with other students
You are not alone. The group experience can help you connect with other students experiencing similar challenges. The group environment seeks to be encouraging, supportive, and safe.
Learn new skills
Groups offer opportunities for you to realize your strengths and gather new skills to try out. Most groups are offered once a week.
Get “unstuck”
Group therapy can offer a different perspective on your situation and a sense of accountability which can help motivate you to try new strategies.
Build social confidence
It is common for students to feel nervous before coming to their first group. The groups are clear about the purpose of the group and what will happen during the session. You can share as much or as little as you like in the group. The supportive environment can provide an opportunity to practice new skills to help reduce anxiety in a social setting.
Easy access
As long as you have access to a stable internet connection and are in British Columbia, you'll be able to participate in group counselling.
All groups will be offered online for the 2022 academic year. For more information on how to access these programs, read the group descriptions below.
We recognize the unique individual needs of each student and the clinician working with you will provide alternate options if group programming is not an appropriate referral option or fit.
if you are a UBC Vancouver student, you can also access online groups and workshops offered by UBC Okanagan Counselling Services.
Have you ever stopped yourself from reaching out for help because you weren’t sure how? Have you ever wondered what your conflict style is? And what is an “emotional bank account”? Happy Together is a skills-based group for students of any gender who want to improve communication skills, connect with others more genuinely, improve boundaries, assess values in relationships, and to deepen relationships. The skills are intended to address a variety of relationships. We will answer all these questions and more!
Group sessions are stand-alone and students are encouraged to attend as many (or few) sessions as they may find helpful.
To participate, you must be currently residing in British Columbia and attend from a private and quiet space with a stable internet connection that can support Zoom. Both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan students are welcome to attend.
Facilitators
Group session details
List of sessions
|
Date for first round |
Date for second round |
Session topic |
|---|---|---|
|
Sep 27 |
Nov 1 |
My relationship with me |
|
Oct 4 |
Nov 8 |
Understanding how I am in relationships |
|
Oct 11 |
Nov 15 |
How to deepen and maintain our relationships |
|
Oct 18 |
Nov 22 |
Managing conflicts and fighting together |
|
Oct 25 |
Nov 29 |
Healthy goodbyes |
Registration details
Registration closes temporarily 60 minutes before the start of each group session. Instructions for joining the meeting will be emailed to registered students before the session.
If you're interested, register through this online form.
Feeling stressed out? Come and join our online weekly stress management group, helping you to learn and practice new skills to manage your current stressors. With mindfulness support, this group offers an introduction to skills focused on coping with difficult emotions, practicing relaxation, and self-compassion.
Topics may include:
Group sessions are standalone; you can attend the group starting at any time, and students are encouraged to attend as many, or few, sessions as they may find helpful.
To participate, you must be currently residing in British Columbia and have access to both a private and quiet space, as well as a stable internet connection that can support Zoom. Both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan students are welcome to attend.
Facilitators
Group session details
Registration details
If you're interested, register through this online form.
We recognize that graduate students face many ongoing challenges, due to both the grad school experience itself and the impact of the pandemic on one’s life and studies. The stress and uncertainty can feel isolating and overwhelming, and maintaining a sense of community is important.
This support group is a welcoming and non-judgmental online community where graduate students come together in solidarity, to listen to and support each other, and apply grace and grit to succeed in their challenges. Come and connect with others over your grad school experiences, whether that be staying motivated, managing relationships with mentors, handling uncertainty about career goals, creating work-life balance, and everything in between.
To participate, you must be currently residing in British Columbia and attend from a private and quiet space with a stable internet connection that can support Zoom. Both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan graduate students are welcome to attend.
You can join the support group at any point during the term and your attendance can be flexible and as needed. Feel free to join us for just a few or as many sessions as you like!
Facilitators
Group session details
This group will be offered again in late Fall 2022.
Are you an international student at UBC, and feeling overwhelmed lately? If so, please join the Global Connections support group. Meet other international students in a safe space, connect and build on-campus support, and learn ways to navigate the unique challenges often experienced by international students.
Topics are generated by participants so that relevant themes may be addressed.
Topics may include:
You can join the support group at any point during the term and your attendance can be flexible and as needed. In order to participate, you must be currently residing within British Columbia and have access to both a private space and stable internet that can support Zoom. This group is open to both UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan students.
Facilitators
Group session details
Join the group every other Friday, starting Sep 30, from 12:30 to 2:00 pm PT.
Dates: Sep 30, Oct 14, Oct 28, Nov 18, Dec 2, Dec 16
Registration details
Registration closes 60 minutes before the start time of the group session. Instructions for joining the meeting will be emailed to registered students before the session.
If you're interested, register through this online form.
(Re)Claim and Connect is a guided storytelling group for people of Asian heritage in Canada, including multiracial and all regions of Asia, that aims to foster connection to self and to others through witnessing and sharing personal stories. Each session focuses on themes related to Asian Canadian identity, including place, race, and family. You can find more details in the program information (pdf).
This group was developed by Dr. Fred Chou and his colleagues at the University of Victoria and is being piloted at UBC Counselling Services. Visit the Growth and Solidarity website for details. Participants will receive a $5 e-gift card to Starbucks as a token of appreciation for taking part in the group.
Facilitators
Group session details
Registration details
If you're interested, register through this online form.
Feeling anxious or depressed? This online group is for you. The Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) group provides helpful skills and strategies to manage mood concerns, and a supportive space to share experiences and build connections. There will be 4 sessions over 4 weeks and students will be introduced to CBT theory.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) theory includes:
To participate, you must be currently living in British Columbia and have access to a private and quiet space with a stable Internet connection that can support Zoom.
Facilitators
Group session details
Group A
Group B
Registration details
Find more information by connecting with a UBC health professional, such as a counsellor, physician, mental health nurse, or a Wellness Advisor at Counselling Services.
The overall goal of the Balancing Emotions Program is to learn skills to change unwanted behaviors, emotions, thinking, and events that may cause your life to be difficult.
Structured as an interactive class, the program consists of two parts: an online group and regular individual check-ins with your health professional. The online group is based on Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), which was developed to offer concrete strategies to help people build a better life.
The four main areas of focus are:
To participate, you must be currently living in British Columbia and have access to a private and quiet space with a stable Internet connection that can support Zoom.
Facilitators
Group session details
This group will be offered again in Fall 2022. Counselling Services is currently accepting referrals. The group is likely to be held on Mondays, at approximately 12:00 or 12:30 pm.
Registration details
Find more information by connecting with a UBC health professional, such as a counsellor, physician, mental health nurse, or a Wellness Advisor at Counselling Services.
This group is for survivors of interpersonal violence of all genders to support each other while also exploring various topics such as safe coping strategies and skills, boundaries, and inviting resilience and self-compassion.
To participate, you must be living in Canada and have access to a private and quiet space with a stable internet connection that can support Zoom.
Facilitators
Group session details
This group will be offered again in Fall 2022. Counselling Services is currently accepting referrals. The group is likely to be held on Wednesdays, from approximately 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm via Zoom.
Registration details
Find more information by connecting with a UBC health professional, such as a counsellor, physician, mental health nurse, or a Wellness Advisor at Counselling Services.
Cisgender women’s bodies are everywhere and nowhere at the same time; they are hyper-visible through the sexualized imagery we see every day, yet censored through stigma that creates misinformation and limits opportunities to talk about sex. As a result, many cis women experience challenges in the sexual domain of their lives and have few avenues to access support and accurate information to address these areas of concern.
In this group, we aim to provide a safe and sex-positive space in which cisgender women can ask questions and learn information to help them address any challenges they are facing relating to sex and sexuality. Our goal is to empower attendees through knowledge about sex, sexuality, and offer information about how to increase sexual satisfaction/pleasure and autonomy. We will replace the many myths and attend to the confusion and judgment that so often surrounds sexuality with scientific-fact based evidence and a model of acceptance.
Topics may include:
To participate, you must be a student who identifies as a cis woman, currently live in British Columbia, and have access to a private and quiet space with a stable Internet connection that can support Zoom.
Facilitators
Group session details
Registration details
Find more information by connecting with a UBC health professional, such as a counsellor, physician, mental health nurse, or a Wellness Advisor at Counselling Services.
There are a variety of groups and meetings on campus which offer a sense of community and support for mental health and wellness related concerns.
Kaleidoscope
The Kaleidoscope offers weekly peer led support groups for undergraduate and graduate students living with the experience of mental health concerns.
UBC Student Recovery Community (SRC)
For students who are in recovery, or curious to explore their relationship with alcohol, drugs, and/or addictive behaviours such as disordered eating, the SRC offers peer led support meetings.
UBC Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC)
SASC Support & Advocacy staff facilitate peer support groups for prospective, current and recent UBC students of all genders who have experienced any form of sexualized violence, harassment and/or abuse.
