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USO groups offer a unique opportunity to better understand how you relate to other people. The goal is to provide a safe and confidential space for group members to give and receive support, hear multiple peoples’ perspectives, gain new insight, and practice new ways of interacting. In group therapy you can see that others share similar struggles as you and maybe you’re not as alone or as different as you think.

Some students initially feel hesitant about joining a therapy group. They may feel anxious about talking in front of other people or worry about seeing someone they know. It is not uncommon for group members to tell us that they were skeptical at first about joining a group, but afterward they were so glad they did. In fact, during the last academic year, 100% of the USO members surveyed said they would recommend a USO group to a friend.

Group therapy can be effective for people with many kinds of concerns. Group therapy might be especially helpful for you if your distress involves your relationships with specific people (such as friends, family members, romantic partners, roommates, or professors), or if you have concerns about how you function in relationships more generally (such as people-pleasing behavior, loneliness, dating challenges, or difficulties making/keeping relationships).

Here are some common concerns discussed:

• Anxiety when talking to people  
• Worrying about how others see you  
• Depression  
• Low self-esteem
• Loneliness  
• Relationship problems 

Scroll down to read our Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

How to join 

To get started, call CAPS at 330-672-2487 to set up a CAPS Consultation appointment and mention your interest in group. At your appointment, your CAPS clinician will guide you through the process from there. We encourage you to contact CAPS as early as possible in the semester, as there are a limited number of spots available.

Have a question about CAPS’ USO groups? Or, contact CAPS’ group coordinator directly by emailing Jen Grzegorek, PhD at jgrzego1@kent.edu.

Keep scrolling to read our Frequently Asked Questions.

FAQs:

What is group therapy?

The therapy groups that CAPS offers are called interpersonal process groups because they focus on the interactions between the group members. Group members relate to each other inside the group in similar ways that they relate to others outside the group, which can create a microcosm of the outside world. Group can be seen as a safe “laboratory” where you can learn more about your relationship patterns and experiment with new ways of relating. As just one example, if you are a person who tends to act like everything is fine on the outside even when you don’t feel fine on the inside, in a USO group you might experiment with allowing your genuine feelings to show.

Why should I join a USO group? 

USO groups can offer something that is rare to find: caring people who will give you honest feedback - in a respectful, gentle way – about how you might be thinking or acting in ways that are not serving you very well. These conversations occur in a supportive and confidential space.

Here are a few other advantages: 

• Group therapy offers you multiple people’s perspectives, while individual therapy offers you only one.  
• You can find an individual therapist anywhere, but it’s harder to find groups like this once you’re out of college. Why not take this opportunity while you have it?  
• In group therapy you can see that others share similar struggles as you.
• CAPS’ groups offer you the opportunity to meet weekly rather than biweekly.   

Isn’t individual therapy better than group therapy? 

No. Research shows that group therapy is as effective as individual therapy, and for some concerns it is more effective. CAPS’ USO groups can be especially effective for students who have concerns of an interpersonal nature such as social anxiety or relationship concerns. 

What is a typical USO group like at CAPS?