Student Health & Counseling

Workshops & Groups

Workshops & Drop-In Groups

Disclosure Statement

Due to the open and online nature of this space, the support groups and workshops provided are not private or confidential, though participants are encouraged to be respectful and mindful of each other’s privacy. Participants can also change your name in zoom if they wish to keep their name private, though they will need to utilize their @pdx account to access the zoom meeting. Please reach out  to your group leaders if you have accessibility needs and we will work to support you. 

Although facilitators are mental health and health professionals, this support group does not constitute treatment or therapy. We also encourage those needing additional support to seek out confidential medical and/or mental health consultation services through PSU Student Health and Counseling Services (503)725-2800; For crisis support, you can also contact the Multnomah County Crisis Line at 503-988-4888. 

Workshops and group therapy may be facilitated by PSU students in the Master's in Social Work or Master's in Counseling programs.

Understanding the Different Options

What is Group Counseling?

Group counseling can provide unique benefits including learning with and from peers, receiving feedback and support from peers in a counselor-facilitated setting, and learning specific skills in a group environment.

What is a Workshop?

Workshops focus on a specific topic related to mental health and wellness and are a provider led informational presentation. The workshops offered at SHAC are informational, and designed to offer those that attend new insights and information about a wide variety of topics.

What is a Drop-In Group? 

A drop-in group is more of an informal open support group offered to specific groups of people. We have hosted groups for Graduate students, students seeking sobriety, students with children and many others.

 

Spring/Summer Term Workshops & Drop-In Groups

Polyvagal Workshops

A Trauma-Informed Nervous System Approach to More Effectively Cope with Anxiety, Depression, and other Emotions

ONE TIME WORKSHOP

This workshop is open to the entire PSU community (students, staff, faculty, etc.)

Polyvagal Theory by Stephen Porges is known as the neuroscience of safety and connection, and has had a significant impact on how we heal trauma.  It also provides a useful framework for understanding and effectively dealing with our daily emotional experiences and anxiety.  In this workshop, we will review the core concepts of Polyvagal Theory and learn concrete strategies to help your mood.

Workshop Date & Time

Mondays, 5:30 - 7:15pm

Dates

June 30th; July 7th, 21st, 28th; August 4th, 11th, 25th 

Attend a Workshop

Access the workshops via the Zoom link.

It is very important that you are on time, because the most important slide happens in the very beginning of the workshop.  If you arrive after that slide is reviewed, you will not be let in from the waiting room and you will need to join us on a different week.  Also, please know that the expectation is that your video will be on, in order to increase the feeling of community. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Cheryl Forster at forsterc@pdx.edu

Navigating Life with ADHD: A 3-Part Workshop Series

This 3-part workshop series is suitable for folks who have or suspect a diagnosis of ADHD and have experienced difficulties in their relationships and personal well-being as a result of attention/concentration struggles. In Workshop 1, ADHD Myth Busting, we will learn about what ADHD really is (and isn’t) and reflect on how truths and myths about ADHD affect ourselves and our relationships. In Workshop 2, Knowing Myself and Persevering, we discuss how ADHD affects motivation and learn ways to help ourselves emotionally as we pick ourselves up after each fall. In Workshop 3, Caring for Myself, we reflect on how people in our lives may affect our growth and well-being and learn how to care for ourselves physically and emotionally in life’s journey with ADHD.

This group is facilitated by Vivien So, PhD.

Group Date & Time:

3 Session Workshop - Wednesdays 2:00 - 3:15pm

Schedule:


Attend a Group:

Join via Zoom links above. Must have ODIN login to join.

Student-Athlete Support Group

Whether you are facing personal issues, emotional concerns, team challenges, or simply seeking a supportive community of individuals that have a common identity, Athlete Support Group can help. Join this private space of fellow athletes to dive into your personal and shared experiences as a Vik. This space, reserved exclusively for athletes at PSU, will create opportunities to connect with one another, learn and gain new perspectives, and develop coping strategies for challenging experiences. Topics of discussion will vary, but will rely heavily on what group members experience and bring into the space each week. Folks joining this group are encouraged to be vulnerable in order to build connections with their fellow vikings, share stories of triumph and failure, and navigate the heavy impacts and challenges of being a student athlete. Our goal is that participants will leave this group and feel less alone, gain a sense of belonging and connection, build community, and develop coping strategies to navigate ambiguity and difficulty in their lives, both in and outside of sports. 

This group is facilitated by Maddie Gregory, LPC. Please contact Maddie with any questions about this group at Madisong@pdx.edu 

Group Date & Time:

Wednesdays 4:00pm

Attend a Group:

Join us in the Morrow Room, Stott 138

Group Counseling - Spring Groups

Interpersonal Process Groups: Fridays 1:00 -2:30pm

The Relational Lab: Forming Deeper Connections with Self and Others

  • Description: The Relational Lab is an interpersonal process group that provides the opportunity to reflect on and experiment with the ways that you relate to others in a supportive, confidential, and safe environment. This group fosters deep connections, enhances self-awareness, and cultivates empathy, transforming not just how we relate to others, but how we understand ourselves.
  • Group therapy is an ideal setting where students can work on personal growth, develop insight about interpersonal relationship patterns, and receive support and feedback from peers.  Process groups promote greater self-awareness, authenticity, and provide a safe environment in which to practice new behaviors.  Groups are facilitated by two leaders and are offered throughout the year. A pre-group information session is required for participation. 
  • Facilitators: Lisa Koralewicz* and Kyle Isaacson
  • Room: Virtual Zoom Room
     

Overcoming Social Anxiety Group: TBD - Tuesday Afternoons OR Friday Mornings

  • Description: This group is for students who struggle with social confidence, worry about social interactions, and feel self-conscious in social contexts. Group members will learn about anxiety management strategies, tips for meeting new people and deepening relationships, have the opportunity to practice establishing new relationships and positive connections, drawing on their natural strengths, and gain a more accurate perception of self and others.
  • Facilitators: Vivien So, PhD and Kyle Isaacson, PhD
  • Room: Virtual Zoom Room

Self Directed DBT Skills: Wednesdays, 11:00am - 12:30pm (Starts April 16)

  • Description: This group will focus on learning of pre-selected DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) Skill to support students with regulating emotions that can overwhelm us.  We will use a workbook titled, Self Directed DBT Skills (all materials are provided) to learn skills that support well-being and student success. The facilitator is an experienced DBT practitioner with several years of experience teaching DBT skills. This will be an in person group lasting 7 weeks in duration.
  • Facilitators: Sarah Williams, LMFT and Sara Corrente
  • Room: In Person, SHAC Group Room 1

Cinema Therapy for Grief & Loss: Mondays, 2:00 -3:30pm

  • Description: In this group we will use a task-based model of grief to identify 4 common "tasks" in one's own grief experience through identification of them in film. Group members will use film as a platform to connect with one another in order to validate, organize, and co-regulate around one's grief. Group members will also connect about the emotions evoked by the films in order to support relational connection, reduce isolation in grief, and promote positive experiences of relational vulnerability.
  • Facilitators: Sarah Williams, LMFT and Kyle Isaacson, PhD
  • Room: In Person, SHAC Group Room
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OUTREACH, CAMPUS PARTNERSHIPS, AND CONSULTATION

Interested in bringing an outreach or workshop to your class or program? SHAC Counseling offers a number of consultation training services that include: one-on-one small group consultations, guest lectures, program development, committee involvement, critical incident involvement, workshops, and more!

Contact Counseling