Group counseling has been around for the past two years at Bradley and offers the opportunity for students to tackle their issues together. According to director of counseling services Deborah Montgomery-Coon, the group sessions are considered more effective compared to one-on-one counseling sessions in many cases.
“We make that decision – individual or group counseling – based on how students answer questions during their scheduling appointment,” Montgomery said. “Then, we best meet their needs.”
Bradley University’s Health Services provides group-counseling sessions with the aim of creating a tension-free, safe and supportive space for students to relieve stress. They are made up of a group of people who discuss a variety of topics related to mental health.
“It’s a format of counseling in which students get to learn from multiple people instead of just one person,” Montgomery said. “It gives students more opportunities to learn about themselves through other people’s perspectives.”
There are three kinds of group counseling sessions provided at Bradley.
The exploring wellness at Bradley group session consists of four one-hour sessions with discussions on topics such as homesickness, coping with stress and social anxiety. Students walk out of the session with advice on how to better handle college life.
In the ongoing wellness process group session, students provide feedback to each other or are “thinking out loud” about how they relate to each other. Students explain how they feel about their peers’ actions or words. Members are encouraged to do this so they can learn more about themselves and how others might perceive them.
A main goal of this group is to determine possible changes that might improve their social skills and how they build connections with one another. Then, the students are asked to begin implementing these changes in their day-to-day lives gradually.
The on the journey session is geared towards students who have had ongoing symptoms of mental health issues. This session concerns how problems with academics, social life, self-care and self-image have affected them daily.
Most of the participants expect their condition to be ongoing, which is why the group gets together to provide support for one another and discuss their concerns and strategies for dealing with symptoms and give advice on how to reach their academic and personal goal.
According to Montgomery, confidentiality is taken very seriously, with the rule of thumb being “what is said in group, stays in group.”
If you wish to reach out to Health Services, contact them at (309) 677-2700 during office hours from Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or at their after hours number, (309) 677-3534.
