The following groups are currently available at the Furman Counseling Center:
Even more info about Furman groups:
The first question that many students have is "Just what is group counseling, anyway?" The short answer is, group counseling is one of the forms of counseling that are offered at the Furman Counseling Center. That might sound obvious, but it is important to understand what is meant by that statement: the counseling work that happens in groups is just as meaningful and "real" as that which takes place in the individual counseling context.
In group counseling, students experiencing a common concern meet face-to-face with group therapists. During the group meeting time, members are responsible for talking about what is troubling them. Discussion flows according to what members would like to talk about in general support groups. Group leaders may not always assign topics for the group to discuss. However, skills training groups are more structured with lectures, practices, and reflection.
Members are encouraged to give support and feedback to others, and to work with the responses and associations that other members' contributions bring up for them.
Feedback involves expressing your own feelings and thoughts about what someone else says or does, or about what is happening in the group as a whole. This kind of interaction between group members is encouraged, and provides each person with an opportunity to try out new ways of relating to herself and others. It also provides members with an opportunity for learning more about their own interpersonal styles.
Group work usually begins with a focus on the establishment of trust. Members work to establish a level of trust that allows them to talk personally and honestly. Group trust is enhanced when all members make a commitment to the group.
One of the things that makes the group therapy situation unique is that it is a closed and safe system. People who join groups must agree to keep the content of the group sessions confidential. What people talk about or disclose in groups remains strictly among the members of the group. It is not appropriate for a group member to disclose events of the group to an outside person.
