By Kristy Volmert | Staff Writer
Baylor Counseling Center’s therapy groups are facilitated by experts to provide healing through communal support and professional advice. The groups are catered to the specific needs of students provided by feedback, according to Teran Yaklin, associate director of clinical operations.
The Counseling Center has two locations, the main one being located on the second floor of the SLC, and the other is inside of the Dutton Avenue Parking Garage. The location will vary from group to group.
Yaklin said that the counseling staff prioritizes the voices of the students and encourages anyone to reach out if they recognize a need on campus.
“Please let us know. I want the Counseling Center to be seen as inclusive and dedicated to hearing voices,” Yaklin said. “We’re very open to adapting to help meet the needs of the students because we know every semester looks a little bit different.”
According to Heather Harris, group therapy coordinator, the groups average about six to eight students and the majority of them will be closed by the first week of March. She said that this semester’s groups are the same ones that were offered last semester with the exception of the breakup recovery group.
Harris encourages students to view the information on their website.
A few of the groups offered for the semester include a creative arts support group for international students, a group to help address anxiety and depression, a group for first-year students as they adapt to difficult changes, a support group for students recovering from an eating disorder, one for graduate students to share their stories and more.
“[We] really wanted to try to address as many concerns for students as possible,” Yaklin said. “I feel like we’re isolated far too often in this day and age. We need each other. Our hearts are built for community. Even those who are more introverted, there’s a part of us that needs other people and needs to know, firstly, we aren’t alone.”
Harris said students can be reassured that these groups are nothing like a classroom setting, and the most they will include is up to 10 people.
“We want everyone to get the opportunity to talk,” Harris said. “You can share as much or as little as you want in a group setting.”
Yaklin said that confidentiality is an essential aspect of every group, and everyone will agree that they’re going to hold whatever is said in confidentiality.
“It’s important that students recognize the benefits of group therapy,” Yaklin said. “Group therapy offers a transformative experience that helps students feel a greater sense of belonging and connectedness.”
Harris said something she emphasizes is that groups help students realize they aren’t alone in their struggles and feel much more relieved having a friend they can relate to.
“That’s when that deep relationship really begins with students,” Harris said. “I feel like we’re hungry for that in today’s society.”
Harris said that the support of peers who are dealing with similar struggles often proves more effective compared to one-on-one therapy, depending on the situation of the individual.
“There is a level of healing that comes from community that you don’t get in individual therapy,” Harris said.
The counseling staff is intentionally dedicated to the well-being of all students and takes into account the several factors that often make college an especially challenging experience for many, in one way or another, Harris said. These therapy groups are just one of many resources available to students free of charge.
You can schedule a group screening to meet with Harris, and she will help talk through what option is best for a student depending on the students’ specific needs.
“I hope that students will take advantage of this because there’s never going to be another time in your life that this kind of thing is free, and you can get the expertise level that you have accessible to you here,” Harris said.
Harris said scheduling a group screening is not a commitment toward any group but is a good idea for anyone who might be interested or want to learn more.
“Any student can come to a group screening just to learn more about groups and what might be appropriate for them,” Harris said.
