Whether you’re interested in our class-style workshops or a group counseling session where you all have a chance to talk to each other, you’ll find something for you at CAPS. We can help you with everything from mindfulness to grief support.
These aren’t group counseling sessions—they’re more like a class led by CAPS counselors and wellness professionals. You’ll learn strategies you can use immediately to improve symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety, and to better manage problems that affect your academic success. These workshops can help you make changes faster and, if you’re a CAPS client, use your individual counseling sessions more fully.
There are no drop-in workshops offered for Spring 2025. However, several popular Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) workshops have been recorded and are available to view online.
Watch recorded workshopsAttending group counseling has been one of the most positive changes I've made in my life. I don't think anything has improved my quality of life as much.
CAPS support group participant
We offer a variety of counseling groups each semester. These are provided at no charge to all IU students who have paid the student health fee. There are both in-person and online options available.
In these groups of two to eight participants and one or two counselors, you’ll receive weekly support from peers going through similar experiences and can learn how to problem-solve and better manage your symptoms.
(We know you may find talking with your peers about your problems uncomfortable at first, but most students get over this discomfort quickly. Don’t let your doubts keep you from joining us.)
If you are interested in participating, please call CAPS to arrange a free Initial Consultation appointment. During this appointment, a counselor will offer more details and assist you in enrolling in the group.
These three-week groups are available on various days and times throughout the semester, with new sessions starting each week.
Anxiety Toolbox is a fast-paced three-session group specifically designed to help people who struggle with a variety of anxiety-related concerns (e.g., panic attacks, Generalized Anxiety, test anxiety). The goal of this group is to provide education on anxiety and to teach coping skills for managing anxiety symptoms.
B.R.I.D.G.E. is a fast-paced, three-session (50 minutes each) group specifically designed to help people build healthy relationships, become more effective in communication with others, and develop better understanding of conflict and conflict resolution skills. The sessions are dedicated to help:
Getting Unstuck is a fast-paced, three-session (50 minutes each) group specifically designed to help people who struggle with a variety of depression-related concerns. The goal is to provide education on depression and to teach coping skills for managing symptoms.
MAPS will help you better be able to recognize your concerns, identify what is keeping you stuck, and give you a clearer picture of your values and what you’re wanting to change in your life. This 3 session experiential group focuses on the overall themes of: meaning, acceptance, and progress, what we believe to be the best tools in creating your own personal roadmap.
The group is designed to answer three important questions:
This fast-paced 3 session (50 minutes each) group is designed for students who experience overwhelming emotions that feel difficult to manage. Seeking Serenity is informed by dialectical behavior therapy and includes distress tolerance, emotion regulation and mindfulness modules. By the end of the group series, you will have strategies to better manage overwhelming emotions.
Often the personal issues that bring us to counseling (e.g., stress, anxiety, or depression) have more to do with how we relate to others than we think. Understanding Self and Others (USO) groups will help members explore the relationship between their interpersonal style and their emotional well-being. Members will be encouraged to experiment with new behaviors, which can foster more meaningful connections with others and enhance emotional health.
Cost:
This Sexual Assault Crisis Service (SACS) group will be a closed group with rolling referrals to begin at the start of a new module. These modules will be based on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills with the goal of integrating distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness into their repertoire of coping skills. Each module will be 4-6 sessions. There will be room for group processing related to the experience of being a survivor of sexual or relationship violence and how this impacts functioning. The module format will ground group members in ways to navigate their experience as survivors. This group will ideally supplement individual therapy by providing the skills required for ongoing emotional stabilization.
Students need to already be a client of CAPS or have completed an Initial Consultation before starting group. Clients in these special population groups need to be in individual counseling services, either at CAPS or with a community provider, during the time period they are attending the group.
Cost:
Go Touch Grass is an outdoor workshop to aid in learning Mindfulness practices to support well-being. These skills are accompanied with a natural experience to promote a sense of community, calm, and adventure. The focus is to increase comfort engaging with Mindfulness interventions as self-care.
The group capacity is 12 members. Transportation will be provided for up to 8 people.
These groups are based on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills. The goal of these groups is to help participants feel more balanced and in control of their lives. The skills focus on improving relationships, managing emotions, and getting through distressing moments. The groups are broken into three skills training modules listed below which are 6-8 sessions each.
One or more will be offered each semester, and mindfulness skills are included in each, to help you bring your attention to your experiences and stay in the present moment. These groups focus on teaching and discussion about the application of the skills or difficulties using them.
Students need to already be a client of CAPS or have completed a free Initial Consultation appointment before starting group.
Anxiety is a common experience for many college students, yet it can be difficult to talk about the challenges it creates with those around you. Anxiety Support Group is a safe space for undergraduate and graduate students to learn new coping skills and discuss personal experiences with peers. This group will be both a skills-based group and a support group, with the first few weeks being devoted to learning what anxiety is, how it presents in the body, and what coping skills can help manage symptoms and the latter half being more open and unstructured.
Making it through college with a brain injury can be challenging. Brain injury is often an “invisible disability” that can affect grades, social interactions, energy levels, and can cause many physical issues. This group will help you develop effective coping strategies, learn about resources that can help, and connect with other students who “get it.” You don’t need to deal with this alone!
This is a support group exclusively for IU students who have experienced any sort of brain injury whether it’s recent or occurred before coming to IU. This includes concussions/traumatic brain injury, stroke, loss of oxygen, infection, combat related traumatic brain injury, brain surgery, and others.
Chronic illness can be stressful, but you don’t have to experience it alone. In this support group, we provide a confidential space to process and share your story, connect with others, and develop tools to manage your illness. Topics include adjusting to your new life, how to share your illness with others, advocacy, navigating health care, and self-care.
This group focuses on peer and emotional support, goal setting, and anxiety/stress management related to doctoral dissertations.
Gender Expressions offers a safe and supportive environment for gender diverse students to explore issues related to their gender identities including but not limited to: interpersonal relationships, mental health, systemic oppression, micro-aggressions, and transitioning. In addition to offering one another a space for exploration and social support, group members will discuss potential ways of navigating stress and distress from social, cultural, and political sources.
The death of a loved one causes a variety of grief reactions, which can leave you wondering if your experiences are normal. Grief and loss support group is a safe space for community and connection for those who have experienced a death of a family member, friend, partner, or other important person in their life. Together we will explore various topics and techniques for processing the pain of grief.
A confidential, all-gender support group for individuals who are questioning the health of their relationships and/or recognizing patterns of power and control within their relationship.
100%have a better understanding of themselves and their issues
89%made progress toward their goals in group counseling
I was able to share things with my group that I was too scared to share with other people. Once I learned to do this, I started feeling better about myself.
CAPS support group participant
