As an intern therapist at Catalyss Counseling, I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much about the benefits of group therapy. Plus, I’ve had the chance to both observe and co-facilitate several support groups over the last few months of my internship. And this month, I, along with another intern therapist, Becca Tarnowski, started our very own support group that we co-facilitate together each week. When we were invited to develop a group on our own, we immediately knew we wanted to create a group specifically for graduate students. As grad students at the very end of our program, we could reflect on all the moments in our program where we could have used the additional support of a group.
Top Benefits of Joining a Grad Student Support Group
Graduate school can be both a meaningful experience while also incredibly draining—of energy to take care of ourselves and connect with our friends and family. Plus the financial investment is significant! Of course there are many unique challenges that come with attending graduate school, but to put it simply—it takes significant time, commitment, energy, and focus that is often taken away from other aspects of our life that also give us a lot of support and meaning. So when thinking about the intention of this group, these are the core pillars of support we wanted to offer—and some that we have already seen reflected in our current grad student support group:
1. A Community Helps Grad Students With Connection
Graduate school can feel isolating because none of your friends or family members are going through the same experience with you, though they may be an invaluable part of your support system. The powerful thing about our grad school support group is that members can be assured that they’re not alone—not the only ones navigating this incredible but difficult experience.
2. A Support Group Offers A Dedicated Space to Process the Nuances of Grad School
One challenging aspect of the grad school experience is that not only can it feel isolating, but it can bring about a lot of stress and anxiety—plus significant imposter syndrome. So, it can be powerful to have a place to talk about what’s going on with peers who understand what you’re going through and hold space for you to share about the impact grad school is having on your life, relationships, and mental health.
3. Groups Offer A Resource to Receive (and Provide!) Support
Decreased stress and anxiety will improve creativity and problem solving skills to help you move through challenges, such as coursework, more efficiently. Decreased stress and anxiety will also lead to improved sleep and increased energy to meet the demands of daily life. And you do have a lot of demands, including meeting deadlines for assignments, tending to your personal relationships and caring for yourself.
Get Connected — Learn About our Grad Student Support Group
If it sounds attractive to you as a graduate student to have connection, a space to process your grad school experience, or simply ready to get some additional support each week—we’ve got you covered.
If you’re interested in learning more about our Grad Student Support Group, schedule a free consultation with our admin team!
How We Can Help
Join our grad student support group today!
For graduate students in any discipline to connect with others and learn tools to deal with stress, anxiety, time management, and isolation.
If you are looking for general support, or if you would like to talk to someone more about how we can help you, follow these simple steps:
Contact us today for a free 20-minute phone consultation
Or, you can book directly online with the therapist of your choice
Begin your journey towards a calmer, more relaxed life
Other Therapy Services Available at Catalyss Counseling:
Here at Catalyss Counseling, we want to meet all of your counseling needs in the Denver area. Our supportive therapists provide depression counseling, therapy for caregiver stress, grief and loss therapy, stress management counseling and more. We also have specialists in trauma and PTSD, women's issues, pregnancy and postpartum depression or anxiety, pregnancy loss and miscarriage, and birth trauma. For therapists, we can also provide clinical supervision! We look forward to connecting with you to help support your journey today.
Author Biography
Julie Bloom is a student intern from the Regis University Masters in Counseling program. She supports neurodivergent students, young adults, and those in the LGBTQ+ community who are feeling stuck, burned out, or having relationship difficulties to find your identity so you can connect with yourself and others in a fulfilling way. Follow Catalyss Counseling on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
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