Individual & Group Therapy
Individual therapy consists of meeting one-on-one with a CAPS counselor for 45-50 minutes. CAPS uses a short-term treatment model for individual therapy. The frequency of these meetings varies based on need and availability as discussed between student and counselor. CAPS clinicians strive to offer empathy, compassion, insight, and skill building opportunities in a confidential, non-judgmental environment.
Goals
Goals for brief psychotherapy are determined collaboratively with your therapist and might include:
- Coping effectively with immediate life stresses
- Having a positive first experience in therapy before engaging in longer term individual work or transitioning into group therapy
- Gaining new skills to cope with new challenges
- Finding greater understanding and new perspectives on life experiences
Given the short-term nature of CAPS counseling, CAPS may also assist you in a referral to a community therapist for specialized or longer-term therapy. In all cases, we work together with you to determine the best approach to meet your needs.
Reasons that a community referral might be a best resource for a student include:
- Need for specialized or more intensive care
- Other mental health providers or resources are a better fit for a student’s needs
- A student is graduating or otherwise leaving the area soon and would benefit from getting connected with providers in the community
- A student would benefit from open ended rather than structured support and/or more frequent and/or flexible appointments
- A student may get an appointment in the community more quickly, and this is important to them
- A student is not full time or degree seeking at NU
To receive services (on either Chicago or Evanston campus), please call CAPS at 847-491-2151.
Currently, CAPS is not offering any groups for the Summer 2023 quarter. Please make sure to check back in the Fall for more information on groups!
Group therapy is highly effective at addressing most issues facing undergraduate and graduate college students. Group therapy offers students an opportunity to meet in a safe, confidential, and supportive space to share experiences, learn fresh perspectives, and experiment with new behaviors and ways of being. Through this process you develop insights, tools, and techniques that you can use to improve your quality of life.
Please see below for more information about group therapy and the specific groups that CAPS offers.
In addition to our group therapy options, check out our Virtual Workshops and Gathering Spaces. These include Coffee Talk for International Students and BIPOC Support Circle.
What is Group Therapy?
There are 3 major types of groups:
- Understanding Self and Others Groups (Interpersonal Process):
USO groups focus on helping student understand more about themselves, understand their relationships with others, and expand their ways of relating/connecting. These groups are helpful for students with a variety of presenting concerns in which connection to others is an aspect of the concern.
- Psychoeducational Groups
Psychoeducational groups provide students with specific skills to help them better manage their concerns. These groups are structured or semi-structured, oftentimes have a curricular component, and tend to meet over the span of a few weeks. These groups may be for students with more specific concerns (e.g., eating/body image related concerns for the Making Peace with Food group) or more general concerns (e.g., issues with depression, anxiety, etc with our Building Emotional Well-Being Group).
- Support Groups
Support groups provide students with shared experiences or identities. These groups allow students to connect with students who have experienced similar issues (e.g., the loss of a significant loved one in the case of the bereavement group).
Groups
Currently, CAPS is not offering any groups for the Summer 2023 Quarter. Please check back in the Fall for more information on group therapy.