Group therapy for young adults is one of the cornerstones of life at The Dorm. Engaging in therapeutic support alongside peers leads to better clinical outcomes reinforces the development of critical social and emotional skills. Group therapy reinforces that we are not alone, and that by working together as a community we can achieve new goals.
At The Dorm all of our group therapy sessions are designed specifically for young adults (ages 18-30) and allow our clients to meet peers within the community, foster new camaraderie and engage in supported social skills.
Young Adult Group Therapy at The Dorm
Comprehensive Group Schedule
We offer a full range of groups Monday through Friday and on Sundays between 1pm and 3pm. Each group is facilitated by our team of expert professionals and licensed/credentialed clinicians.
A week in the life: view an interactive group schedule here.
What is unique about young adult group therapy at The Dorm?
Holistic community focus
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Groups are held 11 hours/day, 5+ days/week across 8 holistic group types
- No two clients have the same schedule, allowing for a truly customized approach
- Our clinical programming surrounds our community clubhouse, a hub for social engagement and connection
Breadth and range of group therapy
We are proud to offer a broad range of groups that reflect integrative nature of our treatment model. We offer over 100 groups a week, ranging from skill-based and process groups to social and food/mood and nutrition groups.
Innovation in meeting clients’ needs
We believe that our groups should be a reflection of our community and always encourage our clinical team to develop new groups that meet the evolving needs of our client cohorts. One recent example is Urge Surfing, a group dedicated to helping clients overcome addictive urges beyond substance use.
8 Groups Therapy Categories For Every Need
We offer both topic-specific, skills-based and process-oriented groups
focused around holistic areas of clinical exploration and need.
Skills-Based
ex. DBT Intensive, Executive Function and Life Skills, Cognitive Remediation, Job Readiness
Process
ex. Identity & Sexuality, Transgender/Non-binary, Body Image Process, Relationship Group
Trauma-Focused
ex. Seeking Safety, Advanced Trauma Process, Survivor’s of Sexual Assault (SOSA)
Family
ex Multi-Family Group, Parent Group, Families Anonymous (FA)
Food, Mood & Nutrition
ex. Food Freedom, Nutrition Group, Body Image Group
Health & Wellness
ex. Meditation, Mindfulness, Trauma Empower (Shadowboxing), Wise Mind Strength
Social Groups
ex. The Dorm Experience Orientation, Weekly and Sunday Socials
Community Support
ex. 12 Step Meetings (AA, EDA) and Community Club
Does A Dorm Client Have To Attend
All Of The Groups?
All group schedules are completely customized depending on each young adult’s clinical needs. When a client starts at The Dorm, our team works in conjunction with them, their family and any outside providers to outline a group therapy
schedule that best meets their goals.
Some individuals attend a full week of group services, others attend just a few sessions a week. Most of
our groups are hosted at our Dorm locations (in New York City and Washington, D.C.).
Select groups are held ‘off-site’ in neighboring parks or in the community (i.e. if they involve
exposure therapy, guided grocery shopping, social skills or cooking classes).
Learn More About Group Therapy & Treatment
What is group therapy?
Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy that involves one or more therapists guiding a group of individuals in discussion on a specific clinical topic, area of skill development, or therapeutic focus. Groups commonly meet for an hour to two weekly and comprise anywhere from 6 to 12 individuals, however the size of a group may vary depending on individualized therapeutic needs.
In general, group therapy is a space for individuals to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences with one another in a safe and supportive environment, facilitated by professionals.
Group therapy is beneficial in that it helps individuals gain and offer support and feedback, practice social and communications skills and learn from each other.
Is all group therapy the same?
There are many different categories of groups.
Some are more open-ended such as process or identity groups, where facilitators might set intentions, moderate and help guide the discussion, but otherwise let clients express their perspectives and foster acceptance, belonging and a sense of universality through shared experiences and personal stories.
At The Dorm, some of these types of groups include Body Image Process, Identity and Sexuality and Trans/Gender Non-binary Group.
Other groups are more structured such as psychoeducational or skill-based groups. Many of these groups will have set learning objectives. They might emphasize teaching a group about a shared diagnosis or helping them learn adaptive coping skills or skills for better functioning. Facilitators act more as educators following a defined curriculum.
At The Dorm, some of these types of groups include DBT Intensive, Cognitive Remediation, or groups focused on executive functioning and life skills.
Many important groups are more social or oriented around community support. These spaces are for managing and discussing day-to-day life scenarios, challenges, navigating the highs and lows together with a supportive cohort. Examples might be our social evening group or community support spaces such as AA or EDA.
At The Dorm, we offer a rich and diverse blend of groups to meet the full range of our young adult clients’ needs and the vast majority of our groups are co-facilitated by at least two clinicians.
What makes group therapy most effective and impactful?
Trust and group norms.
Group therapy does not work without trust, confidentiality and respectful norms. Everyone who joins our groups is screened and expected to follow group norms. Some of these norms include “honoring people’s individual differences”, “maintaining confidentiality” and “engaging in active listening”.
What are the advantages of group therapy treatment in mental health recovery?
The powerful sense of collective support. In recovery, a pervasive feeling is isolation and feeling alone. Bringing individuals together in a group setting fosters connection, shared experience and camaraderie. The Dorm is built on fostering connection and community and groups are an imperative part of achieving this. Almost all of our clients, especially when they start with us, are actively involved in several groups a week.
Is it okay to just participate in group therapy?
There are absolutely individuals who just participate in group therapy but at The Dorm we recommend group therapy in conjunction with individual one-on-one therapy and coaching (as well as other complementary services like health, wellness and nutrition services; all tailored to an individual’s needs and goals). Our model supports the benefit of complementary holistic therapies — that’s how our clients experience the best outcomes and lifelong treatment benefits.
Is group therapy an evidence-based form of treatment?
Yes. There are numerous peer-reviewed studies that have shown the benefits of group therapy including the effectiveness for depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, eating disorders, PTSD and various other conditions.
Why is in-person group therapy so important?
At The Dorm we believe in the impact of immersive face-to-face interactions that can help foster trust and social connection. During in-person groups, our client participants can better pick up and learn from others’ non-verbal cues and communication, and tend to be more accountable and motivated to participate in discussion and in the work of the group. They are more likely to connect with others before or after a group session, building rapport and community beyond the bounds of the group itself.
