Support each other

This post is guest-edited by Emma Corker, Group Therapist at Queen Mary. 

What is group therapy? 

If you’ve had any counselling before, you may find that group therapy is much like individual counselling except in a group! You’ll have the space to talk about the things that are going on with you, your feelings, experiences and your difficulties. The big difference is that you will be sharing this with other students and, in turn, both receiving and giving support to each other, with the help of the therapist.

Sharing with others in a therapy group allows you not simply the opportunity to talk and discuss difficult and distressing issues with other group members at your own pace, but also provides the opportunity to explore and reflect on how you relate to yourself and others; through shared reflections, shared understandings and communication – all experienced within the supportive environment of the group. The process also enables you to explore and understand how relationships from your past have shaped your present.

How does it work at Queen Mary?

Therapy groups are ongoing and meet weekly for 90 minutes in a confidential and a containing space. The sessions are held in Room GC214, on the second floor of the Graduate Centre on Wednesdays 2pm-3.30pm, or Fridays 2pm-3.30pm.

The group runs during term times with breaks for Easter, summer and Christmas.

Who can benefit from group therapy?

Whilst the NHS and private therapists run groups, the advantage of a university-based setting is that it provides an opportunity to discuss issues with like-minded fellow students who may be facing similar difficulties to you in terms of academic or financial challenges, as well as the more traditionally discussed struggles which have their source in problematic relationships from the the past. Such relationships contribute strongly to how we think about ourselves and relate with others. In turn, this can make it difficult for us to make the changes we would like to in our lives, despite our best efforts to do so.

Participating in a group allows members to discover new and more creative ways of thinking, feeling, behaving and relating. In short, together, group members construct a space in which they get a chance to creatively experiment with new ways of being and living. Evolving relationships with group members can facilitate a greater awareness of the choices you make in both your interpersonal relationships and life in general, and how you can face the future in more constructive and creative ways.

How do I join a group?

To access wellbeing advice including group therapy, log an enquiry via AskQM and you should be invited for an assessment.

For details of all the groups and workshops run by the Advice and Counselling Service, see our web pages.