Counseling Services

Support Groups and Group Counseling

Let's Co-Create a Culture of Care at UH Hilo

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Student Affinity Groups

Free On-Campus Weekly Peer Support Circles, for the Spring 2025 Semester.
If you are interested in joining one of our upcoming Student Affinity Groups, sign up using the upcoming affinity group form

Types of Groups

  • Sexuality
  • Wellness
  • Career
  • Creative Expression
  • Social Justice
  • Leadership
  • Grief and Loss
  • Spirituality
  • Nature and Ecology and More!

Benefits

  • Make friends and build community
  • Practice healthy communication and relationship building skills
  • Develop leadership skills and a culture of care
  • Empower all voices and foster inclusion at UH and beyond

Let's Cocreate a Culture of Care at Uh Hilo Student affinity Groups -  Weekly Peer Support Circles - Free, On-Campus, Spring 2025.  Sign Up and Learn More @
tinyurl.com/uhaffinitygroups  -   Types of Groups: Sexuality, Wellness, Career, Creative Expression, Social Justice, Leadership, Grief and Loss, Spirituality, Nature and Ecology and More!  Benefits include:  Make friends and build community, Practice healthy communication and relationship building skills, Develop leadership skills and a culture of care, Empower all voices and foster inclusion at UH and beyond - Sign up and learn more @tinyurl.com/uhaffinitygroupsView / save a copy of this flyer

If you are interested in joining other groups or classes, sign up using the other groups or classes form.

Contact Counseling Services for more information about available support groups and classes.

Groups

Students may sign up for groups the first few weeks of the semester in person, by email, or by calling (808) 932-7465. After the sign up period, students will be contacted by Counseling Services to schedule an initial meeting with a counselor to learn more about the group(s) they signed up for and to discuss scheduling. Groups usually start by the 4th week of school, and final group availability is dependent on group size.

Potential Groups

  • LGBTQ+ Support Group
  • ASD Support Group
  • Nontraditional Student Support Group
  • Support for Students with Disabilities
  • New to UH Hilo
  • Depression Support Group
  • Anxiety Support Group
  • ADHD Support Group/ Productivity Circle
  • Grief Support Group
  • Support for Former Foster Children
  • International Student Support Group
  • Survivor Support
  • Healthy Masculinity
  • Graduate Student Support
  • Kīlauea Eruption Support Group

Classes

  • Stress Management Mindfulness
  • QPR Gatekeeper Training

Scheduled Classes

Potential Classes

  • Sleep 101
  • Assertiveness Training
  • Anger Management
  • Managing Emotions & Relationships Workshop

If you are interested in signing up for any of these groups, please email Counseling Services at uhhcouns@hawaii.edu.

Group Counseling

Group counseling usually consists of one or two counselors and four to eight participants who are committed to weekly group sessions that are one to one and a half hours long. Participants can speak or share as much or as little as they like.

Students may join a group because they are experiencing a personal difficulty or because they seek personal growth and development. Participation in group counseling can be very beneficial for many common student concerns, and there are specific benefits of group counseling that individual counseling cannot offer.

Benefits of Group Counseling

  • Increased support network
  • Decreased feelings of being alone with one's problems
  • Learning from others perspectives
  • Feedback from others
  • Increased confidence from supporting and encouraging others

Confidentiality

All group participants agree to group norms to create a safe, comfortable environment for everyone. One of the most important agreements is that all participants maintain confidentiality and do not share to anyone outside the group about who is in the group, or about what happens in the group.

Understanding Group Therapy from the American Psychological Association

LGBTQ+ Support Group

Be part of a support group where LGBTQ+ students can express themselves, make friends, and have discussion. This is a group for students who identify as LGBTQ+ to receive and give support, learn about one another’s experiences, and be in a safe space for exploration.

If the Women’s or LGBTQ+ groups sound like something you would like to participate in, please contact Samantha Bailo at sbailo@hawaii.edu to express your interest in joining one or more of the groups!

International Student Support Group

The idea of a new format of the support group combines the psycho-educational, process and certification concept to attract the international students to utilize Counseling Services. Based on the facts that they desire to pursue education in the U.S., the hesitation to seek mental health counseling, and the confirmation of a certificate of their accomplishment, the new format of the group idea was created at UH Hilo Counseling Services.

Graduate Student Support Group

A support group for graduate students provides care and support for graduate students. This support group helps students immediately get support from their peers. Using the support group helps graduate students meet the academic demands and complete their degrees on time. This group addresses the adjustment and mental health concerns of graduate students, and what impedes their completion. Needs of graduate students are different than those of undergraduates. Group members help one another to succeed at UH Hilo.

Anxiety Support Group

This group helps with managing and overcoming anxiety. The members learn about anxiety and how it can portray itself. Members learn to identify triggers that can worsen their anxiety. This group helps members discover and develop effective coping strategies. Members also gain support in a safe environment. This group runs every semester throughout the year.

If any of the above groups sound like something you would like to participate in, please contact Dr. Frank Kuo at kuocf@hawaii.edu to express your interest in joining one or more of these groups!