Counseling Services offers a variety of counseling, support, and educational groups each semester. Participants benefit from the mutual support and learning that occurs from interaction with others who have similar concerns.
Unless otherwise noted, all groups will require a pre-group screening. For more information, or to schedule your pre-group consultation, please schedule an appointment.
If you have questions, email the group facilitator or caps@msu.edu.
Programs that are full for the current semester may be available the following semester.
CAPS is committed to providing clinical and supportive group services that are responsive to the needs of our students. If you are interested in a group that you do not see below, please email the CAPS group coordinator, Dr. Ciera Lewis, at lewisci1@msu.edu.
CAPS Groups for Summer Semester 2025
Learn more about all of our groups by exploring each of the group types below. Each group is designed to support participants in specific ways.
Participation in CAPS programs is not restricted based on sex or race. All MSU students are welcome to participate based on the clinical recommendations of CAPS staff.
Therapy Groups
Therapy groups are safe spaces for MSU students to connect with one another and learn more about themselves, skills for improving mental health, and ways to improve interpersonal relationships. These groups require a screening and consistent attendance is encouraged.
Anxiety and Mindfulness is an in-person cognitive-behavioral therapy group for undergraduate and graduate students to reduce their anxiety and other emotional distress. Group members will learn mindfulness techniques and cognitive strategies. Members will also gain non-judgmental self-awareness and peer support. No religious background is required.
Thursdays 2:30PM-4:00 PM
Status: In Person
Facilitators: Mollie Delzeith, MA, LPC (she/her) & Miranda O’Brien, LLMSW & Maleyah Zataray, MA
Group runs May through July
*A Pre-Group Meeting is required to join. Please schedule a phone consultation at caps.msu.edu/schedule and state your interest in this group during the appointment.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Training Group at MSU CAPS is an evidence-based group therapy for the treatment of numerous mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, some personality disorders, and other mental health issues. DBT is also useful for individuals who have no diagnosed mental health condition but want to increase their quality of life.
DBT Skills Training Groups are offered to students who want to improve their ability to act effectively in their environment and become more satisfied with their lives. This group offers a skills-based intervention, meaning that each group session will focus on teaching new skills that you can use to improve your life. In each group session, you can expect to learn a new DBT skill or deepen your knowledge of a previously learned DBT skill. You will also be invited to practice the use of DBT skills between group sessions and to discuss your practice of DBT skills in group.
Tuesday 10:30-12:00pm
Status: In Person
Facilitator(s): Nicki Walker, LMSW
Wednesdays 3:30pm-5pm
Status: in person
Facilitator(s): Dave Gates, MA, LPC & Seongwon Lee, MA & Narae Yu, BA
Fridays 10:00-11:30am
Status: In person
Facilitator(s): Ciera Lewis, PhD, LP & Khadeja Najjar, MA
*Summer 2025 DBT Skills Training Group will run from the beginning of May to mid-August.
*A Pre-Group Meeting is required to join. Please schedule a phone consultation at caps.msu.edu/schedule and state your interest in this group during the appointment. You are welcome to join after the group has started.
Do you ever find yourself feeling unworthy, insecure, flawed, or unlovable? This group will work with participants to:
1) identify where these core negative beliefs stem from
2) Reprocess these experiences
3) Shift into a more positive mindset.
This group will allow participants the opportunity to work through past experiences that may continue to interfere with one’s ability to thrive and feel confident.
Tuesday or Wednesday 2 PM
Status: In Person
Facilitator(s): Brooke Garcia-Nettz, MA, LPC (She, Her, Hers)
Group runs May through July
*A Pre-Group Meeting is required to join. Please schedule a phone consultation at caps.msu.edu/schedule and state your interest in this group during the appointment.
Horses have been shown to positively impact mental health outcomes for people diagnosed with various concerns, such as mood disorders, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. This workshop partners with the Animal Science Department Students and is co-facilitated by equine expert Dr. Karen Waite. Students will have the opportunity to interact with horses in a structured, intentional, and supervised environment. During this 6-session workshop, students will aim to increase confidence in themselves, increase their knowledge on equine assisted activities, better regulate emotions, develop/work on social skills, and increase connectedness to their peers.
Thursdays 3:00-4:30pm
Status: In person
Facilitator(s): Christian Gibson (she, her), LMSW & Dr. Karen Waite & Khadeja Najjar, MA
Group will run from May 29-June 26: May 29, June 5, June 12, June 19, June 26
*A Pre-Group Meeting is required to join. Please schedule a phone consultation at caps.msu.edu/schedule and state your interest in this group during the appointment.
Workshops
Workshops are educational series that teach students valuable coping skills for a variety of concerns and experiences. They are available multiple times throughout the semester and do not require a group screening.
There will be no workgroups being offered for Summer Semester 2025. Please check back for Fall Semester workshops.
Interpersonal Process Groups
Interpersonal process groups aim to support students with any social or interpersonal concern (e.g., challenges making or keeping friends, difficulty trusting others and being vulnerable, family conflict). These groups involve reflecting on communication and relationship patterns, providing and receiving feedback, and practicing different ways of relating in the group space. These groups require a group screening and consistent attendance is encouraged.
This therapy group is for undergraduate and graduate students who would like to better understand their communication and interaction styles and receive feedback about their interpersonal style and interactions with others.
Discussion topics include family dynamics, how early experiences impact current relationships, coping with changing levels of intimacy, initiating conversations and relationship dynamics, with an emphasis on here-and-now exploration.
Tuesdays 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Status: In Person
Facilitator(s): Ciera Lewis, PhD & Jimmy Bruce, PhD., LP
Wednesdays 3:00 to 4:30 PM
Status: In Person
Facilitator(s): Josh Turchan, PhD & Kathleen O’Shea, Ph.D., LLP & Ananya Sharma, MA
Start and end date of group: May - July
*A Pre-Group Meeting is required to join. Please schedule a phone consultation at caps.msu.edu/schedule and state your interest in this group during the appointment. You are welcome to join after the group has started.
Have trouble trusting, connecting, or communicating with others? Are you engaging in repetitive patterns in relationships that don’t serve you? This group is intended to help you better understand who you are in relation to others and practice meaningful changes in a brave and supportive space. Open to graduate and undergraduate students.
Thursdays 1:30pm-3pm
Status: Virtual
Facilitator(s): Olivia Scott, PhD, LP (she/her) & Victor Leon, LMSW (he/him)
Group will run from May 29th - August 14th
*A Pre-Group Meeting is required to join. Please schedule a phone consultation at caps.msu.edu/schedule and state your interest in this group during the appointment. You are welcome to join after the group has started.
Support Groups
Support Groups focus on building community and connecting over shared identities or experiences. Students who are seeking validation, a space to process difficult experiences or feelings of isolation, or who want to learn how to cope via different perspectives may benefit from this type of group. These groups require a group screening and consistent attendance is encouraged.
Participation in CAPS programs is not restricted based on sex or race. All MSU students are welcome to participate based on the clinical recommendations of CAPS staff.
This is a support group for those struggling with disordered eating and body image concerns. The group is open to those experiencing overeating and restrictive tendencies. This group is for both undergraduate and graduate students. A pre-group screening will be conducted to evaluate if the group will be a good fit for a student or whether 1:1 therapy and/or higher level of care will suit more to the student’s needs.
Tuesdays, 4–5 p.m.
Status: In-person
Facilitator(s): Terry Doan, Psy.D., LLP & Seongwon Lee, MA
Group runs May through July
*A Pre-Group Meeting is required to join. Please schedule a phone consultation at caps.msu.edu/schedule and state your interest in this group during the appointment.
This is a weekly support group for graduate students who are navigating post-course/curriculum who are in a phase of writing, preparing for proposal, defense, and/or preparing for post-graduation employment.
Mondays 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Status: Virtual
Facilitator(s): Jessica Oyoque-Barron, LMSW
Group runs May through July
*A Pre-Group Meeting is required to join. Please schedule a phone consultation at caps.msu.edu/schedule and state your interest in this group during the appointment.
Drop In Groups
Drop-in groups are safe places for all MSU students to receive social support and process concerns about interpersonal relationships, academics, social isolation and transitions, and more. Unlike other groups, drop-in groups do not require a group screening or consistent attendance.
There are no drop in groups being offered for Summer Semester 2025. Please check back for Fall Semester groups.