According to the Healthy Minds Network 2023 survey, about a third of college students have some kind of anxiety or mood disorder. Shana Sopko, group coordinator and licensed mental health counselor at the University of North Florida’s Counseling Center, wants students to know they’re not alone. 

Sopko organizes all the group sessions at the counseling center. She said she’s witnessed students gain a sense of community and new perspectives after sessions. 

“Like ‘my problems that I thought were so horrible and so unmentionable, I realized that there are a lot of people who are struggling or who feel the same way that I do.’”

Groups v.s. workshops

The counseling center offers two types of group sessions: process groups and workshops. Process groups are sign-up only and require an initial assessment with an orientation. Workshops are walk-in sessions that don’t need prior commitment. 

Process Groups

One of the center’s recurring process groups is “Understanding Self and Others.” In-person USAO sessions are held multiple times a day Monday through Thursday and virtual sessions are available on Mondays and Wednesdays. Also, a Black, Indigenous and People of Color edition of USAO is now available on Wednesdays.

Sopko said that USAO is an interpersonal process group, meaning there’s no set subject. 

“It is strictly what the members of that group need to talk about at the time,” Sopko explained. “We focus on feelings and connecting with others, and being able to express that in the here and now.”

According to Sopko,  interpersonal process groups like USAO allow people to share all their feelings: the good, the bad, and the in-between. 

“Having those… sometimes more difficult conversations [like] ‘I’m feeling kind of irritated right now,’ or ‘I’m feeling really connected to you right now,’” Sopko ideated. “Both are very difficult for a lot of people.”

The counseling center offers other process groups in addition to its USAO groups. Students can sign up for the LGBTQ+, Men’s, Expressive Therapy and Insight Circle process groups.

“[H]aving a different perspective and someone as a sounding board to offer a suggestion, offer a listening ear… can never be a bad thing,” Sopko said. “We all need people.”

Students interested in joining a process group can contact counselingctr@unf.edu to schedule an initial assessment. To see a full schedule and learn more about each process group, visit the counseling center’s website. 

Workshops

The counseling center offers open workshops in addition to their sign-up-only groups. Sopko said workshops are great for students who may not have time to commit to weekly sessions but still want to reap the benefits of group therapy. 

“Anybody’s welcome to just pop in [to the workshops],” said Sopko.

The center currently offers two recurring workshops. The Expressive Arts Open Studio is every Thursday from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the Relationships Workshop is biweekly on Fridays from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., beginning Sept. 6.

A special two-session workshop, “All Wound Up,” will be on Sept. 11 and 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The two crochet classes are for students who want to try out expressive arts therapy. This is the only workshop that requires sign-up. 

Students interested in dropping in for a workshop can learn more here.

‘Letting other people in is the bravest possible thing to do.’

Sopko said it’s common for people to feel alienated in their personal experiences. She thinks therapy — group or individual — is a way to learn that no one is alone. 

“A lot of people are concerned that they’re going to come in [to the counseling center] and be judged… We don’t do that,” Sopko said. 

The counseling center offers individual and specialty counseling, as well as groups and workshops. UNF Students can learn how to make in-person or virtual appointments here. 

The center also provides resources for students in crisis, including urgent counseling drop-in hours. Students who need immediate support can call the UNF Counseling Center 24-hour helpline at 904-620-2602, wait for the voice prompt and select option 2.

Sopko said the counseling center is one of the safest and most accepting places on campus.

“Just give [therapy] a chance because you never know until you’ve experienced it.” 

“To have this nonjudgemental, safe space; that is what we’re here for,” Sopko said. ”Letting other people in is the bravest possible thing to do.”

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