What is the difference between a Peer Support Community and Group Counseling?
At the University Counseling Center, counseling groups are led by UCC clinicians who support students to improve skills and create change in a group setting. UCC Groups are “closed”, meaning students are screened prior to attending groups to ensure the group best meets their needs. Additionally, students who participate in a counseling group commit to attending weekly sessions throughout one semester. Groups are considered a form of mental health treatment and focus on helping students with specific mental health-related concerns, such as anxiety and grief. Group counseling is structured and typically utilizes a specific treatment modality, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
Peer Support Communities are an open space for students to: connect and build new relationships; conversate and socialize with like-minded peers; and offer and receive support around shared experiences. While a UCC Clinician is present in the space, there is no “expert” in the space; instead, students benefit from the collected wisdom of the group when seeking support and/or help problem-solving. Additionally, students participating in a Peer Support Community are invited to identify discussion topics that feel most relevant. Student interested in participating in a Peer Support Community do not need to engage in a screening process prior to participating and are free to attend as much or as little as they’d like throughout their time at Pitt. Peer Support Communities are not a form of mental health treatment and participants are not considered clients of the UCC.
Online Peer-to-Peer Support – Togetherall
All Pitt students can access Togetherall, a free and anonymous peer-to-peer online community specifically for mental health and well-being concerns. Togetherall is available 24/7 and is monitored by trained clinicians.
Whether you’re feeling down, struggling to navigate stressors or just need a safe place to share your feelings, the Togetherall community can help you connect with others that have similar experiences and learn to better manage your mental health. Visit the Togetherall website to sign up.