Deepen self-awareness, foster connections with others, and enhance hopefulness
*In response to the COVID-19 guidelines. All groups are being held ON-LINE.
For more information about our groups, please contact us at intake@cfol.org or call 212.213.8905 x104. You are also welcome to contact our group leaders directly if you have specific questions about their groups
PSYCHEDELIC INTEGRATION GROUP FOR WOMEN AND GENDER NON-CONFORMING PEOPLE
Dates: June 22, July 27, August 24, September 28, October 26, November 30
7:00 - 8:15 p.m. (EST)
Facilitators: Dee Dee Goldpaugh, Juliana Mulligan
This monthly online group led by Dee Dee Goldpaugh, LCSW, and our Psychedelic Program Coordinator, Juliana Mulligan, is to process and integrate the lessons and experiences from psychedelic experiences so that they can be applied to daily life. Click Here to register.
Trans and Gender Diverse (TGD) Harm Reduction Process Group
The trans and gender diverse community experiences specific stressors that often result in unmet healthcare needs, including mental health care. This group hopes to bring together trans and gender diverse people who are wanting to address concerns about their substance use as well as mental health and wellbeing and other problems of living.
The harm reduction focus of the group is designed to help members define and create their ideal relationship to substances, whether that is safer use, moderation, or abstinence. Members will clarify their goals and be supported by the group in creating individualized plans for positive change. Group members will learn to assess harm, create plans for optimal user experiences, and gain important support from others in their personal process of change-making. Members will be supported in drawing strength from their own internal resources, as well as from the strength of the group as a whole. To speak with the facilitator, Dr. Jason Holloway for more details about this group, please fill out the form found HERE and Dr. Holloway will contact you.
Men’s Harm Reduction Process Group
This group is for men who are interested in gaining a better understanding of themselves and the role of substances and other potentially problematic behaviors in their lives. The harm reduction focus of the group is designed to help members define and create their ideal relationship to substances, whether that is safer use, moderation, or abstinence. Members will participate by working on and sharing with the group their individual goals for optimal user experiences. Members will have opportunities to speak about their experience and their efforts to make changes, and they will be supported in identifying what positive change means to them. Group members will learn to assess harm, create plans for optimal user experiences, and gain important support from others in their personal process of change-making. To speak with the facilitator, Dr. Jason Holloway for more details about this group, please fill out the form found HERE and Dr. Holloway will contact you.
Wellness Self- Management Plus
Wednesdays at 6:30-8pm, beginning October 6th
The Wellness Self- Management Plus group, led by Dr. Izetta Briggs-Bolling, is a resource for adults experiencing/addressing concerns in one or more areas of life. The purpose of this group experience will be to increase knowledge, information and to learn tools to improve overall quality of life. Everyone faces challenges in life. It is very common for people who are experiencing mental health concerns to use substances such as prescribed, over the counter, legal and illegal substances to alleviate symptoms. This program is designed to increase knowledge pertaining to the correlation of substance use, mental health and potential physical health concerns. The more you know about mental health and substance use the better equipped you will be in making decisions that work for you when addressing mental health and substance use.
Mindfulness Group
Six consecutive Tuesdays beginning Tuesday October 12th at 6:30-8:00pm.
This 6-week group, led by Elisa Leimsider, LCSW, and Hannah Maté, MA, will focus on developing emotional management skills to help with tolerating intense emotional states and intrusive thought patterns. Specifically, the group will focus on mindfulness-based techniques, such as grounding exercises, mindfulness and breathing skills, as well as self-care exercises. Each session will be both didactic and experiential, including skills introduction and group discussion. The skills introduced in the group are intended to be practically applied in daily life to reduce distress and help orient oneself to compassion and enhance self-acceptance.
Expressive Arts Psychotherapy Group
Eight consecutive Thursdays beginning October 14th, from 6:30-8:00pm.
Join us at the Center for Optimal Living (CfOL) for a new 8-week group therapy experience co-facilitated by Hannah Maté, MA, and Adam Frankel, PhD, focused on effectuating change in your relationship to substance use, along with emotion exploration, using unique interventions grounded in talk and creative expression. Each weekly session will explore one of COL’s 7 therapeutic principals, tenants used to support positive behavioral transformation. The group will collectively investigate each principle using methods such as drama therapy, improvisational play, mindfulness, and art. Further, the group will engage in didactic discussion and reflection, with the opportunity to experientially apply key learnings via guided activities between each meeting.
GAY MEN and CRYSTAL METHAMPHETAMINE PROCESS GROUP
Kevin Braga, LCSW
Dates TBD – please contact intake@cfol.org for more info.
This group is open to gay, bisexual, MSM, and trans men interested in exploring a diverse range of goals surrounding their substance misuse and other problematic behaviors. The group is an open, sex-positive safe space and focuses primarily on the intersection of crystal meth use and sexual behaviors. Members will learn to assess harm, identify personalized goals and develop a realistic plan to address their goals. In addition, this group aims to explore how sexuality and other parts of one’s identity impact self-worth and overall well-being. Common themes include the relationship between drugs and sex, loneliness, disconnection from self and others, and the impact of a heteronormative society on the well-being of Queer people.
Family Group
Saturdays, October 23, 30th | Nov. 6, 13, 20th | Dec. 4, 11,18th | Jan. 8, 22, 29th - from 11 am-12:30 pm.
This 12-week interactive group experience, led by Dr. Izetta Briggs-Bolling, is designed to provide education and support to individuals, family members, and others (concerned significant others) impacted by the substance use/misuse and/or mental health concerns of a loved one. Participants will be invited to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences while learning techniques to develop effective skills to improve communication with the person of concern. There are three primary goals of the group:
Provide an overview of the Integrated Harm Reduction treatment model to enhance understanding from the family member’s perspective
Concerned significant others will learn skills to manage emotions pertaining to loved one’s behaviors and change process
Interact with others to express thoughts, feelings and practice new skills to decrease unintentional reinforcement of substance-using behaviors