Group counselling
Counselling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers free webinars on demand, workshops, and group programs on a range of personal development, mental health, and wellbeing issues. Mental health training, including Mental Health First Aid, is also available.
Have a question? For enquiries about webinars, workshops, groups, or training programs, email caps-workshops@unimelb.edu.au.
Want to stay informed? Join our Group Program Email Contact List to receive updates on new counselling groups and upcoming participation opportunities.
Group counselling at CAPS
At CAPS, we offer two types of groups to help you feel better, connect with others, and learn new skills - Group Counselling Journeys and Drop-In Group Counselling.
Both are led by our friendly CAPS counsellors and give you a chance to share your experiences if you want to, and hear from other students experiencing similar issues.
Group Counselling Journeys
Our Group Counselling Journeys are for those who are looking to focus on a specific issue or identity. Participants attend multiple weekly or fortnightly sessions (usually 3 - 6). You'll meet with the same students and facilitators each time, and each session builds on what you learned before. To ensure fair access, students can join one Group Journey per semester.
-
This in-person Group Counselling Journey is facilitated by CAPS counsellors. Across six weekly 1.5-hour sessions, you will learn Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) strategies to relate differently to anxiety and focus on what matters to you.
In a small, supportive group, you will:
- Provide a support environment for students to connect with each other
- Learn ACT-based skills to make room for anxiety rather than fight it or get rid of it
- Unhook from unhelpful thoughts
- Engage more fully in meaningful activities
- Clarify your values and take committed actions that align with them
To get the most from the program, you need to attend all 6 sessions and be willing to complete brief self-guided practice between sessions.
Dates and times:
Thursdays, 2:30pm - 4:00pm on:13 August 2026
20 August 2026
27 August 2026
03 September 2026
10 September 2026
17 September 2026
Location: Parkville campus (details after registration)
Registration: Opening July 2026
Sign up to the Group Program Email Contact List to receive updates on new counselling groups and upcoming participation opportunities.
-
This in-person Group Counselling Journey is facilitated by CAPS counsellors. Across four weekly 1.5-hour sessions, you will learn practical tools to understand and manage intense emotions. When left unaddressed, intense emotions can escalate challenges, strain relationships, and negatively impact wellbeing. By managing emotions more effectively, we can navigate life’s difficulties more smoothly, build stronger connections and enhance overall quality of life.
In a small, supportive group, you will:
- Learn practical tools to understand and manage strong emotions
- Explore Wise Mind, Mindfulness and Radical Acceptance in everyday situations
- Take part in guided, hands-on activities to identify, understand, and regulate emotions
- Practise applying these skills to real-life challenges.
To get the most from the program, you need to attend all 4 sessions.
Dates and times:
Tuesdays, 2:30pm - 4:00pm on:04 August 2026
11 August 2026
18 August 2026
25 August 2026
Location: Parkville Campus (details after registration)
Registration: Opening July 2026
Sign up to the Group Program Email Contact List to receive updates on new counselling groups and upcoming participation opportunities.
-
This in-person Group Counselling Journey is facilitated by CAPS counsellors who identify as part of the LGBTIQA+ community. Across five weekly 1.5-hour sessions, you will learn tools and strategies, informed by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), to support your mental health and navigate life challenges as an LGBTIQA+ student. This group offers a supportive environment to learn, reflect, and connect with other LGBTIQA+ students.
In a small, supportive group, you will:
- Explore the impacts of marginalisation and discrimination on mental health
- Learn ACT-informed tools and strategies to navigate mental health and life challenges
- Connect with like-minded LGBTIQA+ people who share similar experiences.
To get the most from the program, you need to attend all 5 sessions and be willing to engage in discussion and experiential exercises.
Dates and times:
Mondays, 2:30pm - 4:00pm on:24 August 2026
31 August 2026
07 September 2026
14 September 2026
21 September 2026
Location: Parkville Campus (details after registration)
Registration: Opening July 2026
Sign up to the Group Program Email Contact List to receive updates on new counselling groups and upcoming participation opportunities.
-
Facilitated by CAPS counsellors, this 4 x 1.5 hr group is designed for students who have experienced a traumatic or other life-changing event that is currently impacting their mental health. Participants may have experienced one or multiple challenging events, but will be required to focus on one specific event for this group.
The goal of G-TEP is to foster balance, control, and resilience in the face of ongoing challenges, help to prevent complications, and reduce stress symptoms before they escalate into more severe trauma-related disorders like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).Commitment to attend all 4 sessions is required to fully benefit from the program and maintain a safe therapeutic group environment.
Registration: This group is not running in Semester 2, 2026
-
This Group Counselling Journey is facilitated by CAPS counsellors. Across three weekly 1.5-hour sessions, you will learn and apply key principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to support your mental health and wellbeing.
Through guided discussions and reflective home practice, you will learn how to develop more adaptive patterns of thinking and behaviour so you can feel better and cope more effectively with challenges.
In a small, supportive group, you will:
- Learn core CBT ideas about the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours
- Identify unhelpful thinking patterns that may be impacting your mood and wellbeing
- Practise CBT strategies to challenge and reframe unhelpful thoughts
- Explore practical behaviour changes to support your goals and values
- Apply these skills between sessions through brief home practice.
To get the most from the program, you need to attend all 3 sessions and be willing to complete reflective home practice between sessions.
Dates and times:
Mondays, 11:00am - 12:30pm on:17 August 2026
24 August 2026
31 August 2026
Location: Parkville campus (details after registration)
Registration: Opening in July 2026
Sign up to the Group Program Email Contact List to receive updates on new counselling groups and upcoming participation opportunities.
-
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression 8-week Program at CAPS
This 8‑week Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) group is facilitated by CAPS counsellors. Across eight weekly 2‑hour in‑person sessions at the Parkville campus, you will learn and practise mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) strategies to support your mental health and wellbeing.
This group is for students who have experienced at least one past episode of depression, are not currently experiencing a major depressive episode, and would like to learn evidence-based skills to help prevent future episodes.
Through guided mindfulness practices, group discussions and reflective home practice, you will learn how to change your relationship with difficult thoughts, feelings and body sensations so you can respond more skilfully to low mood and early warning signs of depression.
In a small, supportive group, you will:
- Try out different experiential mindfulness practices to increase your awareness of body sensations, thoughts and emotions
- Become more aware of the nature of your mind and recognise unhelpful patterns
- Learn about what keeps depressive cycles going and how to interrupt these patterns
- Develop a kinder, more compassionate attitude towards yourself and your experiences
- Explore new ways to care for yourself by being in the present moment and taking helpful action
- Apply these skills between sessions through brief home practice
MBCT group participants will benefit the most from attendance at all 2-hour 8 weekly sessions. There is an expectation to dedicate 45 minutes each day to home practice to apply the skills to your life.
To get the most from the program, you need to attend all 8 sessions and be willing to complete home practice between sessions.
Dates and times:
Fridays, 10:30am - 12.30pm on:31 July 2026
07 August 2026
14 August 2026
21 August 2026
28 August 2026
04 September 2026
11 September 2026
18 September 2026
Location: Parkville campus (details after registration)
Registration: Opening July 2026
Sign up to the Group Program Email Contact List to receive updates on new counselling groups and upcoming participation opportunities.
-
-
-
This Group Counselling Journey is facilitated by CAPS counsellors. Adjusting to life and study in a new country can bring academic pressure, cultural challenges and self-doubt. Across four weekly 1.5-hour sessions this support group aims to:
- Support international students to build confidence through self-compassion
- Provide a safe, culturally supportive space to grow self-worth
- Provide guided discussions, practical exercises, and evidence based self-compassion skills to help manage stress, and feel more confidence with study abroad
To get the most from the program, you need to attend all 4 sessions and be willing to complete reflective home practice between sessions.
Dates and times:
Tuesdays, 2:30pm - 4:00pm on:01 September 2026
08 September 2026
15 September 2026
22 September 2026
Location: Parkville campus (details after registration)
Registration: Opening in August 2026
Sign up to the Group Program Email Contact List to receive updates on new counselling groups and upcoming participation opportunities.
Drop-In Group Counselling
Drop-In Group Counselling is designed to work around your schedule. You can join any session you like - there's no need to commit to attending every week. Each time you come, you might see some familiar faces and meet new people. These groups focus on learning from other students like you, sharing experiences, and picking up helpful tips. Our Counsellors still facilitate each session to keep things on track and may run short activities.
-
This drop-in counselling group is facilitated by CAPS counsellors. Across weekly 1.5-hour sessions, you will explore practical ways to manage daily tasks, build relationships, and work towards your goals. Each session focuses on a different theme, such as stress, sleep, or relationships, in a supportive space where you can learn with and from other students.
You are encouraged to attend all six sessions to build on your learning over time, but you are welcome to join as many sessions as suit you.
Registration: This group is not running in Semester 2, 2026
Sign up to the Group Program Email Contact List to receive updates on new counselling groups and upcoming participation opportunities.
-