Alone No More: What Group Therapy Offers RI University Students
Loneliness is a common experience for college students in Rhode Island. Young adults, and college students in particular, face a variety of factors that can lead to feelings of isolation. It’s important to address loneliness, whether it be through joining clubs or working with a professional. In this blog, we highlight how group therapy can help Rhode Island university students build connections.
Loneliness in College Students
Loneliness can occur when individuals feel that they lack a social network where they fit in and are accepted, or when they feel like they don’t have close emotional bonds with others. We’re currently living through the so-called “Loneliness Epidemic,” with loneliness being pervasive and on the rise, especially among young adults. While COVID-19 was an especially big trigger for loneliness among young people, there are many other causes of loneliness in college students:
Physical illness: Chronic illness can cause young people to have more responsibilities or feel different from their peers, both of which can contribute to loneliness.
Mental health challenges: Mental health challenges like anxiety or depression can create a vicious cycle that exacerbates loneliness. For example, social anxiety can make it difficult to form relationships that can improve mood.
Lack of coping skills: Some college students may use coping skills, such as high levels of social media use or hookups, as replacements for genuine human connections. Social media use in particular can make people feel as though they have a friend network without truly providing a person-to-person connection.
Difficult life experiences: Hard experiences like loss, bullying, or difficult family relationships can all cause loneliness in college students.
Life transitions: Starting at a new college in Rhode Island can be a major cause of loneliness, since it often means leaving behind established support systems. International students at schools like Brown University and RISD, in particular, may struggle with distance from family and cultural traditions.
Trouble making friends: Some college students have trouble making friends because they have difficulty finding people they can connect with. It may be their first time being somewhere new where they don’t know anyone. In addition, personality traits such as shyness can make it more challenging to initiate contact with potential friends.
Academic demands: The demands of university life can cause loneliness, especially if students don’t have enough time to socialize.
Importance of Addressing Loneliness
Loneliness can cause distress on its own, and it can cause or exacerbate other issues, such as stress, depression, anxiety, and trouble performing well in college. Luckily, there are several steps that college students struggling with loneliness can take.
For some college students, solutions for loneliness can include seeking out specific activities or joining clubs or organizations on campus. College students can also volunteer or participate in group fitness classes. In addition, activities such as meditation, journaling, or mindful movement can help college students experiencing loneliness to reflect on their feelings.
Furthermore, college students should evaluate how they use coping strategies such as social media to deal with loneliness. While social media sometimes reduces loneliness, excessive social media use can also increase it. Students should be mindful of the different ways they engage with people on social media, and which of them provide rewarding interactions as opposed to feeding into feelings of disconnection or comparison.
Young adults with loneliness may also benefit from counseling for college students. Loneliness can relate to low self-esteem and a distrust of others, which can make it harder to form connections. Loneliness can also make people feel helpless to change their situation. Therapy for college students can help shift these unhelpful ways of thinking—like a belief that shyness will permanently prevent someone from making friends—and help people build the self-esteem necessary to branch out.
Group Therapy for College Students
Group therapy is an especially useful type of counseling for college students experiencing loneliness. In group therapy, members of a group have a chance to express their emotions and connect with others. Group therapy offers a confidential space in which to learn new skills among people facing similar situations—all under the guidance of a trained therapist.
Group counseling has been found to help students experiencing loneliness. Here are a few reasons it works:
Social skills: Group therapy can help teach social skills—such as communication skills and the ability to cope with social anxiety—that facilitate real-world connections.
Diverse perspectives: Group therapy benefits members by providing them a range of perspectives from those who have lived through similar experiences, including navigating loneliness.
Belonging and validation: Group therapy may also contribute to a feeling of belonging that can help address loneliness, giving college students a sense of a shared purpose and support. Moreover, group therapy provides the benefit of validation from hearing others’ stories, allowing people to realize they’re not alone.
Breaking the stigma: On a closely packed campus like Brown University or RISD, it can be easy to get the impression that nobody else is struggling. In reality, loneliness is common, and it’s important to break the stigma of loneliness. Group therapy provides a safe space to be open about experiences with loneliness and to help people realize that many others share their challenges.
Improving mental health: Other benefits of group therapy, including reducing anxiety and depression, can reverse the vicious cycle of loneliness.
Cost-effectiveness: Group therapy is often more cost-effective than individual therapy, which can make it more accessible to college students.
For individuals interested in group counseling for college students, many Rhode Island universities, such as Brown University, offer on-campus support groups. These groups sometimes include specialized groups, such as groups for students with chronic illness or groups for folks in the LGBTQ+ community. For those looking for groups that meet year-round and feel more private, Dyad Psychology, located on Waterman Street in Providence, Rhode Island, also has support groups open to college students that accept Brown and RISD student insurance (UnitedHealthcare Student Resources), as well as Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Conclusion
Loneliness is a common but treatable challenge for Rhode Island students. By combining cognitive restructuring with the social support of group therapy, students can break the cycle of isolation and build genuine, lasting connections. Whether through on-campus resources or specialized care at Dyad Psychology, taking the step to join a therapy group ensures students no longer have to navigate their college journey alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What causes loneliness in college students?
Some of the common causes of loneliness for college students include physical and mental health challenges, difficult experiences and life transitions, and the demands of academic life. In addition, some students may use hook-ups or social media as unhelpful coping skills that actually increase loneliness.
2. How can college students become less lonely?
College students can use a variety of approaches to form meaningful connections. Some students may benefit from seeking out campus clubs, volunteering, or attending fitness classes. Other students may benefit from engaging in hobbies or mindfulness practices, or re-evaluating their social media use. In addition, professional counseling and group therapy can help students gain the skills they need to form meaningful connections.
3. How can group counseling help college students dealing with loneliness?
Group therapy can help with loneliness by teaching social skills that facilitate relationship-building, contributing to a feeling of belonging, improving overall mental health, and helping to break the stigma around loneliness.