top of page

Group Therapy 
Fall/Winter 2023

BALANCE: HOW TO NAVIGATE LIVING WITH A CHRONIC ILLNESS 
Wednesdays             5:30pm - 6:45pm                                                                       

Balance is a skills-based support group for adolescents managing life with a chronic illness (e.g., POTS, migraines, depression, Lyme). Living with a chronic condition brings unique challenges that can upset daily balance; it can be especially overwhelming and lonely as a high schooler. This group offers a safe space for young people to connect and share their experiences while developing effective strategies to manage pain and fatigue. These strategies include, but are not limited to: activity pacing, movement, distress tolerance, scaling, and reframing. Dr. Gray and Cate work to help participants achieve a more balanced approach to life demands, empowering individuals to prioritize self-care and wellness as they navigate their present and future goals.

Maximum size of group is eight members.

$175.00 / 75-minute group (includes group material cost)

Facilitators: Dr. Laura Gray, Clinical Psychologist and Cate Riihimaki, LPC

​

​

UNWIND: STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING INNER CALM AND DECREASING ANXIETY 
Wednesdays       7:00pm - 8:15pm                        

Unwind is a group designed for adolescents who share feeling overwhelmed, stressed, anxious, inadequate, or express a need for perfection. Based upon concepts from Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), participants will learn new skills and strategies to better manage their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Group members will learn how to integrate healthy habits into their daily lives. These interventions include, but are not limited to exercise, nature, art, music, rest, and journaling. This group is for high school students who need or want to learn effective skills to assist them in the areas of stress management, emotional stability, impulse control, healthy decision-making, self-acceptance, and positive coping. An intake screening is required to assess for group readiness and appropriate fit.

Maximum size of group is eight members.

$175.00 / 75-minute group (includes group material cost)

Facilitators:  Dr. Laura Gray, Clinical Psychologist and Cate Riihimaki, LPC 

​

​

​

CONNECT: SOCIAL SKILLS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES
Wednesdays         4:00pm - 5:15pm 

                             

Connect is a professionally led group that combines current research and interventions from both the speech and language and mental health perspectives. This unique group is designed to help adolescents comprehend their increasingly complex social world. This  program is for adolescents who are seeking to learn and practice effective skills to assist them in areas of making and maintaining friendships, awareness of self and others, self-esteem, and emotional regulation. Group content and interventions will be aimed at the issues that people with communication concerns commonly face. An intake screening is required to assess for group readiness and appropriate fit.

Maximum size of group is six members.

$175.00 / 75-minute group (includes group material cost)

Facilitators: Gail Stolarik, SLP and Cate Riihimaki, LPC

WHEN POPSICLES AND BANDAIDS NO LONGER WORK: PARENT SUPPORT GROUP  (Virtual)
Wednesdays      12:00pm - 1:15pm                               

You are not alone. You, too, are worthy of care and support. This parent and caregiver group is focused on supporting parents of youth who are struggling with chronic health concerns. As therapists who specialize in helping adolescents who are living symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other chronic health issues. Dr. Gray and Cate are aware of the impact these illnesses have on caregivers and families in general. Caregivers (even siblings) often experience their own feelings of frustration, sadness, grief, fatigue, worry, self-doubt, guilt, and disappointment when trying to help their family member manage a chronic health concern. Dr. Gray and Cate work to create a safe, non-judgmental group experience in which members are encouraged to learn from and support one another. The purpose of this group is to provide care for the caregiver.

$175.00 / 70-minute group 

Facilitators:  Dr. Laura Gray, Clinical Psychologist and Cate Riihimaki, LPC

DBT ADVANCED PROCESS GROUP for COLLEGE STUDENTS (Online)
Thursdays                 4:30pm - 5:30pm                                                                                  

DBT Process Group is for members who have a deeper understanding of DBT Skills. This advanced group is designed to help reinforce continued practice and mastery of DBT skills and to provide a supportive atmosphere where members can work together to advance their wellness goals. Members of this group will work to strengthen skills needed to navigate college life: academic stress, physical and emotional wellness, social interactions, self-esteem, and end-of-semester burnout. Group members will take a deeper dive into more difficult concepts like Radical Acceptance, Opposite Action, and Self-Compassion. An intake screening is required to assess for group readiness and appropriate fit.

Maximum size of group is five members. 

$135.00 / 60-minute group 

Facilitators:  Cate Riihimaki, LPC

​

​

CLINICAL SUPERVISION GROUP for VIRGINIA-BASED RESIDENTS   (In Person)
                                                                     

Conveniently located to provide in-person supervision for residents of mental health-related professions in the Northern Virginia area . Together, Tracie and Cate have over 40 years of experience providing clinical services in a variety of settings, including, but not limited to: schools, community agencies, and private practice. These two-hour sessions are a combination of continued education and case review/consultation 

$200.00 / 120-minute bi-monthly group for Residents-in-Counseling 

Facilitators:  Tracie Epes, LPC and Cate Riihimaki, LPC 

bottom of page