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Group Counseling
Group Counseling in McKinney, TX
Therapeutic Groups for Adults and Teens
Counseling and Consulting Associates of North Texas has run group counseling in McKinney for decades, on a simple premise: some things only land when you hear them from someone who has lived them. A licensed counselor leads. A small group of people work on the same thing you are working on. You stop being the only one.
- 50-minute sessions
- In-person or telehealth
- Confidential & HIPAA-compliant
What Is Group Counseling and How Can It Help You Today?
Group counseling is therapy delivered to several people at once by one or more licensed counselors, usually five to twelve members meeting weekly for a set period. Members share a common concern such as grief, anxiety, addiction recovery or a life transition, and the counselor guides the discussion, keeps it safe and teaches skills, while the members themselves provide much of what makes it work.
That last part is the difference from individual counseling. In a group you hear your own situation described by someone else, in their words, and it stops sounding like a personal failing. You also get honest feedback from people with no stake in flattering you, and a low-risk place to practice the thing you are trying to change before taking it into the rest of your life.
What to Expect From Group Therapy Sessions at CCA
Most group therapy sessions run 60 to 90 minutes, weekly, in a private room in our McKinney office. The counselor opens, members check in, and the session moves through whatever the group's focus is: a skill, a topic, or whatever a member has brought that week. Nobody is put on the spot. New members frequently spend their first session or two just listening, which is normal and expected. Confidentiality is agreed by every member before joining, and groups are kept small deliberately so everyone gets airtime.
Types of Group Counseling and Support Groups at CCA
Groups are not interchangeable. The format matters as much as the topic, and our staff will help you find the right one.
Support Group Therapy for Shared Challenges and Growth
Shared-experience groups for grief, chronic illness, caregiving or divorce, where the primary value is being among people who already understand.
Skills-Based Group Therapy for Everyday Life Challenges
Structured, curriculum-based groups teaching specific tools for anxiety, anger, communication or parenting. Time-limited with a clear end point.
Process Group Therapy for Building Healthier Relationships
Open-ended groups focused on how members relate to each other in real time, which surfaces the patterns you carry into every relationship outside the room.
Group Counseling for Addiction Recovery and Support
Therapist-led recovery work addressing substance use and the patterns underneath it. Different from a peer-led twelve-step meeting, and often used alongside one.
Group Therapy Programs for Teens and Adolescents at CCA
Age-specific groups where the peer element is the active ingredient, since teenagers frequently accept from peers what they reject from adults.
Therapy Workshops, Classes, and Retreats in McKinney, TX
Shorter formats: weekend retreats, parenting classes and skills workshops for people who want the benefit without an ongoing weekly commitment.
Group Counseling
Groups Currently Running at CCA
Our groups change as needs change, and new ones form regularly. Here is what is running right now.
Wednesday mornings
Personal Growth Group for Men and Women
Facilitated by Suzanne Hales, Ed.D., LPC, LMFT
A mixed group for adults who want to grow, led by CCA's founder. Men and women work side by side, which brings perspectives you rarely hear from friends or a partner, and gives you a safe place to practice relating in new ways.
- When: Wednesdays, 8:30 to 10:00 a.m.
- Who it's for: Men and women
Wednesday mornings
Personal Growth Group for Women
Facilitated by Dr. Heather Twedell, PsyD
A group where women can focus on themselves alongside other women who understand the pressures they carry. Members find support, honest feedback and room to grow.
- When: Wednesdays, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
- Who it's for: Women
8-week group
Lose Your Mind and Come to Your Senses
Co-ed group · 8-session commitment
This co-ed group meets on Monday evenings for eight weeks. Members learn time-honored methods of stress reduction, build stronger communication skills, and gain greater clarity about who they are and what they truly want from life. The approach moves you out of the rational mind and into the sensory experience of the body.
- When: Mondays, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
- Commitment: 8 sessions
- Who it's for: Men and women (co-ed)
8-week group
Passion and Intimacy: A Small Group Experience for Couples
For couples · 8-session commitment
This group for couples meets on Monday evenings for eight weeks. Partners work on increasing communication, intimacy and passion in their relationship. Couples learn methods of repair in times of conflict, ways to communicate authentically in the moment, and how to lovingly support one another while expressing their true wants, needs and desires.
- When: Mondays, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
- Commitment: 8 sessions
- Who it's for: Couples
Prefer private sessions? See couples counseling.
Why Group Counseling for Adults Works
You stop believing you are the only one, which is often the single largest shift
Feedback from people with no reason to spare your feelings
A practice ground for new behavior before you use it at home or at work
Perspective from members further along the same road, and purpose from being that person for someone newer
Accountability that a weekly individual session does not always create
Typically a lower cost per session than individual counseling
Connection, which for many adults is the actual missing ingredient rather than insight
Using Group Counseling Alongside Individual Therapy
Group and individual work do different jobs, and many of our clients do both. Individual counseling gives you depth and privacy on your own history. Group gives you the mirror, the practice and the company. Because both happen in the same building, your individual counselor and your group facilitator can coordinate, and moving between them does not mean explaining yourself from the beginning to a new practice.
Meet the Licensed Group Counselors at CCA North Texas
Every group here is facilitated by a licensed clinician, not a peer volunteer. Running a group well is a distinct skill: managing the room, protecting quieter members, keeping one person from dominating and knowing when to let a difficult moment continue. Our group counselors are licensed professional counselors, clinical social workers and psychologists drawn from the same 20+ person team that provides individual therapy here.
Rebecca Sims
M.Ed., LPC Associate
Individual Therapist
- Accepting new clients
Sabrina Denise Henderson
MS, LPC-A, NCC
Individual Therapist
- Accepting new clients
Steve Jett
LPC
Individual Therapist
- Accepting new clients
Jeffrey McManus
MSN, PMHNP-BC
Individual Therapist
- Accepting new clients
Zach Nicholson
MS, LPC
Individual Therapist
- Accepting new clients
Brooke Tucker
LPC
Individual Therapist
- Accepting new clients
Scott Schultz
MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
- Accepting new clients
Becky Dunlap
LPC-S
Individual Therapist
- Accepting new clients
Online Group Counseling Across Texas
Some of our groups meet by secure video for members anywhere in Texas. Online group counseling suits people managing distance, mobility, chronic illness or a schedule that will not accommodate a commute. You will need a private space and a working camera, since being visible to the group matters more here than in individual telehealth. Ask which of the current groups meet remotely.
How to Join a Counseling Group
Three steps between here and sitting down with your therapist.
Step 1: Reach Out
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Call 972.542.8144 or check the events calendar to see what is open.
Step 2: Screening Conversation
A brief conversation with the facilitator to confirm the group fits what you need, and that you fit the group. This protects everyone, including you.
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Step 3: Join Your First Session
Complete intake forms online beforehand. Plan to mostly listen the first week.
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FAQ
Group Counseling Questions, Answered
Do I Have to Talk in Group Therapy?
Not before you are ready. Most members listen for the first session or two, and facilitators are trained to include quieter members without cornering them. That said, the people who get the most out of group are generally the ones who eventually speak.
Is What I Say in Group Confidential?
Every member agrees to confidentiality before joining, and the facilitator is bound by the same professional and legal obligations that apply in individual counseling. The honest difference is that a group has more people in it, so the guarantee rests partly on member agreement rather than solely on law. Facilitators take that agreement seriously and address breaches directly.
How Many People Are in a Group Counseling Session?
Typically five to twelve, depending on the format. Small enough that everyone gets airtime, large enough for a genuine range of perspectives.
Is Group Therapy as Effective as Individual Counseling?
For many concerns, research finds group therapy comparably effective, and for some, including social anxiety and addiction recovery, the group element adds something individual work cannot replicate. They are different tools rather than a better and worse version of the same one.
Does Insurance Cover Mental Health Group Therapy?
Many plans cover group therapy, often at a lower copay than individual sessions. Coverage varies by carrier and by group type, since psychoeducational classes are sometimes treated differently from clinical group therapy. Call and our staff will verify before you enroll.
Where Can I Find Group Counseling Near Me in McKinney?
CCA North Texas runs therapist-led counseling groups at 1575 Heritage Drive, Suite 200 in McKinney, serving Collin County including Allen, Frisco, Plano and Prosper, with some groups meeting online statewide. Call 972.542.8144 or check our events calendar for what is currently open.
What if I Know Someone in the Group?
Tell us during screening. McKinney is not a large town and this comes up. We will place you in a different group.
Can I Leave if It Is Not Right for Me?
Yes. We ask members to give it a few sessions, since early discomfort is common and usually passes, and to tell the facilitator rather than simply disappearing. If it is still not right after that, we will help you find something that is.
Join a Counseling Group in McKinney, TX
Almost nobody arrives at a group enthusiastic about the idea. Sitting in a room and saying true things in front of strangers sounds like the opposite of help, right up until the first time someone else describes your exact situation out loud. Group counseling in McKinney, TX starts with a phone call to 972.542.8144 and a short conversation about which group fits. We are at 1575 Heritage Drive, Suite 200, McKinney, TX 75069, with evening groups available.
24/7
- In Crisis? Get Help Now
Group counseling is not a substitute for urgent care. Call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline,
free and confidential, 24 hours a day. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call 911.
