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Behavioral Health Group Therapy

About Group Therapy

Group therapy allows multiple participants, usually 4 to 8, to engage in discussions and activities to increase understanding, knowledge and skills of a specific topic. It also provides an opportunity for participants to experience supportive feedback in a safe, social environment. An additional benefit of attending group therapy is that many participants experience an increased feeling of “not being alone” in their struggles.

Behavioral Health group therapy is held at several Nationwide Children’s Close To Home Centers. The following group therapies are offered:

• Multi-Family Psychoeducational Psychotherapy (MF-PEP) for Children with Mood Disorders
• Multi-Family Psychoeducational Psychotherapy (MF-PEP) for Adolescents with Mood Disorders
• Incredible Years
• Eating Disorders

Multi-Family Psychoeducational Psychotherapy (MF-PEP) for Children with Mood Disorders

MF-PEP is an eight-week group designed to increase knowledge and problem solving skills related to a child’s mood disorders. This 90-minute group therapy is for children ages 8 to 12 with depression or bipolar disorder and their parents. Parents attend the parent group while simultaneously the children attend the child group.  Sessions focus on addressing goals of treatment utilization and symptom reduction and management. The length of treatment is weekly for 8 weeks.

MF-PEP Group Therapy Schedule

June 29 – August 17
5:00-6:30 pm
Westerville Close To Home Center on W. Schrock Rd.

August 3 – September 28
5:00-6:30 pm
East Columbus Close To Home Center

September 26 – November 21
5:00-6:30 pm
East Columbus Close To Home Center

September 29 – November 17
5:00-6:30 pm
Westerville Close To Home Center on W. Schrock Rd.

Multi-Family Psychoeducational Psychotherapy (MF-PEP) for Adolescents with Mood Disorders

MF-PEP (A) is an eight-week group designed to increase knowledge and problem solving skills related to a child’s mood disorders. This 90-minute group therapy is for adolescents ages 13 to 16 with depression or bipolar disorder and their parents. Parents attend the parent group while simultaneously the adolescents attend the adolescent group.  Sessions focus on addressing goals of treatment utilization and symptom reduction and management. The length of treatment is weekly for 8 weeks.   

Incredible Years

Incredible Years is a 12-week group program for parents of children ages 3 to 8 who display argumentative, resentful, non-compliant, and disrespectful behaviors associated with oppositional behavior. This 2-hour group therapy provides behavioral management education and training targeted at oppositional behaviors.

Incredible Years Schedule

June 28 – September 13
Noon – 2 pm
East Columbus Close To Home Center

September 13 – November 29
5:30 - 7:30 pm
Westerville Close To Home Center on W. Schrock Rd.
    
September 20 – December 6
5:00 – 7:00 pm
East Columbus Close To Home Center

Eating Disorder Groups

Groups are offered as an adjunct to individual and/or family therapy, and focus in two areas:  teaching skills to parents and adolescents, so that they can work on changing disordered eating behaviors; and helping adolescents who have been in treatment, and still have some progress to make in regards to handling some eating situations.  Groups are 8-20 weeks in length, depending on the group that is clinically appropriate. 

More Information

For more information about each group therapy or to determine if your child is a candidate for group therapy, call Nationwide Children’s Hospital Intake Department at (614) 355-8080.