top of page

Power of Support Groups 

We carefully screen and select group members with similar feelings, worries, life challenges, likely to have common purposes. So that you will

  • Understand each other better, feel less lonely, isolated or judged

  • process distress, depression, anxiety and stress together

  • talk openly and honestly about your worries

  • learn skills to cope with challenges 

  • practice social skills

  • stay motivated and motivate others 

  • learn share valuable resources with each other

  • get practical feedback about difficult life decisions you're about to make 

  • EMPOWER EACH OTHER 

​​

 Asian American eMPOWERMENT gROUP

--Reclaim your cultural, racial, relational and Sexual Voice

Group Facilitator:

Zhenyi Yang  (she/her), MHC-LP

Esme Peng (She/her), NYU MHC Candidate

​

Supervisor:

Huilin Lai, LCSW-R, CST

​

​

Language: English and Mandarin Chinese

​

​

As Asian Americans, we all experience uncertainty, loneliness, stress, and challenges sometimes. We need support adapting to an unfamiliar environment, getting used to different cultural norms, and cultivating romantic and sexual connections. 

 

You're not alone. We can embrace cultural, racial, gender, relational and emotional challenges together!!!!

 

Everyone is welcomed to share your stories and feelings, solve your puzzles, and get to know your true self.

Agenda
 

Each 90 min meeting will include:
45 min lecture + 45 min group discussion

  • Session 1: Welcome to the group & Stress management

  • Session 2: Embracing your emotions & inner child

  • Session 3: Eating and body-image: Intuitive eating and Body positivity

  • Session 4: Discussions about Identity I: Gender and sexuality 

  • Session 5: Discussions about identity II: Race, ethnicity, and culture

  • Session 6: Interpersonal relationships

  • Session 7: Love and Sex I

  • Session 8: Love and Sex II

  • Session 9: Intimacy and attachment I

  • Session 10: Intimacy and attachment II​

Women empowerment group 

​

--Part 1 Ladies, let's talk about Love and Sex

Group Facilitator:

​

NYU MHC/MSW Interns

​

​

Supervisor:

Huilin Lai, LCSW-R, CST

​

​

​

Language: English 

​

​

As a result of thousands of years of male centered relationship and sex education, most women grew up with limited access to women centered relationship and sex positive education. Young women in the NYC area are facing more challenges exploring racial, cultural gender, relational and professional identities. 

 

Our women empowerment program can make a positive impact on the lives of young women beyond relationship and sexual health outcomes. It can also play a role in shaping their life prospects and their social and economic potential. We will discuss relationship and sexuality values, relationship and sexuality in a context, sex positive and women centered communication, stages of relationship building, attachment theory, Gottman methods, sexual diversity, body image issues, diet culture and intuitive eating, body positivity and more. 

Agenda

Each 90 min meeting will include:
45 min lecture + 45 min group discussion

  • Session 1: Intro, Relationship and Values

  • Session 2: Sexuality and Values 

  • Session 3: Sexuality and Communication

  • Session 4: Discovering the Sexual Self 

  • Session 5: Experience the Sexual Other 

  • Session 6: Sexual Attraction and Early Relationships 

  • Session 7: Sexuality and Developing Relationships 

    • Identify what makes romantic relationships succeed (sexual vs nonsexual elements)

  • Session 8: Sexuality and Committed Relationships 

    • Relationship troubles (Gottman 4 common problems)

    • Attachment vs differentiation

    • Gottman 7 principles 

  • Session 9: Promote Intuitive Eating and body positivity

  • Session 10: Graduation, Q & A

Women empowerment group 

​

--Part 2 Ladies, let's reconstruct Love and Sex

Group Facilitator:

​

NYU MHC/MSW Interns

 

​

Supervisor:

Huilin Lai, LCSW-R, CST

Language: English 

​

​

Part 2 focusing on reconstruct love, sex and bringing people together. We cannot build a relationship and sex positive culture alone.

​

We’ll explore ways to validate sexual diversity and deconstruct the gender binary system. We’re also going to examine and deconstruct the intersection of race, gender and sexuality in the US, as well as facilitate conversations around decolonizing sexuality, confronting white supremacy and toxic male sexuality. 

​

As we exam and decolonize sexuality, we can make room to embrace the new model of healthy male sexuality and END the war with men.  Men are NOT our enemies. We want to be able to love them. And especially for some of us who are attracted to men, we can finally allow ourselves to fully enjoy intimacy, pleasure and eroticism with our current or future male partner(s) after we end the war with men. 

Agenda

Each 90 min meeting will include:
45 min lecture + 45 min group discussion

  • Session 1: Intro, Let’s talk more about men

  • Session 2: Confront toxic male sexuality

    • Embrace the new model of healthy male sexuality 

  • Session 3: Implement intimacy, pleasuring and eroticism

  • Session 4: Explore Gender and Sexuality from scratch

  • Session 5: Sexual Styles and Good Enough Sex

  • Session 6: Let’s QUEER! Increase knowledge and debunk myths

  • Session 7: Monogamy, consensual non-monogamy, infidelity 

  • Session 8: Inclusivity 101-- Start from never self-claiming the word, “Ally”

Healing our inner child through art

Group Facilitator:

Sapphire Chao (she/her), LCAT, ATR-BC

Sarah Zhang (she/her), NYU MHC Candidate

Language:  English and Mandarin Chinese

​

​

  • Looking to enhance the awareness and acceptance of our own emotions?

  • Needing a safe space to explore the emotions in our relationships and culture?

  • Wanting to gain deeper insights into the internal struggle?

  • Longing for a healing community to practice self compassion together?

​

​

Agenda

Each 90 min meeting will include:
40 min warm up activity and art making + 50 min group discussion and closing activity

  • Session 1: Map out the embodied emotions

  • Session 2: Emotions in our relationships

  • Session 3: Recognize our internal struggles

  • Session 4: Underneath the struggle

  • Session 5: Healing box

Art therapy and intimate relationship

Group Facilitator:

Sapphire Chao (she/her), LCAT, ATR-BC

Sarah Zhang (she/her), NYU MHC Candidate

Language:  English and Mandarin Chinese

​

​

  • Looking to regain a sense of hope and identify strengths in an intimate relationship?

  • Looking to gain better insight into an intimate relationship?

  • Struggling to develop a strong sense of self in an intimate relationship?

  • Needing a safe space to better understand triggers in an intimate relationship?

  • Wanting to increase the awareness of unmet attachment?

  • Needing more support in practicing assertiveness skills in an intimate relationship?

Agenda

Each 90 min meeting will include:
40 min warm up activity and art making + 50 min group discussion and closing activity

  • Session 1: How I see myself in a relationship

  • Session 2: Communication in relationship

  • Session 3: Underneath our words and actions.

  • Session 4: Vision of our relationship

  • Session 5: Group together activity

Mandarin Speaking Art Therapy Group

Group Facilitator:

Sapphire Chao (she/her), LCAT, ATR-BC

Sarah Zhang (she/her), NYU MHC Candidate

Language:  Mandarin Chinese

​

​

  • Looking to meet other Mandarin speaking students or young professionals?

  • Needing a safe and creative space to explore your racial and cultural identities,  and process their impact on your life?

  • Needing more creative allies to navigate this world as international students and young professionals ?

  • Or Simply wanting to maintain social connections through arts during this difficult time?

​

​

Colorful Pens

qUEER SUPPORT GROUP

Group Facilitator:

​

Yiyao Ding (they/them). LMSW

 

​

Supervisor:

Huilin Lai, LCSW-R, CST

Language: English and Mandarin Chinese

​

​

  • Looking to meet other LGBTQIA+ people?

  • Needing a safe space to explore your gender identity, sexuality and process their impact on your life?

  • Needing more allies to navigate this heteronormative world?

  • Or Simply wanting to maintain social connections during this difficult time?

​

​

Paper Heart
Diversity Students

Still unsure about our groups?

A lot of people are unfamiliar with the group modality and expressed concerns of joining groups. We understand. Support groups may have drawbacks but effective groups with skillful group facilitators can help steer away from potential problems.

 

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers:

​

bottom of page