GROUP THERAPY
Discover Healing, Connection, and Strength in a Supportive Group Setting
If you or your teen have tried traditional, one-on-one therapy and still feel stuck, you are not alone. While individual sessions offer dedicated focus, group therapy provides unique benefits that individual therapy simply cannot replicate.
From building emotional resilience to mastering real-world coping mechanisms, participating in a group fosters a sense of shared community and mutual support. Surrounded by peers facing similar challenges, individuals build key life skills, including accountability, self-discovery, emotional regulation, and self-confidence.
Whether you are navigating symptoms of depression, anxiety, or relational struggles, group therapy offers a structured, compassionate environment where real, lasting growth happens.
Why Choose McCaskill Family Services for Group Therapy?
When it comes to specialized group programs, who leads the group matters. At McCaskill Family Services, our group therapy programs are designed and facilitated by fully licensed, highly experienced mental health professionals committed to personalized, evidence-based care.
- Expert-Led Sessions: Our specialized groups—such as our Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Teen Group—are directly led by senior clinical leaders, including Fully Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr. Amanda Klingensmith and Jaclyn Rink, MSCP, LLP.
- Limited Group Sizes for Personalized Care: We intentionally cap our group sizes. This ensures that every participant receives individualized guidance, active support, and tailored feedback throughout every session.
- Integrated, Collaborative Care: We don’t operate in a silo. For our teen programs, we work directly with your child’s existing individual therapist to ensure seamless, coordinated care across all treatment plan goals.
- Specialized, Unique Offerings: From evidence-based cognitive and behavioral skill-building groups to experiential options like Equine-Assisted Therapy (in partnership with Howell Equestrian), we offer diverse modalities tailored to different learning and healing styles.
We offer virtual therapy that fits your schedule.
- Convenience: Connect with your licensed psychologist from the comfort of home or office.
- Broad Access: Online sessions are available to residents anywhere in Michigan, as well as participating PSYPACT states.
- Same High Standard: Receive the same evidence-based treatments delivered with maximum privacy and flexibility.
Group Therapy vs. Individual Therapy: Which Is Right for You?
Understanding the difference between group and individual therapy can help you make the best decision for your mental health journey. While individual therapy focuses deeply on personal history and 1:1 processing, group therapy acts as a real-time laboratory for practicing life skills. While both individual and group therapy offer powerful paths toward healing, they serve distinct purposes in your mental health journey.
Individual Therapy provides a deep, personalized environment focused entirely on your unique history and private concerns. Working one-on-one with a therapist creates a dedicated space for deep trauma processing, self-reflection, and tailored interventions. That makes individual therapy the ideal choice for unpacking personal history or stabilizing during a mental health crisis.
Group Therapy, on the other hand, acts as a real-time laboratory for practical growth. Instead of just talking about your life, group sessions allow you to practice skills like emotional regulation, boundary-setting, and communication alongside peers facing similar challenges. By replacing isolation with genuine camaraderie, group therapy gives you a supportive community to practice new coping strategies and hold yourself accountable—making it an exceptional complement to traditional 1:1 care.
Specialized Group Therapy Programs We Offer
In-Person DBT Skills Training Group for Teens (Ages 13–18)
In today’s digital environment, teen rates of anxiety, depression, and emotional distress are at an all-time high. Our Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills Group teaches practical, evidence-based tools to help teens manage overwhelming thoughts and emotions.
- Core Skills Taught: Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Effectiveness.
- Format: In-Person
- Schedule: 8 weekly sessions | 90 minutes per session.
- Investment: $190.00 per session ($1,520 full 8-week course). Billed as group therapy with a licensed Ph.D. Psychologist.
- Requirements: Teens must be ages 13–18 and have an active individual therapist. Registration is first-come, first-served due to strictly limited group sizes.
Healthy Relationships Group for Teens
Teens can be particularly vulnerable to peer pressure, toxic dynamics, and unhealthy dating relationships. Using an evidence-based approach, this group raises awareness around the signs of unhealthy relationships and equips teens with the communication and boundary-setting skills needed to form safe, gratifying, and supportive connections.
Equine-Assisted Therapy Groups (Horse Therapy)
In partnership with Howell Equestrian, McCaskill Family Services offers experiential equine therapy. Horses possess a unique natural ability to mirror human emotional states. Guided by a specialized equine therapist, participants engage in therapeutic riding and groundwork activities that provide instant feedback on self-defeating behaviors, negative thought patterns, and communication habits.
PEERS Social Skills Program for Neurodivergent Children (Ages 10-14)
The PEERS social skills program is an evidence-based group designed for neurodivergent children ages 10 to 14 who wish to build their ‘toolbox’ of social skills and confidence in a safe, neuro affirming environment with like-minded peers. They will learn practical skills such as beginning and ending conversations, managing bullying and conflict, using appropriate humor, and establishing and maintaining friendships.
Parents will also receive education and support through their own concurrent group, where they will learn how to support their child’s skills and how to foster meaningful friendships and interactions. Children and parents will use real-world practice between sessions to support and reinforce the skills learned in the group. Sessions will consist of hands-on group activities, role-plays, and video demonstrations.
The PEERS group is facilitated by Caitlin Mahoney, MS, TLLP, PEERS certified provider, and Dr. Amanda Klingensmith, Ph.D.
The program lasts for 8 weeks and costs $170 per session. Sessions take place in-person at our Plymouth office. Please call 734-416-9098 to register for an upcoming session.
Office Locations & Directions
Plymouth Office
Parkview Professional Building
409 Plymouth Road, Suite 250
Plymouth, MI 48170
Phone: (734) 416-9098
Serving Plymouth, Canton, Livonia, Northville, and Western Wayne County
Brighton Office
Grand River Annex
2040 Grand River Annex, Suite 300
Brighton, MI 48114
Phone: (810) 224-1676
Serving Brighton, Howell, Hartland, South Lyon, and Livingston County
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I register myself or my teen for a group therapy session?
You can register by contacting our administrative office directly at (734) 416-9098 or emailing office@mccaskillfamilyservices.com. Because our group sizes are strictly limited to ensure personalized attention, registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Do I need to have an individual therapist to join a group?
Some groups require individual therapists. For more information on requirements for specific groups, please call our office.
How does virtual group therapy work via Zoom?
Our online group therapy sessions are held via a secure, HIPAA-compliant Zoom platform. This allows participants to participate comfortably from home while still engaging in active skill demonstration, peer discussions, and group exercises led by our licensed clinicians.
Is group therapy covered by insurance?
McCaskill Family Services is a self-pay practice. Each 90-minute session is billed as a group therapy session led by a licensed clinician. We can provide formal receipts (superbills) after each session that you can submit directly to your health insurance provider for potential out-of-network reimbursement. For more information, visit our Billing & Insurance page.
