3 Highly Recommended San Diego Therapy Groups
The hard seasons of life can feel isolating, but you don’t have to navigate them alone. Group therapy offers something uniquely powerful: a dedicated space full of people who get it, led by a seasoned clinician who supports the healing process. At Pathways Family Therapy, our San Diego therapy groups are intentionally designed to help you form real connections, develop the practical skills you need, and create a support network that walks with you toward lasting change. Learn about our current offerings here, and reach out when you’re ready to take the next step.
Jump to a group
Current support group offerings
Social Emotional Processing Group
This is a supportive space for adults working through social challenges, anxiety, self-criticism, relational patterns, independent living skills, and life transitions. Members practice sharing, relating, problem-solving, naming what they feel, and using active listening skills for others in the group, all with the guidance of a therapist.
- Who: 18-35yo adults
- When: Mondays 11:00 – 11:45 am
- Where: In-person at our San Diego office
- Cost: $100
- Facilitator: Connor Seidler, LMFT
Men’s Group
This is a group for adult men working on identity, decision making, partner/peer relationships, fatherhood, work stress, and the parts of life they rarely get to talk about openly. As men, it can be challenging to open up, so this group offers a supportive space with meaningful feedback to help you stabilize and step forward in life.
- Who: 35-50-year-old men
- When: Alternating Tuesdays 12:00 – 1:30 pm
- Where: In-person at our Chula Vista office
- Cost: $200 (as this is a 90min group)
- Facilitator: Jeff Williams, LCSW
Young Men’s Group
This is a processing group for younger men navigating the move into adulthood, including school pressure, career direction, relationships, family dynamics, and emotional self-awareness. In this group, you’ll learn more about yourself and get support from peers who can relate.
- Who: 18-25 year old men
- When: Alternating Fridays 11:00 – 11:45 am
- Where: In-person at our Chula Vista office
- Cost: $100
- Facilitator: Jeff Williams, LCSW
Meet the group therapy facilitators
Connor Seidler, LMFT
- Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #146060
- Group: Social Emotional Processing Group
- Relevant experience: Practiced in both residential and private practice settings, experience working with individuals and complex family systems, specializes in low self-esteem, mood disorders, thought disorders, and relationships that feel stuck
- Facilitation style: Strengths-based, empowering, focused on building communication skills
Jeff Williams, LCSW
- Credentials: Licensed Clinical Social Worker #28894, 300+ hours of training in Structural Family Therapy
- Group: Men’s Group and Young Men’s Group
- Relevant experience: Working in the mental health field since 2002. Experience with severely emotionally disabled teens, individual/couples/family therapy, substance use in men and young men, and transitions to/from residential treatment settings.
- Facilitation style: Warm, sensitive, direct
Common reasons for group counseling
Connection
Feeling isolated, misunderstood, or different
Grief
Processing grief or loss
Support
Coping with trauma, major transitions, anxiety, or depression
Healing
Recovering from trauma or abuse
Accountability
Seeking accountability in recovery or decision-making
Growth
Feeling stuck, numb, or disconnected
The Pathways Approach to Group Counseling
Our groups are designed with intention and led by skilled, compassionate clinicians who know how to hold space for vulnerability, safety, and growth.
We offer both open and closed groups, depending on the topic and treatment goals, and keep them small (3-5 participants) so that everyone can participate without feeling overwhelmed.
Our approach to group therapy may include:
- Psychoeducation and skill-building to help with regulation, communication, and emotional insight
- Process-oriented work where clients share experiences and give/receive support
- Themed groups (e.g., grief, trauma, anxiety, LGBTQ+, recovery) for deeper relevance
- Art and mindfulness practices for groups needing alternative modes of expression
- Trauma-informed structure to ensure safety and boundaries are respected
Group therapy isn’t just about talking — it’s about witnessing and being witnessed. That can change everything.
What sets our practice apart from other group therapy providers in San Diego
- Clinicians with deep experience. Our team has worked in residential, sobriety, school, and outpatient settings, so we’re comfortable with the full range of what group members bring in.
- A focus on relationships. We don’t treat people in a vacuum. Your family, relationships, and environment all play a role.
- Evidence-based, personality-aware. We blend CBT, DBT, Person-Centered, EFT, Structural Family Therapy, IFS, and more, adapting the approach to fit the group rather than forcing the group to fit the method.
- Evening availability. We offer early morning and evening appointments to make getting support accessible for busy schedules.
- In-person & virtual options. Our therapists are available both in person and online so you can meet how you feel most comfortable.
What to expect from our support groups
A warm, structured first session
Your facilitator will welcome the group, set shared agreements around confidentiality and respect, and give everyone a chance to introduce themselves so you can begin to ease in.
A consistent weekly rhythm
Each session follows a predictable flow: check-ins, focused discussion, and closing reflections, so you always know what you’re walking into and transitioning out of.
Honest conversations
Facilitators guide the discussion so members can share what’s coming up for them without the group becoming a venting session or a pile-on. You’ll never be pressured to contribute, but the goal is for participation, active listening, and finding your space to engage in the healing process.
Skills you can carry into daily life
Beyond support and perspective, we help identify practical tools you can use in your everyday life.
FAQs about group therapy
Group therapy brings people together who are navigating similar struggles — anxiety, grief, trauma, identity, recovery, or simply the weight of life. In a guided, supportive space, you get to share, listen, and grow with others who understand — because they’re going through it too.
It’s not about performing or comparing. It’s about realizing you’re not alone. A trained therapist facilitates the group to ensure safety, respect, and meaningful conversation, while members support one another through shared stories, insights, and encouragement.
You don’t have to do this on your own. In fact, healing often happens faster when you don’t.
Support groups are generally peer-led and focused on shared experience, like addiction recovery, grief, or caregiving. Group therapy is led by a mental health professional and uses therapeutic frameworks to help members shift patterns, build skills, and process deeper material. Our groups operate as clinically facilitated group therapy that also provides connection and support from peers.
Group therapy tends to be a good fit for people who are looking for camaraderie from people going through similar experiences and who are open to giving and receiving feedback. It’s not meant to be a replacement for individual therapy, but it can be a helpful supplement or a next step for people who feel ready to taper down their one-on-one sessions.
Group therapy isn’t the right first step for everyone. It requires vulnerability in front of strangers, and progress can feel slower than individual work because attention is shared. Some people also find group dynamics difficult to navigate. Careful screening of potential group members and skilled facilitation from the therapist reduce these drawbacks, but can’t eliminate them entirely. Contact us for a free consultation if you’re not sure whether group therapy is right for you.
Yes. We’re actively planning additional offerings, including an Art Therapy Group for adults, a Women’s Group, a Grief Group, and a Parent Processing Group offered en Español. If any of these speak to you, reach out, and we’ll add you to the waitlist so you’re the first to know when they launch.
Group therapy is sometimes covered by insurance, but coverage can vary significantly. At Pathways Family Therapy, we don’t bill insurance directly. For clients with PPO plans, we provide a monthly superbill you can submit to your insurance provider for potential out-of-network reimbursement. We recommend calling your insurer beforehand to confirm your group therapy benefits, session limits, and the reimbursement rate you can expect.
Do you want to talk to someone about group therapy in San Diego?
Find Your Way Home
Locations
Central San Diego
5755 Oberlin Dr, Suite 108
San Diego CA 92121
Chula Vista
1415 Ridgeback Rd, Suite 2
Chula Vista, CA 91910