1. EDUCATIONAL DISCUSSION
2. EXPERIENTIAL
3. DYNAMIC
4. COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL
5. INTEGRATIVE
6. SUPPORTIVE
7. SPECIALTY PROGRAMMING

I. EDUCATIONAL DISCUSSION

Healthy Relationships

Community and Career Transitions

Life Strategies Group

Narrative Psychotherapy

Attachment and Coping Style

Mind Matters

Healthy Relationships

This group explores the interaction, communication (verbal and nonverbal), and emotional styles that characterize relationships with family, friends, romantic partners and work associates. Group members learn to identify their own positive and negative relationship patterns as well as how to mentalize other people, choose and pace relationships mindfully, express themselves clearly and directly, establish healthy boundaries, and resolve interpersonal conflicts.

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Community and Career Transitions

Community and Career Transitions Group is designed to support the emerging adult during the transition through various phases of community involvement and ultimately toward discharge. Individuals join the group 1-2 months prior to discharge from the Residence. Group focuses on discussion of emotional issues as well as the development and refinement of practical skills. Participants are asked to envision their future (social, career, school), and discuss past experiences to build insight into current needs and goals. The Community and Career Transitions Group is a place for members to obtain support, discuss interests, plan and initiate steps toward their long term goals for the future. Needs identification, decision making, self-care, career planning, exploration, networking, goal setting, and interests and values are all areas of focus.

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Life Strategies Group

This group focuses on strengthening the emerging adult’s core life competencies. Through individual assessment of executive functioning skills, (e.g. planning, organizing, problem solving and task completion), values identification, and goal setting, each member works to improve and refine their skills via real life projects. This group combines didactic, discussion and experiential modes of learning.

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Narrative Psychotherapy

This group offers a forum for the emerging adult to share his/her life story with the peer community. Narrative or storytelling is a natural extension of mentalizing. Reflections on present and past of what may be fragmented emotions, thoughts and behaviors are organized into a coherent self-story. This allows critical experiences to be integrated into a life story rather than persist in fragments that may contribute to anxiety, disconnection and other psychiatric symptoms that interfere with functioning. It contributes to the formation of identity and gives meaning to experiences that may stand alone in time. Multiple meanings may be constructed about experience as the facilitator leads the process of deconstructing individual narratives through careful questioning. These stories may be written or verbalized and may include pictures, music and other important modes of self-expression. Group members are encouraged to be active listeners and to provide feedback and support.

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Attachment and Coping Styles

In this group members learn about the attachment process and identify their primary attachment style. Discussion focuses on how one’s attachment style developed from infancy and beyond and how it is reinforced in relationships in the present. This occurs at the neurobiological and relational level with experience directly forming brain organization. Emerging adult brains are developmentally open to structural change through changes in relating. Focus on attachment related coping styles and self-regulation offers members opportunities to work on challenging and strengthening personal patterns. Individual behavioral goals toward achieving “earned secure attachment” are clarified and reviewed weekly.

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Mind Matters

The treatment model at Yellowbrick is rooted strongly in developmental neuroscience, in particular how the brain and mind process emotional and relational experience, memory, and new learning. Mind Matters group combines psycho-educational and experiential approaches to learning about, and observing, how our minds and brains work, and applying that knowledge to improve our personal and interpersonal effectiveness. The group includes didactic and group discussion formats to train participants in the use of specific techniques including: 1) mentalizing, 2) relaxation and self-soothing, 3) guided visualization 4) self-motivation, 5) mind-body attunement and integration.

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II. EXPERIENTIAL

Art Therapy

Connections

Yoga

Makom Open Studio

Movie Night

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Art Therapy

Art Therapy provides a safe and structured environment where clients can explore emotions with both traditional and non-traditional media. Emphasis is placed on the creative process rather than the product. Unconscious feelings and internal conflicts may be brought to the surface and resolved symbolically. The art therapist facilitates the client’s dialogue with his own art. The therapeutic value offered by meditation on art is generally an infusion of imagination and awareness rather than a specific answer. It is the role of the art therapist to help the client find comfort in this. Art provides an experiential versus a verbal experience in which the client may find healthy solutions to problems, increase self-esteem and self-awareness.

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Connections

As emerging adults move toward greater independence it is critical to have opportunities for informal social connection. Connections group is one of a number of places within Yellowbrick where this occurs. This group meets daily during the lunch hour and is comprised of people with and without eating disorders. For individuals who struggle with eating disorders, eating itself may cause anxiety, and often requires support and supervision. Eating with others may pose further difficulties. The emphasis is upon making this usually challenging part of the day easier for these individuals while providing nourishment in a non-threatening supportive atmosphere. For those without eating disorders it provides a relaxed social networking opportunity. Participation offers a forum to get acquainted outside of the therapeutic environment while making connections with one another.

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Yoga

Yoga instruction either individually or in groups assists in the development of a centered sense of self, mindfulness practice, and an affirmative, empowered relationship to one’s body. The experience of yoga practice elicits the emergence of emotions which themselves are non-verbal. This allows access to disconnected emotional parts of oneself that can be brought into all areas of treatment.

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Makom Open Studio

Open Studio at Makom is a place for relaxation, creation and connection. It is the role of the Creative Arts Coordinator to facilitate through education, encouragement and role modeling this process of creation. Yellowbrick intentionally created a non-institutionalized space in which the young adult may take a leadership role in the design and building of their own environment. The philosophy of Makom is to maintain a space that is consistent in nature to those frequented by the emerging adult. It is a space conducive to long term projects and visualization. The environment should naturally stimulate socialization amongst participants as they observe others work and engage in group projects and individual projects. Ideas and needs are brought to the Creative Arts Coordinator and explored within a group setting before implementation. Building furniture, a movie projection system and quiet spaces for reflection are all examples of this sort of endeavor. Respect for each other’s work and keeping Makom a place of peace and growth is the ideal.

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Movie Night

This is informal group takes place in Makom with a focus on social connection and exploration of issues relevant to the emerging adult. Members will make the selection of the film and process the experience through facilitated discussion.

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III. DYNAMIC

Men’s/Women’s Group

The group is divided along gender lines and discussion centers around the influence of gender roles, life experience, same gender friendships, intimate relationships, gender identity, and self experience. The group also focuses on educational aspects of sexuality, physiology, history of gender roles, and health. Relationships between members of the group are explored in a safe environment which allows others to reflect on their relationships within the here and now and perceptions of self and others in the group.

Group Psychotherapy

In this process oriented group the focus is on relationships among members as much as the content of what is discussed. Through verbal communication participants hear how others deal with similar issues and problems. Those in the group receive vital support and encouragement from peers and staff. Each person in the group therapy session can try out new ways of behaving in a safe, supportive environment, as well as learning how they are perceived by others.

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IV. COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL

Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a research-supported treatment which combines cognitive-behavioral theory and methods with Eastern meditative principles and practices. DBT addresses problems in regulating emotions, painful or maladaptive patterns of thinking and self defeating, self injuring or impulsive behavior.

Group Skills Training: A skills training group combines lecture, discussion and practice exercises to develop and refine skills in Mindfulness = non-judgmental, present moment awareness and acceptance; Emotion Regulation = Identifying emotions, managing emotional reactivity and increasing positive emotional experiencing; Interpersonal Effectiveness = improving interpersonal interactions and relationships while maintaining self-respect ; Distress Tolerance = Skills for tolerating painful events and emotions.

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V. INTEGRATIVE

Intentions

This group begins each day of Yellowbrick’s intensive group programming. In order to maximize individual’s capacity to benefit from the day ahead, members are guided to ground themselves in the present moment and identify what approach to their day will benefit them the most based upon their current needs. Out of this self exploration each member clarifies and shares with their peers an intention for the day.

Self Integration

Self Integration group offers participants the time and forum for reflection upon the events of the treatment day. As the last group of the day, members are encouraged to revisit their intentions from the morning and their experiences throughout the day. Each member shares what they want/need to continue to focus upon and what they want/need to leave behind as the evening and night unfold. The group is designed to create a ritual for what many adults do naturally as the day winds down. This process transforms what might otherwise be stored as fragmented or incoherent experiences into more coherent and stable narratives, promoting flexibility and adaptation.

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VI. SUPPORTIVE

Work Group

This group meets twice weekly to offer a structured time for members to work on a range of educational and vocational tasks. Common activities include: study skill enhancement, completion of coursework, resume writing, and job hunting. Staff support is available as needed.

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VI. SPECIALTY PROGRAMMING

Addictions Specialty Service

Trauma Recovery Program

Eating Disorder Program

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Addictions Specialty Service

The Addictions Specialty Service Program consists of 3 hours of group treatment that are part of the Substance Abuse Service. The program is divided into three interrelated components:

1. Experiential
   Art Therapy (described earlier) emphasizes the importance of accessing emotions through non-verbal experiences and emotionally arousing techniques, which focus on the relationship between the self and addictive behaviors.
   
   
2. Educational
   Weekly substance abuse educational sessions provide the emerging adult insight into their relationship with substance abuse and the effects it can have on all areas of their lives. A key focus centers on the relationship between shame and substance abuse. Relapse prevention techniques are identified and Twelve Step introduction is provided. Participation in Twelve Step Programming is strongly encouraged.
   
   
3. Interpersonal Group Therapy
   This group explores the experiences and feelings in relationship to oneself and others that are associated with substance abuse and the struggles that are often associated with early recovery. Through interpersonal process experiences it is a place where peers can share their fears and struggles and work together to try and find meaning and fulfillment in life without mind altering substances.

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Trauma Recovery Program

Yellowbrick offers both Men’s and Women’s Trauma Recovery Programs. This is a prescriptive program that consists of 3 hours of group treatment. The program is divided into 3 interrelated components. Issues specific to men and women are addressed in the education/discussion component, as they arise in the interpersonal group and via the separation of all group components.

1. Experiential
   This group alternates a series of groups focused on Mindfulness and Self Awareness including yoga, art therapy (described earlier) and other mind-body techniques.
   
   
2. Educational
   The Education & Discussion Group provides education on an array of common experiences individuals have in their lives after trauma. Members learn how their traumatic experiences affected them specifically and are taught skills for managing trauma related symptoms in the present.
   
   
3. Interpersonal Group Therapy
   This group is for individuals who have experienced early interpersonal trauma. Within the context of the latest neuro-biologic understanding of trauma and traumatic attachment, the impact of trauma on the body, and the psychology of mindfulness, this group focuses on how trauma influences one’s self and interpersonal relationships in the present. Based upon the research of trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk, this group adheres to an interpersonal forces format with the addition of techniques for managing sensorimotor aspects of traumatic memory.

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Eating Disorder Program

The Eating Disorder Program consists of 3 ½ hours of group treatment that are part of the Eating Disorder Service. The group treatment is divided into three interrelated components.

1. Experiential
   Art Therapy and Yoga alternate each week. These therapies (described earlier) emphasize the importance of accessing emotions through non-verbal experiences and emotionally arousing techniques, which focus on the relationship between the body, self, and the eating disorder.
   
   
2. Peer-Supported Meal/Symptom Management Group
   The group eats together with the Registered Dietician. The goal is to have an enjoyable and successful meal experience; socializing, receiving/offering support as indicated and attempting to enact one’s individual food plan goals. Symptom management goals from the previous week and the experience of efforts to achieve them are discussed. DBT and other effective strategies are reviewed.
   
   
3. Interpersonal Group Therapy
   This group explores the experiences within oneself and relationships that contribute to the origin and sustenance of the eating disorder. Group members discuss their relationships both within and outside the group and their feelings about their struggles in treatment.

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At Yellowbrick, emerging adults find their way home.

For more information, please contact Yellowbrick at 866.364.2300.