Anchor Circle Community Groups

This group is geared toward younger adolescents and focuses specifically on the challenges they face when is comes to adjusting to high school, relating to peers, and working toward independence. Because younger teens are so impressionable, it is important they have a group tailored to meet their unique developmental and psychosocial needs.

The weekly format of this group will focus on building habits around time management, sleep, hygiene, and self-care. We will discuss ways to develop healthy communication, boundaries, and coping as it relates to peers and family members. Curriculum will focus on developing healthy friendships, internet safety, fostering healthy daily habits, self image, emotional regulation, problem solving, and making healthy choices. 

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This group is geared toward older adolescents and focuses specifically on the challenges they face when is comes to developing independence and planning for life after graduation, whether that means college or joining the workforce. Teens who are struggling with relationships and life management often struggle with optimism and future planning.  This uncertainty can be quite stressful, especially for individuals who are not feeling stable or secure. Additionally, older teens face ongoing challenges related to dating, peer relationships, and working through stressful family relationship dynamics. Teens at this stage often exhibit erratic emotions often followed by impulsive behaviors as they try to navigate the world around them. While this is a natural part of the maturation process, it is still a remarkably challenging time for both teens and their parents. 

The weekly format of this group will focus on building habits around time management, sleep, hygiene, and self-care as it relates to older teens.  Each week we will discuss ways to develop healthy communication, boundaries, and coping with both  peers and family members. Curriculum will focus on developing healthy dating practices, internet safety, recognizing and addressing peer pressure, fostering healthy daily habits, positive self image, emotional regulation, problem solving, and making healthy choices. 

This group is geared toward emerging adults who have completed their high school years or have attended a year or two of college, but are now home and have not found a path toward independence or adulthood. They often have limited peer supports, few (if any) social opportunities, and little interest in developing adult independence. Many emerging adults engage in a nocturnal existence and feel inadequate when it comes to "doing life." Because independence and autonomy is the developmental task of this age group, "failing to launch" has far reaching consequences and needs to be actively addressed. 

This Anchor Circle group will focus specifically on peer support, communication, healthy coping, goal setting, planning, and implementation. We will also address unhealthy habits, sleep, hygiene, daily life skills, substance use, and safe internet use. Each week we will practice healthy communication, boundaries, and coping with both peers and family members. Curriculum will focus on maintaining mental wellness, self-care, healthy communication, goal planning and implementation, and improving independence. 

For many young people, the transition to college is often the first major milestone and substantial right of passage into adulthood. It is the first time they have ever been away from the safety and care of their family. Young college students are challenged with the opportunity of adapting to a new and ever evolving stage of independence. For many, college life may be the first time they have ever had to share their sleeping space and bathroom with another person. It may be the first time they are feeding themselves and doing laundry while studying for a test and socializing. It they have not mastered efficient time management and healthy boundaries with others, this can often be where things begin to fall apart. 

We have found that individuals who have not developed  these life skills and the overall maturity to effectively adapt the their new environment, often flounder in the face of adversity. Sometimes having an additional layer of support through all the challenges is necessary in preventing the anxiety and depression that can often develop if chronic exposure to stress and poor mental wellness management goes unchecked. This Anchor Circle group provides a safe space for community members to connect and discuss common challenges and struggles they are facing in college and ways to overcome obstacles.

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