Our door is open.
- Montgomery County, MD
- Northern Virginia
Workshops and Groups
Our workshops and groups allow everyone from teens to seniors to connect with others in a supportive environment.
It can be hard to face life’s challenges alone, and finding others who are going through similar experiences is not always easy. JSSA is here to help you connect to, grow with, and learn from your neighbors.
We offer workshops and group counseling for everyone, from teens struggling to cope at school to people experiencing grief and loss. Our licensed staff lead these sessions and allow you to engage in an honest, supportive environment.
Art Therapy Group for Teens – NEW
This group offers opportunities for teens to build self-esteem, develop positive coping strategies, and practice social skills by creating art with a supportive community. Artistic ability is not required, just a willingness to have fun and connect with others!
Ages: High school-aged youth (14-18)
Dates: May 2 – June 6
Time: Thursday 7:00 – 8:00 pm
Location: JSSA Fairfax Office (3025 Hamaker Ct. Suite 450, Fairfax, VA 22031)
*This group will require a minimum of 4 participants and a maximum of 6 participants
Insurance: Carefirst/BCBS, United Behavioral Health, Cigna, Kaiser, and some VA Medicaid plan (Anthem Health Keepers and Molina).
Please contact Sonia at scastro-castillo@jssa.org with any questions about the group.
Teen Therapy Group for 14-17-year-old adolescents – GROUP IS FILLED
This group will help group members learn new coping skills, increase self-confidence, and enhance skills for making and keeping friends in a positive and supportive environment.
Does your teen have thoughts that sound like this? If so, this group could be for them.
- I feel lonely and wish I had more people my age I could talk to about what I’m feeling.
- I don’t want to complain to my friends. I know they are struggling too.
- I’m not sure I know how to make and keep friends.
- I want to cope better with all the stress I feel.
- It’s sometimes hard to understand and manage my own emotions.
- I wish I had more confidence in myself.
- I wish I had a place where I could talk honestly about what I’m going through with a group of supportive peers.
12 weekly group sessions
Dates: February 16th – May 11th.
Time: Thursdays, 5:30 – 6:30 pm
Facilitators:
Zach Lehman is a licensed clinical social worker with 25 years of experience providing individual, group, and family therapy for children, adolescents, and adults. Zach has experience facilitating psychodynamic and social skill groups for children and adolescents in outpatient and residential settings.
Dara Sypes is a graduate student pursuing her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology, with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy. She also has past experience developing and running therapeutic, recreational, and wellness groups for teens.
Register Here
Online Skills Workshop for Parents of Teenagers – Group is filled
- Do you see your teenager struggling to manage intense emotions, impulsivity, academic distress, and/or social difficulties?
- Do you feel uncertain about whether what you are seeing is normal adolescent behavior?
- Do you feel frustrated, ineffective, or like you’re locked out of the relationship you want to have with your teenager?
- Do you question your own parenting decisions?
- Do you want to connect with other parents facing similar challenges?
If you nodded YES to any or all of these, this group could be for you. Parent participants in this workshop will learn to:
- Better understand your teenager’s emotions and behaviors;
- Better communicate with your teenager;
- Gain support, validation, and ideas from other parents; and
- Learn skills informed by Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and other therapeutic interventions that can help you be the parent you want to be.
How it works:
- 10 online sessions on Thursdays from noon-1 p.m.
- Dates: January 19-March 23
- Workshop Fee: $200 for an individual parent/$300 for two parents
This workshop will be led by Kathryn Zimmerman, LMSW. Kathryn, a clinical social worker, got her start in community mental health, working with adolescents and young adults. Prior to joining JSSA as an outpatient therapist, she worked in an intensive outpatient Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) program where she provided individual and family therapy and led DBT skills training groups. Kathryn is particularly passionate about parent coaching and group therapy.
REGISTER HERE
NEW – Friends 4 KEEPS
This group is a good fit for neurodivergent tweens who can verbally communicate with others and may be experiencing challenges due to a particular diagnosis. This may include but is not limited to: Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, Depression, and Anxiety.
Date: February 2 – April 6
Time: Thursdays, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Ages: Middle School age
Cost: FREE
Location: In person at JSSA Fairfax Office (3025 Hamaker Court, Suite 450, Fairfax, VA 22031)
This is a 10-week social skills program for motivated tweens eager to learn ways to develop and keep friendships through building social skills that show Kindness, Empathy, Engagement, Perceptiveness, and Self-Esteem (KEEPS).
Structure:
The weekly group sessions will highlight a different social skill related to the five core traits (KEEPS) that are emphasized in this program. Weekly activities to take home will be assigned each week to practice the skills learned in the session. Two virtual parent sessions will provide feedback on the progress and generalization of social skills learned in the program. These sessions will be held on weeks 4 and 8.
Enrollment: Ongoing enrollment until maximum enrollment is met. A minimum of 6 participants is needed. The program is being offered to Virginia and Maryland residents if they are willing to drive to the Fairfax office. This group will be in person and will not have a virtual capacity.
To register or learn more about the program, contact Sheena Reddick at sreddick@jssa.org or Jessica Eliason at jeliason@jssa.org.
Group Facilitators:
Sheena Reddick is a graduate student intern at JSSA. She is completing her master’s degree in clinical psychology at Pepperdine University. She enjoys working with children and families and has experience in working with families and children on the autism spectrum through Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in a variety of settings. She has also worked as a student volunteer with both teens and adults in an inpatient setting.
Jessica Eliason is a graduate student intern at JSSA. She has extensive experience assisting parents and families with children who experience behavioral and intellectual challenges navigate the school system and facilitating peer support systems.
Bereavement Groups
Losing a loved one can be debilitating. Everyone processes the shock and grief of loss differently, and the individual journey of grieving can leave us feeling isolated and lost. When you don’t know where to turn or how to move forward, JSSA is here to help you.
Our bereavement support groups provide a respectful and supportive setting where you can share your feelings and gain insight into the process of grieving. Facilitated by clinicians with specialized training and experience in grief and offered at no charge, these groups include:
- Adult Children Who Have Lost a Parent
- Loss of Spouse/Partner
- Loss of Spouse/Partner Over One Year
- Suicide Grief for Adults
- COVID Loss
- Loss of a Young Child
Please Note: Pre-registration is required for all bereavement groups. Please see our workshops and groups page for more information and to register.
We also offer counseling and therapy services, in which our expert mental health professionals work directly with you to help you navigate grief and feelings of loss following the death of a loved one.
Bereavement Groups
Adult Children Who Have Lost a Parent Support Group
Seven-session evening group for adults who have lost a parent within the past year. Held several times a year.
Facilitator: to be announced.
For more information, please contact Deb Vaughn, Bereavement Counselor, 301-816-2658.
COVID Loss Support Group
Six-session evening group for adults who have experienced the loss of a loved one due to COVID-19. Dates to be determined.
Facilitator: Sinem Meneses, LCSW-C
For more information, please contact Sinem Meneses, LCSW-C at 301-816-2634
Loss of Spouse/Partner Support Group – ongoing
Meets virtually the second and fourth Friday of the month
TIME: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Irene Mednick, LCSW-C.
For more information, please contact Deb Vaughn, Bereavement Counselor, 301-816-2658.
Loss of Young Child Support Group – ongoing
Meets virtually on Monday evenings, once a month
Facilitator: Suzanne Adelman, LCSW-C.
For more information, please contact Suzanne Adelman, LCSW-C, at 301-816-2683.
Suicide Grief Support Group for Adults
Meets virtually the first and third Mondays of each month
TIME: 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Facilitator: Ellen Lebedow, LCSW-C.
For more information, please contact Ellen Lebedow at elebedow@jssa.org or call Deb Vaughn, Bereavement Counselor, at 301-816-2658.
Loss of Spouse/Partner Greater than One Year
Eight-session evening group for adults who have lost a spouse/partner over a year ago. Held several times a year.
Facilitator: Deb Vaughn, Bereavement Counselor
For more information, please contact Deb Vaughn at 301-816-2658.