Group therapy for mental health - Sydney
Group therapy, also known as day programs, enable you to access ongoing support for your mental health or addiction in a community-based setting. They are designed to help people understand their mental health challenges and develop effective recovery strategies.
Day programs are a safe place for you to share and receive support from caring professionals, alongside other people who may be experiencing something similar to you.
Facilitated by qualified mental health clinicians, these weekly structured sessions use the latest evidence-based practice to draw on your own strengths to develop strategies to aid in your recovery.
Day programs are usually half or full days and run one or several times a week. Some groups may also be available in the evening.
Who can join a day program?
Our day programs are open to anyone over 18 years of age that is living in the community and may need some additional support on their recovery journey. Our programs are suited to a wide range of common mental health conditions and addictive behaviours including:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Mood disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Trauma and PTSD
- Alcohol and other drug addictions
- Other addictive behaviours (incl. gambling, gaming, social media)
We also offer a Young Adult Day Program specifically designed for people aged between 18-25 years of age.
You do not need to have had a hospital stay at The Sydney Clinic to attend our day programs.
However, following discharge from hospital, some people may choose to attend a day program to help put the skills and strategies learned during their hospital stay into practice as they return to their home environment.
What day programs do The Sydney Clinic offer?
The Sydney Clinic currently offer a range of day programs to the Sydney eastern suburbs and surrounding community. These day programs generally take place onsite at our Bronte facility.
Your doctor can advise on the most suitable program for you.
When: Wednesdays 9:30am – 2:30pm
Throughout this program you will explore a range of skills and topics based on the philosophy of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is an evidence based therapy which uses mindfulness techniques and other skills with an emphasis on working with your core values to improve your wellbeing.
The program will help you to:
- Develop skills of mindfulness
- Identify, clarify and live in alignment with your values
- Respond skilfully to challenging thoughts, emotions or situations in a way that aligns with your values
- Navigate belief about yourself
- Navigate thoughts and emotions
- Develop skills to manage urges to prevent relapse and
- support recovery
- Develop directional purpose an commitment towards
- living a valued and meaningful life.
The program runs for 12 weeks and is a closed group. Commitment to the program is expected. Commencement start dates can be discussed with our day program team.
When: Thursdays 9:30am – 2:30pm
This program aims to provide a safe and confidential space for men to come together in a supportive environment. Throughout this program you will explore a range of topics designed to encourage vulnerability, build mental resilience and to improve and foster relationships with yourself and others.
The content of this program is derived from a range of therapeutic backgrounds with an emphasis on strengths, interpersonal effectiveness, values and self-identity in recovery.
The program will help you to:
- Share and manage emotions
- Develop a sense of self-identity
- Develop the man you want to be
- Improve relationships with self and others
- Explore coping behaviours that may impact on your relationships
- Be able to ask for and accept support
- Explore grief and loss in recovery
- Improve communication.
The program runs for 6 months and is an open group where patients can join at any time. We encourage peer support and the program facilitator ensures a safe and therapeutic environment
When: Wednesdays 9:30am – 2:30pm
This program provides an introduction to Dialectical Behavioural Therapy. This eight week program is a pre-requisite to the 6 month and 12 month DBT day programs. It introduces the fundamental principles of DBT, orienting to the language of DBT and setting expectations for the more comprehensive DBT programs.
The program covers:
- Introduction to Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
- Understanding difficult emotions and unhelpful coping behaviours
- Basic skills to tolerate emotional distress
- Mindfulness as a fundamental part of DBT
- Introduction to dialectics
The program runs for 8 weeks and is a closed group. Commitment to the program is expected.
When: Fridays 9:30am – 2:30pm
Throughout this skills based program, participants will cover the four core principles of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy over three modules. Modules cover Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation and Distress Tolerance, each beginning with two weeks of core mindfulness skills.
The program helps you to:
- Develop skills to regulate emotions
- Develop skills to tolerate emotional distress
- Communicate your needs effectively
- Increase self-awareness through the practice of mindfulness
The program runs for 6 months and is a closed group, however participants can join at the beginning of each module. Commitment to the program is expected. Commencement start dates can be discussed with our day program team.
When: Wednesday 10:00am – 3:00pm.
Throughout this skills based program, participants will cover the four core principles of Dialectical Behavioural Therapy over three modules. Modules cover Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotion Regulation and Distress Tolerance, each beginning with two weeks of core mindfulness skills.
The program will help you to:
- Develop skills to regulate emotions
- Develop skills to tolerate emotional distress
- Communicate your needs effectively
- Increase self-awareness through the practice of mindfulness.
The program runs for 12 months and is a closed group, however participants can join at the beginning of each module. Commitment to the program is expected. Commencement start dates can be discussed with our day program team.
When: Tuesdays 9:30am – 2:30pm
This program aims to support people in improving and maintaining their mental health by providing psycho education, awareness and practical skills for managing mental health related symptoms. The program incorporates a number of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness.
The program will help you to:
- Develop effective coping skills
- Challenge your negative thinking
- Set boundaries and be assertive
- Communicate more effectively
- Cope with change
- Identify and manage emotions
- Look at your recovery holistically
- Explore your values
- Manage stress
- Move forward in your recovery
The program runs for 12 weeks. This program is an open group where patients can join at any time. We encourage peer support and the program facilitator ensures a safe and therapeutic environment.
Mental Health Day Program
When: Wednesdays 9:30am – 2:30pm
This program aims to support young people (ages 18-25 years) in improving and maintaining their mental health by providing psycho education, awareness and practical skills for managing mental health related symptoms. The program incorporates a number of evidence-based therapeutic approaches. Given the unique needs of this population, this program is specifically tailored to support young adults in creating a meaningful life through social connectedness.
The program will help you to:
- Develop effective coping skills
- Understand and manage anxiety and depressive symptoms
- Build awareness of barriers to social engagement and connection
- Communicate more effectively (i.e. set boundaries or enhance relationships)
- Cope with change
- Understand and manage emotions
- Explore your values
- Better cope with impacts of social media on mental health
- Support the development of a healthy identity and gain greater self-awareness
The program runs for 12 weeks. This program is an open group where patients can join at any time. We encourage peer support and the program facilitator ensures a safe and therapeutic environment.
When: Mondays 9:30am – 2:30pm
This program aims to support people in making change or maintaining abstinence from substance use. The program incorporates Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy to provide therapeutic intervention, psychoeducation and skills training. The program’s approach will be trauma informed and underpinned by the Strengths Focused Philosophy and recovery model of care.
The program will help you to:
- Understand addiction
- Develop effective coping skills
- Learn skills to manage urges and cravings
- Learn skills to manage triggers
- Challenge your negative thinking
- Learn skills to manage emotions without substances
- Look at your recovery holistically
- Explore your values in relation to substance use
- Move forward in your recovery
- Set boundaries and be assertive in relationships.
The program runs for 12 weeks. This program is an open group where patients can join at any time. We encourage peer support and the program facilitator ensures a safe and therapeutic environment.
When: Thursdays 5:30pm – 8:30pm
This program aims to support people in making change or maintaining abstinence from substance use. The program incorporates Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy to provide therapeutic intervention, psychoeducation and skills training. The program’s approach will be trauma informed and underpinned by the Strengths Focused Philosophy and recovery model of care.
The program will help you to:
- Understand addiction
- Develop effective coping skills
- Learn skills to manage urges and cravings
- Learn skills to manage triggers
- Challenge your negative thinking
- Learn skills to manage emotions without substances
- Look at your recovery holistically
- Explore your values in relation to substance use
- Move forward in your recovery
- Set boundaries and be assertive in relationships.
The program runs ongoing. This program is an open group where patients can join at any time. We encourage peer support and the program facilitator ensures a safe and therapeutic environment.
When: Thursdays 9:00am – 2:00pm
This treatment is appropriate for people who have a diagnosis of Chronic Depression, Treatment Resistant Anxiety Disorders, Anorexia Nervosa, Avoidant, Paranoid and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorders and Autistic Spectrum Disorders.
The program will help you build skills in:
- Openness to feedback
- Flexibility / reduce rigid thinking
- Social connection
- Interpersonal effectiveness
- Managing obsessive thinking
- Reducing need for control
- Understanding, managing and expressing emotions
- Responding to feedback
- Participation without planning
- Enhancing social signalling.
The program runs for 34 weeks and is a closed group, however participants can join at the beginning of each module. Commitment to the program is expected. Commencement start dates can be discussed with our day program team.
When: Monday 9:00am – 2:00pm
The STAIR program has been developed for those who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and experience difficulties with emotion management and interpersonal relationships. The STAIR program is designed to help you leave behind old patterns and develop new interpersonal behaviours and emotion management skills. The focus for this program is on Psycho-education and skills development rather than the processing of trauma.
The program will help you to:
- Increase awareness of emotions
- Build coping skills to handle difficult emotions and distress
- Experience difficult emotions without them becoming overwhelming
- Review interpersonal skills to improve your relationship
- Understand relationship patterns and create healthy alternatives to unhelpful patterns
- Make decisions based on relationship goals rather than feeling states.
The program runs for 8 weeks and is a closed group. Commitment to the program is expected. Commencement start dates can be discussed with our day program team.
Location
The Sydney Clinic
22-24 Murray Street
Bronte
NSW 2024
Referrals
A referral is required from your GP or psychiatrist to a credentialed psychiatrist of The Sydney Clinic.
Funding
Funding is available through Private Health, Defence, Work Cover, NDIS, DVA, CTP and self-funding. Our admissions team is happy to discuss your individual details and funding options. Please get in touch to learn more.
Contact us
P: 02 9389 8888
F: 02 9389 5699
E: tscdayprograms@
healthscope.com.au
Frequently Asked Questions
Please arrive at The Sydney Clinic reception 15 minutes before the Day Program starts. One of our friendly administration officers will assist you with registration and any paperwork which needs to be completed.
Please take the time to read your Day Program agreement, a copy will be given to you to sign on your first day of the program.
If you have any questions regarding this, please feel free to speak to your group facilitator.
Please remember that a requirement of your attendance at The Sydney Clinic is that you regularly see one of our accredited Psychiatrists (usually every six to eight weeks).
This is an important part of your ongoing and continual care.
If you are interested in joining one of the other day programs offered by The Sydney Clinic, please contact our Admissions team on 02 9389 8888.