Group Therapy for Substance Use Disorders

The West End Clinic offers diverse modalities for group therapy and are held at the West End Clinic, located at Massachusetts General Hospital. Please be aware that the we also offer Day Intensive Outpatient Programs.

How to Enroll in Group Therapy

Any patient interested in enrolling in group therapy at the West End Clinic, must complete a new patient evaluation prior to enrolling. For more questions, please call 617-724-2480.

Group Offerings

Relapse Prevention-based Groups

Relapse Prevention is a foundation group designed to support individuals with substance abuse or dependence histories who are in early recovery. The focus is on psycho-education and skills to reduce the risk of relapse and improve coping. The group will explore critical relapse prevention skills, with a focus on learning to manage triggers, feelings and identify and challenge distorted thinking patterns. Participants will develop a greater network of recovery resources to aid in relapse prevention.

Relapse Prevention Group

Group Leader: Alicia Ventresca, PhD
Time: Tuesdays 2:00 pm – 3:00pm

This group provides coping skills training along with peer support and guidance in order to decrease risk of returning to active substance use. Participants seeking support for abstinence are welcome and can join the group at any time. This group is limited to eight sessions; however, members are frequently given an opportunity to repeat.

Mindful Maintenance Group

Group Leader: Shayna Bassett, PhD
Time: Tuesdays, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

Members of this group have reached the maintenance phase of recovery, have completed some mindfulness training, and are looking for ongoing support. Each group session includes a mindfulness practice to help members continue to develop and practice skills for managing mood, anxiety, addiction-related challenges, and life’s hardships. Mindfulness skills will also be practiced in service of developing a kind, compassionate attitude towards oneself as well as living a life of value, authenticity, and peace.

Readiness Programming

Our Readiness Group welcomes members who would like support during the early stages of recovery. Topics covered include reducing the use of substances or abstinence. The group facilitates engagement with additional addictions programming and assists with treatment referrals and recommendations.

Evening Readiness Group

Group Leader: Jennifer Blewett, LICSW
Time: Wednesdays, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

This group is a skills-based supportive group for patients with active substance use that draws from motivational enhancement and community reinforcement approaches. Group members learn to develop the skills and strategies to embark on a substance-free lifestyle. Themes of the group include increasing awareness of patterns of use, evaluating ambivalence to abstinence, increasing understanding of stages of change, evaluating personal values that can be in conflict with use, and initiating a plan to change.

Readiness Group

Group Leader: Jennifer Blewett, LICSW
Time: Thursdays, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

This group is a skills-based supportive group for patients with active substance use that draws from motivational enhancement and community reinforcement approaches. Group members learn to develop the skills and strategies to embark on a substance-free lifestyle. Themes of the group include increasing awareness of patterns of use, evaluating ambivalence to abstinence, increasing understanding of stages of change, evaluating personal values that can be in conflict with use, and initiating a plan to change.

Integrated Skills Groups

ACT for Illness, Injury, and Aging Group

Group Leader: C. Edward Qualls, PsyD
Time: Wednesdays, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm

This therapy group is for adults who have a history of substance use concerns and who also are struggling with chronic medical conditions, or injuries resulting in significant suffering, and/or who feel like they are dealing with difficult issues of aging. There is no minimum age for the group. A few examples of medical conditions appropriate for this group are: diabetes, organ failure in any stage, heart disease, arthritis, bone/spine/joint impairment, chronic pain, etc. Persons suffering from cognitive impairment may struggle to understand and implement the concepts and materials used in this group and may not be appropriate.

Harm Reduction Group

Group Leader: Toby Lynch, PhD, and Stephanie Butler, CNP
Time: Wednesdays, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

This group is founded on the principles of harm reduction. This means the people who join are neither required nor expected to have a goal of stopping or reducing their substance use. Instead, we seek to empower them to make whatever changes they see fit to make. We acknowledge the complex nature of substance use relationships, and offer a safe, non-judgmental space for people to connect, learn about safer use strategies, and explore how substances fit within their overall lives. At the heart of this group is a non-judgmental approach and a respect for group members’ autonomy, especially when it comes to making substance use decisions.

Mind & Mood Group

Group Leader: Shayna Bassett, PhD
Time: Wednesdays, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

This group focuses on teaching skills to help members manage anxious and depressed feelings without the use of alcohol or other drugs. Based in cognitive-behavioral therapy, the skills members learn and practice include mindfulness, recognizing and challenging unhelpful thoughts, increasing emotion tolerance, and building gratitude and self-compassion. The goal of the group is to help members approach, rather than avoid, uncomfortable feelings that may be contributing to past or present substance use.

Men Overcoming Substances and Trauma (MOST) Group

Group Leader: Toby Lynch, PhD, and Marc Bolduc, LICSW, CADC II, CGP
Time: Thursdays, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

This group is for men seeking to overcome problematic relationships with substances and heal from traumatic stress. Group sessions include trauma-sensitive mindfulness practice, here and now process interactions, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy skills training for improving emotion regulation capabilities. The power of therapeutic group relationships is vital to creating safety and supporting growth and change.

Women’s Recovery Group

Group Leader: Shayna Bassett, PhD
Time: Wednesdays, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm

This open discussion group focuses on the unique concerns of women in recovery. Women in this group support each other in promoting recovery and navigating various day-to-day challenges. In this group, we explore topics such as the effect of substance use on women's health, managing triggers and high-risk situations, the effect of intimate partners on recovery, and coping with stress, depression, and trauma symptoms.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy Groups

These groups are semi-structured and process-oriented. They are useful for individuals who are looking for a setting in which to talk about their history with recovery, difficult life experiences, feelings in a safe confidential environment and to get support from others.

Finding Balance in Recovery

Group Leader: Jennifer Blewett, LICSW
Time: Wednesdays, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

This group is composed of individuals who have completed other treatment through the West End Clinic (IOP, Relapse Prevention, etc.) and are looking for continued group support for ongoing recovery. This is an abstinence-based, open discussion group with topics related to developing a balanced, sober lifestyle. Discussion topics include developing sober coping skills for stressful situations, managing interpersonal relationships, recognizing urges and thoughts of use and coping with such in a sober manner.

Rapid Access Therapy Group

Group Leader: Marc Bolduc, LICSW, CADC II, CGP
Time: Tuesdays, 10:00 am – 11:00 am

The goals of the group are to provide a safe and supportive environment to prospective or current West End Clinic patients that have been screened for admission to one of the various services; however, a space may not be available to begin the recommended phase of treatment. Our aim is to engage and retain the people who are seeking care at West End Clinic by offering group treatment, educating and preparing people to benefit from their involvement, strengthen attachment and alliance with the West End Clinic while guiding them through the transition to accessing their matched service(s).

Strong Relationships, Boosting Wellness Group

Group Leader: Marc Bolduc, LICSW, CADC II, CGP and Helen Ni, LICSW
Time: Tuesdays, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm

Strength in relationships makes life blossom and full. This group can provide an environment for meaningful connection as we strengthen the capacity to be engaged more fully in life. We attempt to leave behind behaviors and ways of interacting that have left us feeling more disconnected. We will contribute to each other's process of self-understanding, emotional healing, and actualizing intentions. Together we’ll enhance our understanding of these patterns and empower each other to take responsibility for our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We hope this group will help its members discover flourishing pathways and support conditions that promote health and wellbeing.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program

Individuals may use self-destructive behaviors to cope with intense negative emotions. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) provides skills and training that can help people gain more control over negative emotional states and reduce the need for drugs or alcohol. DBT teaches four different sets of skills: core mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy Group for Substance Use

Group Leaders: Allison Labbe, PhD, and Toby Lynch, PhD
Times: Fridays, 10am – 11am and 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm

A structured, skills-based group therapy specifically for patients with emotion regulation and interpersonal difficulties, especially within the context of a substance use disorder and recovery. This group is designed to assist patients in their use of DBT skills and principles.

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

A comprehensive, structured, curriculum-based group treatment program aimed at supporting patients who are ready to commit to abstinence from substance use and who would benefit from frequent treatment contact. The IOP curriculum assists patients with co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions through psychoeducation and mindfulness-based processing group formats.