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: Toby Lynch and Alicia Ventresca
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. 

Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention Group

Group Leader: Frank Dibert, PhD
Time: Tuesdays, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

The goals of this group are to develop awareness of depressive-related triggers and habitual reactions and learn ways to create a pause in this seemingly automatic process. It also helps foster and support a kind, compassionate approach toward ourselves and one’s depression and build a lifestyle that supports mindfulness practice, emotional well-being and recovery.

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
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
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

Mind & Mood: A Mindfulness-based Approach

Group Leader: Frank Dibert
Time: Tuesdays, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

The goal of this group is to develop mindfulness skills for managing mood, anxiety, and addiction-related challenges. Mindfulness will be taught and practiced as a coping skill to help identify habitual reactions, learn to pause when feeling emotionally reactive, and discern ways to skillfully respond to life's hardships. Mindfulness skills will also be learned in service of developing a kind, compassionate attitude towards oneself as well as living a life of value, authenticity, and peace.

Men Overcoming Trauma and Substance Use Group

Group Leader: Toby Lynch and Frank Dibert
Time: Thursdays, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

This group is open to male patients dealing with problems related to both post-traumatic stress and substance use. Prospective members should be in recovery from alcohol or other substance use or motivated to reduce their intake. Group sessions include coping skills training, peer support and guidance, and trauma-sensitive mindfulness-based practice. This group is present-focused, meaning group members do not go into detail about past traumatic experiences during group sessions.

Women’s Recovery Group

Group Leader: Georgia Stathopoulou
Time: Wednesdays, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

This group focuses on the unique concerns of women who are building skills in recovery. Women in this group will learn specific skills and strategies to prevent relapse and promote recovery. In this group, we will explore topics such as the effect of substances on women’s health, managing triggers and high-risk situations, coping with stress and the effect of intimate partners on recovery.

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.

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 and Toby Lynch
Time: Fridays, 10am-11am

Group Leaders: Allison Labbe and Toby Lynch
Time: Fridays, 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.