Searcy, AR (LP) — Everyone has something that they are dealing with; Everyone deals with it in different ways. At Searcy High School mental health was noticed to be seen in many students. With anxiety and depression being the main ones, counselors at SHS took it in their hands to come together and see what all they can do. Psychother Group Therapy v. Individual Therapy states, “In general, the research finds that both group therapy and individual therapy are relatively equivalent in their effectiveness in addressing a large number of issues. Thus, there is no real answer to the question of which is better.” Seeing that both groups and individual meetings both have the same effect on them it gives counselors, and others under the same occupation, could at least try out with other individual clients.

Abbey Giboney is a student teacher at SHS studying to be a counselor. She came to SHS to get her masters and as she’s been here she has come up with an amazing idea for the high school. The Anxiety Group is a group at Searcy High School that Ms. Giboney created for students who do suffer with anxiety and other mental health problems. The main idea that Ms. Giboney had when making this group was to show and talk to students to help and show people that they are not alone in these thoughts and feelings they have. Ms. Giboney says, “The group was done for a lot of different things, the major thing is to show that the people in the group are not alone with whatever they are dealing with.” At first Ms. Giboney would talk to the students 1 on 1 and get to know the students, the group finally met as a whole recently. Over time Giboney thinks about skills on how to bring the group together or catch interest, Ms. Giboney goes on to say, “It is a very flowing process like you can’t really make plans on what you’re gonna do you need to look and just find what you should do.” The group will talk for a little bit and begin group sessions. The group talks about skills and what they are asked about. If a person over shares in the group they will be asked nicely to watched Searcy High School will always deal with mental health but with the counselors and school district taking action they can lower the percentage.