What Are Social Skills Groups?
Learn more from group leader, Carly Klayman:
Our social skills groups help teach children how to enhance their relationship with peers through more meaningful social interactions. Our groups are small and structured, led by a trained professional and supported by clinical trainees.
Our groups teach children the vital social skills that they will need to feel confident and succeed in socializing with their peers. Since 2008, we have been running co-ed social skills groups for children ages 3-14. Group sizes are small, usually 3-5 kids per group, with at least 2 adults. Participants are grouped with similar aged peers.
We offer groups in our Upper West Side office and Long Island City office.
Who can benefit from a Social Skills Group?
Our Social Skills Group is tailored for children and teens ages 3-14. It is specifically designed for participants who may experience:
- Social anxiety
- Difficulty making or maintaining friendships
- Challenges with impulse control or emotional regulation
What are the components of a Social Skills Group?
The group meets weekly for 8-10 weeks, including a parent component. During the sessions, participants practice and learn new social skills using methods like role-playing, discussions, and interactive activities, including:
- Making Introductions
- Asking for Help
- Following Directions
- Self-control: Stop and Think Before You Act
- Making Small Talk
- Resisting Peer Pressure
- Teasing vs. Bullying
- Identifying Emotions
- Personal Space
- Apologizing
- Being a Social Detective: Non-verbal cues
- Flexibility: Being a Fun Player/Dealing with Losing
- Problem Solving
- Sharing
- Being Part of the Group: Collaborating and Giving and Receiving Compliments
Parents participate in the last 10 minutes of each session to receive feedback and guidance for supporting skill development at home.
What are the goals of a Social Skills Group?
The Social Skills Group participants aim to achieve:
- Overcoming trouble with anxiety, assertiveness and impulsiveness
- Expressing feelings
- Problem-solving
- Bullying challenges
- Anger management
- Improving self-esteem
- Building confidence in social interactions
- Improve emotional regulation and impulse control
- Develop meaningful peer relationships
Group Schedule
Groups run based on interest. If you're interested in one of our groups, please contact us. For skill building and support related to the benefits of this group, MPG can also create a tailored treatment plan based on individual service(s) or other types of support if there is not a group actively running at the time.
Group Leader(s)
- Groups are led by skilled clinicians or clinical trainees
Pricing
Early Bird pricing is available up to six weeks prior to the group start. Upper West Side: Standard pricing is $1,500 total plus $300 intake for 10 child/adolescent sessions and one parent session, paid in full before the group starts. Long Island City: Standard pricing is $850 total and includes intake for 8 child/adolescent sessions and one parent session, paid in full before the group starts, Intake includes a comprehensive intake packet and a brief in-person interview with the parents and child. This intake helps assess fit, understand the child/teen’s behavior, and identify goals for the program.
Current MPG patients receive a 10% discount on additional services.
Assessment
The intake may provide a diagnosis for children/teens/children and adolescents to use for out-of-network reimbursement from insurance for the group fee.
Intakes are conducted with both the parent (approximately 45 minutes) and child (approximately 15 minutes) as early as two months prior to the start of the group to assess the patient’s current skills, needs, and goodness of fit. Patients who are not ready to participate in a small group setting will be recommended for an individualized social skills primer series, which will be offered at the same rates as the group series.
Participants that had their intake more than 6 weeks prior to the group start date will be offered a 15 minute catch up call with the parent within two weeks of the group's start date.
The intake fee is waived for current MPG patients as well as for new patients who enroll three or more weeks prior to the group start date.
Current MPG patients also receive a 10% discount on all second services, including groups.
Cancellation Policy
There are no refunds or makeup dates for missed classes. Full payment is required upfront.
NYC Social Skills Group Training Location
Our social skills groups run at our Upper West Side office located at:
107 West 82nd St. and Columbus Ave
Lower Level Professional - Suite #101
New York, NY 10024
And our Long Island City office located at:
47-20 11th Street
Long Island City, NY 10111
*Remote group options available upon request.
