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7 Group Therapy Topics for Teens With Prompts & Guidelines

Adolescence is hard. It’s full of transitions socially, emotionally, and physically. In addition to counseling for teenagers, group therapy can offer a space for teens to connect with peers, share experiences, feel less alone, and build important skills. When chosen carefully, questions can help teens open up, feel supported, and move toward healing.

Here are seven group therapy topics tailored for teens, along with potential discussion prompts and facilitation guidelines.

1. Coping with Anxiety, Stress, and Overwhelm

Many teens juggle school pressure, social expectations, growing independence, family issues, and other stressors. Learning healthy ways to recognize and manage anxiety can reduce feelings of overwhelm before they escalate.

Possible discussion prompts:

  • What are your biggest sources of stress right now (school, relationships, social media, etc.)?
  • How do you physically and mentally notice anxiety in your body?
  • What strategies have you used to cope with stress (breathing, exercise, journaling, talking with someone)? What has helped? What hasn’t?
  • How do you know when you need help vs. when you can handle things on your own?

Facilitation guidelines:

  • Normalize anxiety by sharing that many teens experience it.
  • Introduce a few coping tools (mindfulness, grounding, breathing) and allow group members to try them in session.
  • Encourage peer sharing of personal successful coping methods.

2. Building Healthy Self-Esteem and Self-Identity

In teenage years, identity formation is central. Teens can struggle with self-image, comparing themselves to peers (especially on social media), internal criticism, or mixed messages from others.

Possible discussion prompts:

  • What messages do you hear from family, friends, and the media about who you “should” be?
  • When do you feel most confident? When do you doubt yourself?
  • How do you react to praise or criticism from others?
  • What are your strengths? What qualities do you like about yourself?

Facilitation guidelines:

  • Use activities like "strengths sharing" where each teen names a strength about another group member.
  • Challenge negative self-talk by helping teens identify and reframe critical internal messages.
  • Explore the idea of possible selves (who they want to become, fears about who they might become).

3. Relationships: Peer, Family, Romantic, and Boundaries

Relationships are central to teenage life, but also among the biggest sources of confusion or pain. Understanding healthy vs unhealthy relationships, setting boundaries, and dealing with conflict are vital skills.

Possible discussion prompts:

  • What qualities do you value in a friend or partner?
  • How do you establish boundaries with others — what are healthy boundaries? Where do you struggle?
  • How do you handle conflict when it arises? What’s worked / what hasn’t?
  • What does respect look like in friendship, in romantic relationships, with parents, and siblings?

Facilitation guidelines:

  • Role-play boundary setting or conflict resolution to practice skills in a low-stakes way.
  • Discuss examples from daily life (social media, group projects, family expectations).
  • Encourage respect for varied perspectives; help teens recognize that relationships differ, but respect & consent are universal.

4. Trauma, Loss, and Resilience

Many teens experience trauma like abuse, neglect, witnessing violence, loss of loved ones, moving, or other adverse experiences. Addressing these, building resilience, and healing in a supportive environment are crucial.

Possible discussion prompts:

  • What are some events or experiences that have felt deeply impactful or painful for you?
  • What emotions do you notice when you think about them? How do they show up (flashbacks, avoidance, nightmares, etc.)?
  • What helps you feel safe when thinking about difficult memories?
  • What strengths or support systems have helped you through hard times?

Facilitation guidelines:

  • Always ensure trauma-informed care: safety, consent, pacing, and choice.
  • Be very clear on confidentiality and group norms.
  • Offer resources for additional support (one-on-one therapy, crisis lines).
  • Incorporate resilience-building: identifying coping, support networks, and sources of hope.

5. Life Skills and Preparing for Independence

As teens approach adulthood, they need practical skills, not just emotional ones, to succeed. These include time management, problem solving, decision making, financial basics, self-care, and more.

Possible discussion prompts:

  • What responsibilities are you preparing to take on (driving, job, college, living alone, etc.)? Which ones feel overwhelming?
  • What strategies do you use to manage your time and tasks (homework, chores, extracurriculars)?
  • How do you make decisions when you have more than one option? What makes decision-making hard sometimes?
  • What habits help you stay physically healthy, mentally balanced, and socially connected?

Facilitation guidelines:

  • Use interactive tools and games (e.g. planning a week’s schedule, budgeting for a small project, setting SMART goals, etc.)
  • Peer-share tips and tricks that are concrete and actionable.
  • Encourage reflection: what works, what needs adjusting.

6. Navigating Social Media, Technology, and Identity

Social media plays a huge role in most teens’ lives. It can boost connection, but also fuel comparison, misinformation, cyberbullying, or stress about self-presentation.

Possible discussion prompts:

  • How do you use social media? What do you enjoy about it? What pressures does it bring?
  • When does being online feel positive vs negative?
  • How do you decide how much to share of yourself? Who are you “online” vs “offline”?
  • What boundaries do you set around technology (screen time, privacy, healthy breaks)?

Facilitation guidelines:

  • Explore media literacy: distinguishing curated content vs reality.
  • Encourage setting limits or having “tech-free” times.
  • Discuss the impact of feedback (likes, comments) on self-esteem.

7. Coping with Transition and Change

Adolescence is full of transitions, for example, going from middle to high school, getting a driver’s license, new friendships, moving, and more. Change is inevitable, but learning to navigate it can reduce anxiety and build adaptability.

Possible discussion prompts:

  • What major changes are you anticipating, going through, or have recently been through?
  • What has helped you adapt to change in the past?
  • What fears or hopes do you have about upcoming transitions?
  • How do you stay grounded or steady when everything feels different?

Facilitation guidelines:

  • Use stories (fictional or real) to illustrate transitions and coping.
  • Help teens identify support systems and ways to stay connected during transitions.

In summary, group therapy for teens offers many benefits. We've listed potential topics that therapists may touch on and questions they may ask. In addition, counselors use these guidelines as they begin a group therapy session for teens:

  • Safety & Confidentiality: Setting clear ground rules at the start is essential so teens feel secure in sharing.
  • Flexibility: Though a plan is good, groups should adapt to what emerges. Sometimes a powerful topic arises that wasn’t anticipated, and it’s okay to go deeper there.
  • Variety of Modalities: Use a mix of talk, creative expression (art, writing, music), and games/role-playing. Different teens engage differently.
  • Peer Support & Validation: Let members know they’re not alone. Hearing peers with similar experiences can be extremely beneficial to healing.
  • Balance of Hope & Realism: Acknowledge struggles and pain honestly, but also build in discussions of strength, resilience, resources, and what’s possible.

If you are interested in counseling for your teen, don't hesitate to reach out to us at Meadowbrook Counseling today. Healing is possible.