Orem, UT: STRīV is a transitional support program for young adults who are navigating the challenging landscape of independent living and the college experience. This support comes from therapists, coaches, and mentors, but it also comes from the student-to-student interaction through therapeutic and skills-building groups.
 
At STRīV, groups are an important and powerful way to start the day. Regardless of its focus (psychoeducational, process, skills-building), each group begins with mindfulness exercises to help participants prepare mentally and emotionally for purposes at hand. Mindfulness is a type of meditation designed to bring a heightened awareness of one’s senses and feelings in the moment, without assigning judgment. Rather than interpreting an experience as “good, bad, pleasant, or distasteful,” mindfulness helps slow down the thought process, which helps decrease reactivity.
 
Starting with mindfulness exercises sets a helpful tone for the group process. As described by Celesta Jones, primary therapist at STRīV, group can be a powerful experience. “In group therapy, clients are provided the opportunity for a deeper level of connection and processing. Through creating an environment of support, participants develop a recognition of shared experience – decreasing shame regarding their individual difficulties.” She goes on to say, “group members are empowered to explore and share their thoughts and emotions as they are happening, which serves to guide clients in developing a sense of self, building effective communication skills, and increasing problem-solving abilities.”
 
STRīV seems to have found a winning combination. Mindfulness, coupled with the meaningful interactions within the group process, creates a powerful experience.

About STRīV

STRiV (Strive Forward, LLC) is a transitional living and college support program for young adults who have struggled along their journey toward independence. STRiV provides social/emotional/academic support and life-skills development through one-on-one mentoring, executive skills coaching, and individual & group therapy within a semi-independent living environment.  Located at the base of the Wasatch Mountains in Utah County, STRiV provides supported access to Utah Valley University, myriad vocational programs, unmatched outdoor recreation, and a wide variety of community-based entertainment.