Is your child struggling socially? Are they hesitant to join a group of peers or ask a new friend to play? Does your child meet new friends easily but struggle to maintain them? Does your child feel like nobody wants to play with them?  Many children have a hard time relating to others, making new friends and finding their place in a group. Because of this, it is extremely common for parents to worry about their children. Every parent wants their children to have friends and feel confident interacting with peers.

A social skills group can help! In a social skills group kids join other kids their age as they learn and practice friendship skills together. A group atmosphere is ideal to help kids gain confidence to take chances and try new ways of interacting with kids in a safe and non-threatening environment. In social skills group, kids learn skills and then get to put them to practice right away!

Who will benefit from a social skills group?

Kids (ages 7-11) with a variety of different social challenges will feel comfortable in a social skills group. Maybe your daughter is shy and so joining a new team or club has her worrying about making friends instead of enjoying the activity, or maybe your son needs help with the social aspects of a conversation such as making eye contact and choosing a topic both friends will enjoy. Maybe your child needs confidence getting to know new kids or to join into a new group of friends.

How will a social skills group help my child?

Our goal is to give group members multiple tools and skills to navigate relationships and social engagement. We structure the content of the lessons so they start with step one of friendship making, and progress to maintaining friendships. The content of the lessons address how to cope with social anxiety, what qualities each child possesses and what qualities to look for in a friend. Then the group teaches how to introduce oneself to a friend, the importance of remembering names, and then skills to initiate conversation. To grow in conversation skills kids learn how to connect with peers, ask questions, and comment on relevant topics. They learn how to read emotion of others and join into a group. Next, they learn how to appropriately assert oneself and then how to find the positives in social rejection. Each child comes home with specific skills to practice during the week and we review skills each group to gain mastery.

What can I tell my child to expect in a social skills group?

You can tell your child to expect meeting new kids and that it will be fun! You can tell them there will be games, crafts and activities that will help them with friendships. You can tell them they are going to learn how to be a good friend and what makes a good friend and that they will learn new ideas of how to talk to and get to know kids more.

Will I benefit from this?

Yes! You will get to see your child’s confidence and excitement grow about making friends. You will also get to know the skills your child learns each week in group.Your child will come home with a homework sheet that reviews the daily lesson and skills to practice over the week.

Why should we sign up for the Grace Counseling social skills group?

The social skills group Grace Counseling offers is unique in that it offers an instructive and exciting place for kids to learn and grow. They learn practical skills and also get to play and have fun. They feel accepted as they are and are encouraged to challenge themselves . Here is an overview of what our social skills group is all about, and the who, what, when, and where on the social skills groups we offer.


Grace Counseling offers our social skills group several times a year.  Check in with your child’s counselor, our front desk, on our website or social media for our latest offering.  If you are unsure if this is the right fit for your family, your child’s counselor can answer specific questions to help you decide.  If you are interested in signing up for our next session, contact us or call (720) 489-8555 to register your child.