Who is it for? (selected issues)
- You’re looking for support from other people in the environment of confidentiality and mutual understanding
- You’d like to share your experience with people who go through similar life situations
- You want to see yourself, your behavior and the way of thinking in the area that the support group focuses on
- You’re open or looking for a way to be open to the feedback from other group members
- You’re looking for solutions that you may not have come up with yet
Support group goals
The support group goal is to get support from other group members who experience similar problems and situations. The support group is a safe place where the group members can support each other and seek for solutions that will open the possibility for functioning differently outside the group. Being aware of other group members’ life problems helps to build a sense of unity, understanding and mutual support. Participating in a support group provides opportunities for personal development and seeing problems from other people’s perspective. The support group gives you the opportunity to adopt solutions that other group members have already tried and shared.
What does the support group process look like?
Support groups can address various topics, problems, and life challenges; sample groups: women’s support group (a group run by a female therapist), men’s support group (a group run by a male therapist), a support group for people with problems with adapting to a new place of residence, a support group for people affected by losing a loved one, support groups for people affected by relational problems with children, etc. Before the group sessions start, the therapist allocates the clients to a specific group. The allocated members start their joint meetings in a previously arranged place and time. People not allocated to any groups are offered other assistance options.
The main driving force of the support group is its members who choose topics to discuss, work, and exchange thoughts on. The group’s work is assisted by the therapist, who helps the participants name various phenomena and emotions arising in the group as well as at the individual level. It gives the group participants the opportunity to focus on mutual interactions supported by the therapist.
Meetings
Support group meetings are organized once a week and last up to several months. One meeting lasts 120 minutes.