Ground Rules for a Support Group

If a group is new, participation may be low. It is important not to get discouraged and to continue to meet as planned. The women in the community need to see that the group continues to come together. Moreover, the “success” of a group is not based on the number of people who participate, but on the relationships that develop and the support that is offered. Yoshiko could also encourage other members to offer their support by saying: Some groups come together simply to share information and encouragement, while others become longer-term mutual support communities where members help each other with carpooling, childcare, or care if a member gets sick. Still others are transformed into educational programs with external speakers who come to teach on various topics. “Brian, you mentioned your concern about this upcoming family outing. Can you elaborate on your concerns? After talking about Brian`s journey for a while, Yoshiko said, “I found that Christmas with my family was overshadowed by Miho`s medical diagnosis. We were all worried about them, and it was really hard to enjoy being together as a family. Does anyone want to talk about the impact MD has had on his own family gatherings? This prompted several members to intervene in the discussion.

For example, Yoshiko might say the following things in his group: Think about how big you want the support group to be before you start recruiting. In general, it is best to have a group large enough to function well, even if some members are absent, but small enough to make all members feel comfortable. As a rule, 5 to 15 people is a pretty good number; Anything bigger becomes too easily unmanageable and impersonal. Ask everyone to introduce themselves, give their names, and talk a little about why they were interested in the group. Then, start the discussion either by addressing something mentioned by one of the members or by addressing a prepared topic. Did you know that there are over 500,000 support groups in the United States? Because they are both inexpensive and effective in helping people with a variety of problems, support groups have become a common way to meet the needs of people struggling in their lives. It`s important to make sure your support group provides a safe, confidential and welcoming space. Try to create a non-judgmental atmosphere where participants, old and new, feel comfortable sharing their feelings. It can help explain what privacy means to all members so that all participants have the same understanding and expectation of privacy. This is especially important for people living with HIV, as disclosing one`s status can have a negative impact and is often an emotional challenge for people. In fact, one of the tasks of a support group is to create a safe space where people can talk about living with HIV without having to worry about possible negative consequences.

In addition to caring for those directly affected by a problem, support groups often welcome family members or friends of people with illnesses or difficulties. In addition, there are many independent support groups only for family members or friends: for example, one of these groups is Al-Anon, a group for families and friends of alcoholics. Yoshiko wanted other members to offer their support, and she wanted to use Camilla`s disclosure to encourage further disclosures from other members. While the location you choose should be accessible and comfortable, it should also be suitable for the type of group you want. For example, a meeting at a member`s home may add an element of comfort, but groups are much more accessible to newcomers when they take place in public places. Therefore, a meeting at someone`s home should probably only take place if it is a closed group. A support group is a group of people whose goal is to help each other deal with a problem. A support group can be small (an informal meeting at the kitchen table) or large (a group in an AIDS service organization or in the meeting room of a religious organization). Participants may come from a specific part of the HIV community (e.g., cis and/or trans The Well project serves women of all genders). (Learn more about gender identity) Women living with HIV, caregivers of people living with HIV, members of a faith community) or they may be open to anyone who wants to come and talk about HIV.