Process and Guidelines

We begin the meetings by people introducing themselves and giving a short summary of why they are attending the support group.  If you have something that you would like to discuss that is urgent, it should be identified during the introductions, so that we can be sure to make time for the discussion.  After the introductions, everyone will have the opportunity to discuss their issues further, ask questions, provide information, etc. 

 

General guidelines during the discussion: 

• Everything said in the room is to be kept confidential
• We are not mental health professionals and thus can offer information only about our experiences and ideas.  Sometimes professional advice and consultations are appropriate.
• Because we are not mental professionals, it is important that we not try to offer diagnoses; we share experiences.
• Respect is our watchword for communicating with each other.  While a solution to a problem may be clear to us, it is important to respect the other person’s right to pursue a different direction.
• We need to be sensitive about others feelings during the discussions.