How to Run a Support Group for Beginners

Support groups bring people together who have experienced common problems or struggles. These types of groups vary greatly; topics can include substance recovery, depression, parenting skills and anger management among many others. A support group is a place where people can gain understanding, support and encouragement; however, many people feel hesitant beginning a group for the first time. There are steps that a group facilitator should take to help bring ease to beginning participants in a support group.

Instructions

• 1

  Introduce the group slowly. The first group should be a basic introduction to what the group is about and should provide group rules and objectives. You should provide information on when the group meets, policies on attendance, behavior expectations in the group, how long sessions will be and how long the group will be meeting. It can be a good idea to provide an overview of the group, as well as group rules and guidelines in writing in the first meeting, since participants may be nervous and distracted.

• 2

  Meet the participants where they are. Some people are naturally shy, but many people have difficulty sharing during the first group session. If all of the participants are new to the support group, it will take time for them to set a tone and build trust. Although it is your job to get groups members to open up, it is also important to do this gently, allowing participants to get to know each other over the first few sessions. The leader should use herself as a model of how participants should speak and listen to each other, which will create a warm, welcoming and nonjudgmental environment.

• 3

  Be directive in the first few sessions. How support groups are run varies greatly depending on the setting and the point of view of the facilitator. Some facilitators run groups as open discussions, without a specific topic or prompt. However, if the group is made up entirely of new participants, it can be helpful for you to plan topics for discussion as well as group exercises. These will help to stimulate conversation and take away some of the tension and unease that participants may be feeling.