The Small Group Experience

Many participants worry about the small group experience. Will I feel uncomfortable? Will they force me to talk? Is it safe to share? Will the people in my group be weird? What if I cry? Will anybody be in control? These and many other questions are common concerns of participants.

It is our goal to make the small group experience a positive fulfilling, growing and healing experience for all participants. Your group will be guided by trained facilitators. These facilitators have all experienced the loss of a love relationship and have taken the workshop themselves. They will guide the group and keep it safe for all participants. Many participants feel uncomfortable in their small group at first, this is normal. The barriers drop very quickly as stories are shared and the commonality of our experience is recognized. The people in the group will, at first, sometimes seem "weird" but as the group shares stories and feelings, a connection is formed that overcomes first impressions. Some of the people that may seem "weird" at first could become close friends by the end of the workshop. In the small group, everyone is given the opportunity to share, but no one is ever forced to share. Each participant always has the right to "pass". the safety of the small group is governed by the "Small Group Covenant" and the "Group Rules". We take these rules and covenants very seriously - especially the rule of "Confidentiality".

What it is—

A support group IS a place to experience loving and caring community, to be open honest and vulnerable, to be non judgmental and accepting, to validate and encourage and to extend the hand of empathy and understanding. A support group IS a safe place to share feelings experiences and stories. It IS a place where it is safe to cry as well as laugh. It is a place to learn together, to grow together and to find healing and hope together.

What it is not—

A support group IS NOT group therapy, NOT counseling, NOT a lecture by an expert, NOT a place to give advice or to "teach" or "preach", NOT a place to "fix" people, NOT a place to change or convert people, NOT a place to criticize, to judge, or to minimize pain.

Purpose—

The purpose of the recovery small group is to provide appropriate support and encouragement to members as they process their pain while allowing each individual to take responsibility for their own recovery. Recovery groups are made up of individuals who are working towards their own recovery with the support an encouragement of others. Recovering people NEED to take responsibility for their own recovery, to realize that their progress is up to them.

Goals—

• To provide a safe place for members to discover, express, and process painful feelings related to the end of their love relationship.
• To help members understand that other people have experienced similar feelings and problems and that they are not alone.
• To help members experience a sense of hope and healing.
• To help members form new community and meaningful friendships.
• To equip members with some basic tools, skills, and concepts that can help them build healthier and more fullfilling relationships in all areas of their life.