Some Commonly Asked Questions about
Support Groups
Adapted from: “Starting/Running Support Groups”
Buz Overbeck - Joanie Overbeck
TLC Group - Dallas, TX 1995
Certain questions always seem to come up in the discussion
of support groups. In this section, we address some
of the more common questions that arise based on our
experience and the experience of others in the support
group community.
- “I don’t have any credentials. Can I
still run a support group?”
-
You don’t have to have credentials to successfully
run a support group. What you must have are the qualities
and instincts of a good facilitator and the ability
to listen to, empathize with, and sensitively draw out
the participants.
- “Is it best to have a Professional involved
with my support group?”
-
There are advantages and disadvantages with professional
involvement. A professional can be helpful in providing
a meeting place, assisting with facilitation, providing
intervention, if and when needed, and being a referral
resource for members needing help beyond the group's
capabilities. However, one of the most important benefits
to members is that the support group is “for participants
by participants” and free from the judgments and
expectations of a professional (see question 7).
Further, it is not always easy to find a professional
with intimate experience in the type of issues addressed
by the group. In our experience, it is “best”
to have access to a professional for advice, guidance
and referral capabilities, but keep the support group
for participants only.
- “How many people do I need to start a support
group?”
-
More than one! Support groups may be any size and often
will vary with time. We have found that 8 - 16 people
is a good number for one facilitator. Larger groups
may be split into smaller groups assuring all members
equal opportunity to disclose and share.
- “Do support groups really work and, if so,
why?”
-
Plenty of anecdotal evidence suggests groups do work.
Now statistical evidence is appearing as well. Researchers,
such as Dr. James Pennebaker at SMU, are finding that
disclosing or “opening up” has distinct
and measurable health benefits (1).
- “Is there any commonality between the many
types of support groups?”
-
In our experience, the one theme running through all
support groups regardless of type is loss. Primary or
secondary losses are fundamental to any and all tragedies,
crises, or transitional events. Further, the commonality
to all types of losses is loss of control. Often the
most immediate, initial impact of any support group
is the reestablishment of personal control which often
begins the moment the potential member picks up the
phone to make contact. This seems to explain why Grief
Counseling and Therapy is so effective in tandem with
support group participation.
- “Are Support Groups for everyone?”
-
No. It is possible for some people to become so overwhelmed
by the tragic experiences of others that they can’t
carry on with their own burden. Others may develop feelings
of inferiority or failure for not living up to perceived
group expectations or peer pressure. Finally, one can
join a group before they are ready or too soon after
the tragedy and may dropout.
- “What do participants actually get out of support
groups?”
-
The New Jersey Support Group Clearinghouse staff identified
four common characteristics that fundamentally define
self-help groups (2):
- Mutual Help – People helping people by pooling
knowledge and sharing experiences and the striving to
help one another.
- Peer Support – Members all share a common problem
or stressful life situation resulting in a powerful
“you are not alone” sense of understanding,
often from the very first meeting.
- Affordable – Support groups are voluntary,
nonprofit groups usually charging No fees. Some open-ended
groups may charge minimal dues while some time-limited
groups may charge a fee for books or materials.
- Exclusivity – The groups are run by members
for members. The locus of control is with the group
members rather than with professionals. This assures
that the needs addressed will be those of the members
rather than their needs as perceived by others.
- “Can I be sued if anything goes wrong?”
-
According to Janice Harris Lord, Director of Victim
Services for MADD, opinions differ as to the liability
of uncredentialed peer counselors, but the general rule
is that a helper cannot be made liable for malpractice
if there are no recognized standards of practice for
him or her to violate (3). Again, it has been our experience
that as long as the facilitator is truly “facilitating”
and the groups focus is on support, liability issues
should not arise.
References
- Pennebaker, J.W. (1990). Opening Up: The Healing
Power of Confiding in Others,
New York: William Morrow)
-
E.J. Madara, Maximizing the Potential for Community
Self-Help Through Clearinghouse Approaches, in Prevention
in Human Services, Vol. 7, No. 2, 1990
- Janice Lord, Developing An Effective Victim Support
Group, NOVA Newsletter, Vol. 12, No. 12, December, 1988
TLC Group grants anyone the right to use this information
without compensation so long as the copy is not used
for profit or as training materials in a profit making
activity such as workshops, lectures, and seminars,
and so long as this paragraph is retained in its entirety.
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