Not all support groups look the same

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HealthWiki > Promoting Community Mental Health > Chapter 8: Support groups > Not all support groups look the same

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

• Chapter 8: Support groups
• Support groups help in many ways
• Starting a support group
• Running support group meetings
• Not all support groups look the same

Support groups come together for different reasons and what a group does can vary a lot. Groups can create feelings of connection when people feel drawn together by shared identities or have similar life challenges. Support groups do not have to focus on talking, or at least not all the time. Groups can gather to create art or writing or move, dance, or exercise together.

Writing for healing: Telling your story

While no single kind of therapy or group will work for everyone, building trust among group members is critical. That trust often develops more easily among people with shared experiences and shared needs. The Women’s Initiative of Charlottesville, Virginia, provides a variety of free support groups and counseling using a mix of approaches to meet the unique healing needs of all women, including those who identify as Black, Latina, and LGBTQ+. Their offerings include:

• a group counseling “Sister Circle” program for Black women and other women of color
• a “Life-Giving Gardening” program for people just beginning to plant the seeds of their desired mental health changes
• a Spanish-language Bienestar (Well-being) program focusing on self-care skills
• a variety of safe spaces where LGBTQ+ individuals can connect, heal, and have fun

When I saw the notice for this writing group, I thought, “That’s not for me! I’m no writer!” But the counselor at The Women’s Initiative encouraged me by explaining how the instructor combines meditation and body-based healing practices with an examination of our experiences of adversity and trauma as a way to transform pain into personal growth and healing.

I decided I could at least give it a try. The Writing for Healing facilitator was welcoming, inclusive, encouraging, and not at all pushy. Most of the other women had no experience writing either so I felt no pressure from them, just support. In each session, we would read and discuss a poem or an excerpt from an essay or novel that showed the transforming power of personal storytelling. And we would also try a body-based breathing or stretching exercise to help process the strong emotions we were feeling.

The group made it possible for me to focus my thoughts and put them on paper in a productive and safe way. And it felt good to read my story to the group and then later celebrate the publication of Challenge into Change, a book collecting our writings. That book is a testimony to all who search for the light within to endure hardship on a journey toward hope and healing. Processing painful memories and shaping them into prose and poetry feels bold and empowering. We can share our stories about how we struggle, and share how we find our strength to keep going and to thrive.

This page was updated:18 Apr 2025