When Stories Meet: Learning to Design and Facilitate Support Groups
There’s something transformative about sitting in a circle and speaking the unspeakable—about being witnessed and witnessing others with gentle acceptance and respect. Support groups offer that kind of space. And facilitators make that possible.
What Is a Support Group?
A support group is a confidential, non-clinical space where people with shared experiences —grief, parenting, caregiving, identity shifts—gather for mutual support and deep listening. These spaces offer confidentiality, emotional safety, and mutual respect, enabling participants to speak freely, listen deeply, and feel less alone.
Support groups are a proven and essential resource for people navigating life’s challenges. Research shows they reduce isolation, offer meaningful validation, and empower individuals through collective experience and peer support.
What This Training Offers
This 6-hour experiential program will equip you to:
Design and structure your own support group
Practice holding space for emotion, sharing, and silence
Understand group dynamics and respond to challenges with skill
Set and maintain healthy boundaries without losing warmth
Gain confidence through hands-on exercises and meaningful reflection
Who Is This For?
This training is for anyone who feels drawn to creating spaces of care, connection, and shared meaning. You do not need to be a therapist or have prior facilitation experience. What matters most is your intention to create this safe circle and willingness to learn.
You might be:
- Someone with lived experience who wants to support others walking a similar path
- A coach, teacher, or mental health professional
If you feel ready to hold space—not as an expert, but as a companion—you belong here.
Groups you might facilitate (Sample list)
Support groups can take many forms. After this training, you may be ready to create a group around themes such as:
- Grief and loss
- Divorce recovery
- Caregivers and single parents
- New mothers returning to work
- Chronic illness or pain
- Identity, belonging, and coming out
- Burnout or transition support
- Sexual abuse survivor groups
- Anxiety and emotional regulation (non-clinical)
- Men’s or women’s emotional processing circles
Each group is shaped by its purpose—but all are rooted in the same intention: to offer a safe, non-judgmental space where people can speak honestly, be witnessed, and feel less alone.
Not sure if this is for you?
Our FAQ covers common questions about readiness, facilitation, and post-training support.