Support Groups

If you join us at our next weekly gathering, you'll be greeted by one of our peer facilitators and be given a welcome pack that provides a bit of information about the national organization, our chapter, and some resources for managing mood disorders.

We begin by reading our guiding principles. Then we go around to each attendee and do introductions: What's your name? What are your pronouns? What brings you to group? How's your week been going? After introductions are done, anyone can bring up any issue or topic that's been on their mind, discuss it at greater length, and ask the other members for their thoughts or suggestions, if they wish. The facilitator is there to keep the conversation orderly and help it to move along if necessary, but they do not choose the subjects to talk about. The group members do that. There is considerable freedom to introduce topics.

The group begins with one of our peer facilitators reading the guidelines for conversation, as well as any announcements about upcoming events or new resources in the community. If attendance is high, we may split into groups so that everyone has a chance to speak. We give each member an opportunity to "check in" with how they've been feeling. We recommend keeping this check-in within the past week for the sake of time, but newcomers may go into more detail or background if they like.

The group begins with a reading of the group’s guidelines for conversation, followed by any announcements about upcoming events or new resources in the community. Then the group's facilitator will distribute an educational prompt that the group reads and then discusses. Discussion usually lasts 10-20 minutes. The rest of the meeting is dedicated to individual check-in and sharing of experiences.

The Saturday LGBTQIA+ support group is a good fit for those who identify as LGBTQIA+ and their allies, who have personal lived experience with depression and/or bipolar disorder. Friends, partners and family members are also encouraged to attend.

The Thursday Peer Support group is a good fit for anyone who has personal, lived experience with depression and/or bipolar disorder.

The Tuesday Friends and Family Support group is for family and friends who are supporting loved ones living with depression, bipolar disorder, and other mood disorders.

A peer facilitator is an individual with lived recovery experience who has been trained to help their peers move forward in their own recovery. They are not therapists, medical professionals, or certified to give any medical advice.

Not at all. After our basic introductions, it's completely up to you whether you want to bring up topics or provide feedback to others. If you're new, you might want to hang back a bit and see what it's all about. Or maybe not -- maybe you want to eagerly jump in. It's your call. One of our principles, read at the beginning of each meeting, is that YOU are the one who decides how much to say and what to share.

No, the groups are offered at no cost. They are free, drop-in groups. No referral or advance notice is required.

There is no requirement or obligation to attend any certain number of sessions. We suggest newcomers visit at least three times to determine if the group is a good fit. Groups vary widely depending on how many people attend, who is facilitating, etc.