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Support
Groups Support groups are not professionally led therapy groups, though they may be organized and/or facilitated by a licensed mental health professional. They are discussion groups of people with similar needs, interests, and backgrounds who meet regularly to offer each other support as each member works toward healthy changes in behavior, attitude, and lifestyle. Members may or may not have previously received formal psychotherapy-or they may concurrently be receiving counseling. Support groups often have a topic or theme, such as eating disorders, tough love, addictions, and anger control. As with psychotherapy
and counseling, support group participation can be harmful as well as
helpful. It is important to check out the methods of the group, its guiding
principles, and its leaders' credentials, if any. Healthy support groups
should feel freeing, flexible, positive, encouraging, and nonjudgmental
to their participants. Membership and attendance should feel voluntary,
and diversity of views should not only be tolerated but welcomed. Typically
support groups are offered free of charge. Support Group therapists are
listed with PsychResources are: |