Support Groups 101

If you are thinking about joining a support group, here are some questions you may want to ask the group's contact person:

• Who attends? For instance:
  • Survivors, caregivers, family members.
  • Where are they on the illness continuum (For example, newly diagnosed? In treatment?)
  • Age range
• Who leads the meetings: a professional or a survivor? If a professional leads the group:
  • Is he or she a medical professional, social worker, or psychologist?
  • What are his or her credentials?
  • Experience?
• How large is the group?
• Are there any fees involved?  (If there is a fee, check your health insurance to see if it will pay the fees).
• How long are the meetings?
• How often does the group meet?
• How long does the group meet: does it meet for a set number of weeks (say 8 - 12 weeks) or is it open ended?
• Where does the group meet?
• How long has the group been together?
• What is the format of the meetings?
• Is the main purpose to share feelings, or do people also offer tips to solve common problems?
• If I attend a meeting, can I just sit and listen?
• What are the group's rules? For instance, in some groups, people are encouraged to speak with each other between sessions. In others, such dialogue outside of the group is discouraged.

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