By Mary Beth Bialick
Parkinson's Support & Wellness hosted a Support Group Facilitator Training program in early July for folks who may be interested in starting a new support group in their geographic area.
The interactive program included a discussion on the similarities and differences between educational groups, therapy groups, and social groups. We defined the “traditional support group” and commonalities between successful support groups. Within our network, every group functions on somewhat different levels, but ultimately the goal of bringing together people who are living with PD to share, learn, vent and relax is the purpose.
PSW is very appreciative of all the people in our broad community who spend a significant amount of time hosting groups and realizes it can be a tough job. Support group facilitators often report feeling burdened by their monthly responsibilities and commitments. Knowing almost all the support groups are facilitated by dedicated volunteers, it is strongly suggested to have co-leaders to share the responsibilities and/or to allow the monthly content to be “group driven” to lessen the stress on one individual.
Being a facilitator can also be a rewarding experience. Familiarization with some group “basics” and an appropriate setting are the fundamentals for a successful support group.
PSW is committed to the Parkinson's community and to the many folks who work tirelessly to make support groups available throughout our area. A knowledge of PD is valuable, but ultimately, providing an avenue for people to connect with others and realize that no one needs to be alone on their Parkinson's journey is much more important.
Thank you to all the support group leaders (both current and potential) who attended; your support of our community is vital to the mission of our organization!