The Support Group Sourcebook: What They Are, How You Can Find One, and How They Can Help You - Softcover

Klein, Linda L.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0471347892 ISBN 13: 9780471347897

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, 2000

Synopsis

The first comprehensive guide to support groups

Support groups provide safe havens and strength for people struggling to cope with adversity. By building bonds of trust and compassion with others who have shared similar life–changing experiences, group members learn they are not alone which helps them to recover and go forward. Drawing upon many years of experience as a group facilitator, Linda Klein describes what groups are, how they develop, and how they can function as a source of communal healing and strength. Combining moving insights with solid, expert advice and guidance, she uses inspiring real–life stories to explore the ups and downs that groups commonly experience, develops practical guidelines on how to find, research, join, and participate in one, and how to form, sustain, and manage one. This valuable information pertains to support groups of all types, from illness, grief, abuse, and chemical dependency groups to compulsive eating, spending, and gambling groups.

Linda L. Klein (Stillwater, MN) is President of Klein Communications, Inc. and works with several national health associations to develop patient programs. She is a facilitator for two cancer support groups and coauthor of I Can Cope (Wiley).

About this title

About the Author

LINDA L. KLEIN is President of Klein Communications, Inc. She works with national health associations to develop their patient programs. A writer and a communications expert, she is also a facilitator for two cancer support groups and coauthor of I Can Cope.

From the Back Cover

Support groups are communities made up of kindred souls people who share a common, defining life experience. Whether that experience is cancer, the death of a loved one, chemical abuse, or domestic violence, support groups can provide the meaningful connection we can’t find anywhere else.

There are thousands of groups to join for support. But how do we choose the right one? What makes one group fail and another succeed? And if we want to start our own group, where do we begin and how do we keep it going?

Cancer group facilitator Linda Klein has provided a one–stop resource for all your questions about support groups. You’ll find invaluable tips on how to:

• Choose a group and participate effectively
• Start your own group and develop its potential
• Take part in online support groups safely

In this book, you’ll read participants’ personal accounts of their group experiences. Potential group members will find tips on how to benefit fully from a support group, including what to expect and not expect from a group situation. Group leaders will find handy discussion guides as well as sample press releases and public service announcements for reaching prospective members.

For those who want to join a group but don’t know where to begin, and for those who want to form a group but don’t know how, The Support Group Sourcebook will provide you with that vital first step toward helping yourself and others.

Edition details

• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0471347892
• ISBN 13: 9780471347897
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 266