Sections of this topic
How to End Your Support Group
(This page is referenced from Start a Virtual Support Group to Help With Stresses of COVID-19.)
Support groups can last from several months to several years.
Still, it’s wise to have members re-commit to each other shortly after every six meetings, including for each to sign a new coaching agreement.
The group experience can be an intense and intimate experience
for members. So when the last meeting arrives, it’s critical that members have a sense of closure about the experience and a period of time to focus on deciding how to go forward. Going forward might include members’ again committing to helping each other.
Completing a support group experience is a tribute to the members. There should be some type of celebration among them. Members should select their own form of celebration. Each group could decide to do one or a combination of the following activities.
Dedicate time in the final meeting to decide if they want to continue meeting as a group. If they want to continue meeting, they should:
- Decide a specific number of meetings that they will have in the next round (rather than leaving it open-ended).
- Have each person again sign a coaching agreement to share with each other.
Also, in that final meeting, have each member take time to share about:
- What the program meant to them overall.
- What they learned and how they can apply that learning in life and work.
- Their appreciation for how the other group members have helped that member.
(Photo courtesy of RUN 4 FFWPU on Pexels.com)
