
“This is not about celebrity justice,
this is about the rights of the children.”
– Alan Dershowitz, American Lawyer, Jurist, and Author
WELCOME
The Nurtured Parent Support Group is a free peer-to-peer confidential support group that meets every Tuesday, from 10am-12pm. We are a safe place to heal and grow. Our members are individuals that share a common experience, challenge, or future goal. Change occurs from personal discomfort coupled with a committed belief that it is your right to a safe, abuse-free, abundant life. We offer the opportunity for change with love, information, and feedback. A Nurtured Parent facilitator’s job is to expand your awareness. Your job is to bring to your fellow members the same level of love, healing, compassion, vulnerability, connection and fulfillment that you want and need for yourself.
What does a Nurtured Parent Support Group look like?
Our meetings are held in a private room on the 2nd floor of the Center for Hope and Safety. As you enter the room, you will find a circle of chairs. This is our circle of safety and healing.
How is a Nurtured Parent Support Group run?
Our groups are led by Nurtured Parent facilitators. Each member will have an opportunity to share openly with the group whatever it is they feel burdened with. Taking turns, we respect everyone’s individual time to share. We understand you have personal reasons for joining us, and you will quickly discover that when you feel safe to share and are fully present to relate to another’s personal experience, each of you will walk away gaining something meaningful. Love, compassion, and optimism are great qualities to begin your healing journey with.
When I come to the group, must I speak? And when do I know it’s my turn to share?
The Nurtured Parent is a peer-to-peer, soul-to-soul, support group. You will get out of it what you consciously commit to putting into it. Therefore, everyone who attends is expected to share openly and honestly with the group. The order in which each member shares is typically the order in which members arrive. Please be mindful that if you arrive late or leave early, it can disrupt the order and flow of the group. We request that you do your very best to honor the sacred space and precious time we have together by arriving on-time and staying for the full 2 hours. Everyone deserves our full-on, engaged, and connected attention, and everyone deserves to be unburdened. You will be astonished to discover that when you commit to being fully present for others, and others give you the same attention, your personal healing, conscious awareness, and growth will expand at a rapid rate.
How do I contribute to my healing and the healing of others in a meaningful way?
When faced with a problem, we first make it clear that we believe there is a solution. Dwelling on problems without envisioning a solution is futile. It’s one of the most common forms of “stuck-ness.” Our private thoughts (internal dialogue) and the energy that radiates from within (positive or negative) will play a key role in your personal healing or delay. Therefore, pay close attention to your thoughts and the energy you are contributing to the group. Complaining, negativity and defeatism will make other people contract, mirroring your negative attitude. Notice also if you are repeating the same story, over and over, and when doing so, how it makes you feel. The “stories” we tell ourselves and the feelings attached to them are a predictor of our current reality. Awareness of your internal dialogue and how it affects you and those around you will lead you to heal and a plan of action. With respect to fellow members, be kind and tolerant when others are sharing their pain and “stuck-ness” too. This is an imperative step, for when we harbor resentment and frustration with negative personal dialogue, we are blocking our own progress and enlightenment. When we are blocked, we are unable to contribute to a healthy solution for ourselves or others. Facilitators encourage open minded suggestions to be offered by group members without bias or judgment. Be open to receiving as much input and insight into your unconsciousness as possible. Respectful and supportive insight can be the missing piece that will reshape how the big picture looks to you in your present and your future. You are not alone. We are in this together.
What if I struggle with drug or alcohol addiction or a mental illness?
Honesty about an addiction or mental illness and actively participating in your own recovery and solution is the only way to be fair to you and the rest of the group. We encourage you to take care of yourself by putting your recovery and mental health needs first. If you are simultaneously working with an addiction recovery program and/or are under the care of a licensed mental health professional, you are welcome to join our support group.