Working and quarantining from home for the past five months has completely restructured our daily routines. What will I do all day? How will I keep my kids entertained? How can I get support for my problems from my computer? Homes we once left frequently have now been the only place we see for days, and our parents, siblings and relatives are often the only people we interact with for long periods of time. This extensive, but necessary time at home has limited our interactions with friends and therapists we rely on and exponentially increased the workload of counselors, essential workers, parents and more.
Importance of Support Groups
With almost 40% of Americans currently receiving some form of mental health treatment and/or therapy, the importance of support groups, open spaces, and access to online mental health support has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic and global stay-at-home orders. At JFCS, a variety of support groups are offered for both employees, clients, and the general public–a means of sharing stories and hardships with a group of like-minded individuals. Through the JFCS Counseling department, a variety of online support groups have been taking place biweekly for the past months. With topics ranging from a support group for caregivers, essential workers, or a coffee group for moms of adopted and fostered children, everyone can find a support group at JFCS. Individuals may also join a “Supportive Open Space,” with PsyD candidate Sonia Bajwa, that is open to anyone. Whether you have a trouble you’d like to discuss, a quarantine hardship you’d like to share or would just like to talk, this support group is perfect for everyone.
While support group planning is being adjusted during the summer months, many more support groups will begin again in September. The groups currently running focus on Alleviating Compassion Fatigue for Therapists, Art-Based Therapy, and Dealing with Loss in Difficult Times. These virtual groups are offered in addition to the groups that JFCS regularly offers, which are now being held virtually as well.
Trauma Resiliency Group
One of the regular groups JFCS offers, in collaboration with the 10.27 Healing Partnership, is a monthly support group for survivors and witnesses of the 10/27 synagogue shooting. Marty, a member of this support group, has been attending since the group first started in November 2018. He talks about his reasons for attending: “It’s a group of people with a shared experience. It’s easier to talk about things because everybody there knows what happened… Sometimes if you’re just talking to somebody, you may feel like you want to protect them, you don’t want to burden them.”
Marty explained how this group provides a valuable space, saying, “If I’m going through something or experiencing something, usually someone else in the room can understand that. They get where it’s coming from. That’s really useful.” He also says, “I think it sounds strange to say there were silver linings… but I have met some very wonderful people. A closeness has developed among the people in the group, and that’s a real support.” Lulu Orr, group facilitator and JFCS Clinical Specialist, also agreed that the relationships were the most impactful aspect of the group, explaining, “Many of these people didn’t know each other before that day since they are members of 3 different congregations. They continually say that a silver lining from that day was the relationships created in this group.”
Take Time for Yourself
Support groups like this one, and the many others that JFCS hosts, offer a unique space for you to share your thoughts with a group of like-minded individuals, a means to work through trauma or lived experiences in a time when we often feel very disconnected from others.
Make sure you are taking time for yourself throughout the day to practice self-care and other therapeutic practices. Whether you take a couple minutes out of your day to meditate, take a walk, make a new recipe, or join a support group every other week, take time for yourself and give space to hardships or challenges you are enduring.
Access this link to sign up for a support group!
By Aniya Akhtar, Communications Intern 2020