{"id":1833,"date":"2021-08-27T09:12:35","date_gmt":"2021-08-27T13:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/get-help\/talk-to-someone\/find-a-support-group\/"},"modified":"2025-12-10T13:40:17","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T18:40:17","slug":"support-groups","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/get-help\/support-groups\/","title":{"rendered":"Find a Support Group"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tWhat type of support group are you looking for?\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/resolve.org\/get-help\/support-groups\/local-support-groups\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>In-Person Support Groups<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p>Find a group in your area that meets in-person (or occasionally virtually). These groups are peer-led.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/resolve.org\/get-help\/support-groups\/virtual-support-groups\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Virtual Support Groups<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p>Find a group that meets virtually. Groups are peer-led and include groups for specific topics and audiences.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/resolve.org\/get-help\/support-groups\/professional-led-support-groups\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4>Professional-Led Support Groups<\/h4>\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p>These groups are led by licensed mental health professionals.<\/p>\t\t\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/resolve.org\/support-groups\/\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tView All Support Groups\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tIs a Support Group Right for Me?\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<p><strong>Consider joining a RESOLVE support group if any of the following statements apply to you.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I&#8217;m feeling lonely and isolated.<\/li>\n<li>I have very few people to talk with about my infertility. No one understands.<\/li>\n<li>Everyone I know is pregnant or has children.<\/li>\n<li>My partner is the only one I have who provides emotional support.<\/li>\n<li>Infertility is affecting my work and career.<\/li>\n<li>I feel that my life plan is out of control. I&#8217;m having trouble navigating through my medical treatment options.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/resolve.org\/get-help\/helpful-advice\/managing-infertility-stress\/tips-for-handling-holidays\/\">Holidays <\/a>and coping with family and friends is becoming more and more difficult.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nRESOLVE&#8217;s mission is to provide support, education, and advocacy for all those struggling with infertility and trying to build their family. As part of that mission, we offer support groups to build connection amongst individuals on a similar journey. Support groups are led by volunteers and are not a replacement for professional mental health services or clinical support.\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tWhat are RESOLVE Support Groups?\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>Participants in support groups can be people dealing with a variety of medical conditions that cause infertility or are trying to build their family through various family building options (i.e. Adoption, Surrogacy, etc.)<\/p>\n<p>RESOLVE offers two types of support groups, peer-led and professionally-led.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tPeer-led Support Groups\n\t\t\t\t<p><strong>RESOLVE peer-led support groups are:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>led and organized by RESOLVE volunteers. Volunteers receive training, but they don&#8217;t give advice or act as professionals.<\/li>\n<li>not intended to be a replacement for private counseling or a professionally-led support group.<\/li>\n<li>a great way to connect with others with similar struggles to share experiences, peer support, and resources.<\/li>\n<li>composed of a varying number of people.<\/li>\n<li>often &#8220;drop in&#8221; in nature. Groups will not always include the same group of people every time they meet.<\/li>\n<li>generally, group meetings are one hour long, however meetings can be ended based on the volunteer&#8217;s discretion or how the group discussion is flowing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>RESOLVE support groups are hosted virtually or in-person:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Virtual Peer-Led Support Groups<\/strong>: These groups are hosted by RESOLVE volunteers through an online conferencing platform Zoom, Google Meet, etc.) and are associated with specific topics or areas of interest. Most virtual support groups are open to all regardless of the location (city and state), unless otherwise in the support group description (i.e. Only for in-state residents, only for California residents, etc.)<\/li>\n<li><strong>In-Person Peer-Led Support Groups:<\/strong> These groups are hosted by RESOLVE volunteers and are organized to meet in local communities.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>To ensure that support groups, both in-person and virtual, are emotionally safe, supportive, productive, and the best experience possible for group members, it is important for each member to make a commitment to abide by <a href=\"https:\/\/resolve.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/PLSG-Guidelines.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RESOLVE&#8217;s guidelines<\/a> for participation.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tProfessionally-led Support Groups\n\t\t\t\t<p>professionally-led support groups are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>organized and lead by state licensed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nami.org\/learn-more\/treatment\/types-of-mental-health-professionals\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mental health professionals<\/a>. Most professionally-led groups are only open to in-state patients.<\/li>\n<li>a safe place where individuals can process feelings relating to infertility or their family building efforts.<\/li>\n<li>often composed of 8 to 10 individuals or 4 to 5 couples. However, attendance can vary per group.<\/li>\n<li>scheduled and meetings times can vary per group. Professionals often have an intake or consultation appointment with each participant prior to the start of the group.<\/li>\n<li>not always free to attend and professionals can charge for their services.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Mental health professionals can contact<a href=\"mailto:info@resolve.org\"> info@resolve.org<\/a> to start a professionally-led support group.<\/p>\n\t\t<h3>\n\t\t\tHear from a Support Group Member\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t<iframe allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v-nxQpHW7OA?feature=oembed&amp;start&amp;end&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;loop=0&amp;controls=1&amp;mute=0&amp;rel=0&amp;modestbranding=0\"><\/iframe>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPlay Video\n\t\t<h3>\n\t\t\tHear from a Support Group Host\n\t\t<\/h3>\n\t<iframe allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/RCfjhxqpZIQ?feature=oembed&amp;start&amp;end&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;loop=0&amp;controls=1&amp;mute=0&amp;rel=0&amp;modestbranding=0\"><\/iframe>\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tPlay Video\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tMyths and Facts About Support Groups\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\tMyth: There are no support groups in my area.\n\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Fact:<\/strong> RESOLVE offers a directory of support groups offered nationally, in-person and online. Most virtual support groups are open to all regardless of location, otherwise location is listed in the group description. If you don&#8217;t find a support group that fits your experience, consider starting your own peer-led support group.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tMyth: Being in a RESOLVE support group is like going to therapy.\n\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Fact: <\/strong> RESOLVE peer-led support groups are led by peers and not by mental health or medical professionals. Peer-led support groups are not intended to be a replacement for private counseling or a professionally-led support group. However, it can be useful to talk with others about shared experiences with family building and infertility.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tMyth: I&#8217;ll have to bare my soul and talk about the most private areas of my life.\n\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Fact: <\/strong>It is up to you to decide how much information and emotion to share with the group. You remain in control. Listening to others will also help, as some of what they say might also apply to you.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tMyth: Joining a support group of infertile men, women, or couples  will just make me feel worse.\n\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Fact:<\/strong>It&#8217;s been noted that emotional support while struggling to build a family can: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>increase success rates for those in medical treatment<\/li>\n<li>keep patients in the treatment process<\/li>\n<li>help combat high rates of depression and anxiety among infertile couples (higher rates than fertile couples)<\/li>\n<li>help process all the options they have to build a family<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\tMyth: A support group will not help me.\n\t\t\t\t<p>Try a support group for a few weeks. If it doesn&#8217;t feel like a good fit for you, consider a different support group.<\/p>\n<p>We encourage you to discuss your concerns in the group or with the volunteer leader of the support group &#8211; namely things that are or are not working. Having these discussions can often be a turning point in the group where you can more effective work to improve your experience. If you continue to feel your needs are not being met, we can work with you to explore other options. Contact RESOLVE staff at <a href=\"mailto:supportgroups@resolve.org\">supportgroups@resolve.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Remember that a peer-led support group isn&#8217;t a substitute for counseling with a mental health professional. If you don&#8217;t think a support group is appropriate for you, but you need help coping with your condition or situation, we recommend you reach out to a <a href=\"https:\/\/resolve.org\/get-help\/find-a-professional\/\">mental health professional<\/a> or find a professionally-led support group in our <a href=\"https:\/\/resolve.org\/get-help\/find-a-support-group\/\">support group directory<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Emergency and Self-Care Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: The Lifeline provides 24\/7, free and confidential support for people<br \/>in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for<br \/>professionals. Call 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255) or visit <a href=\"https:\/\/suicidepreventionlifeline.org\/\">suicidepreventionlifeline.org<\/a> for<br \/>support in Spanish and Deaf &amp; Hard of Hearing.<\/li>\n<li>General Crisis Text Line: Text &#8220;SUPPORT&#8221; to 741-741 (24\/7, Free).<\/li>\n<li>The Trevor Project: Call 1-866-488-7386 (24\/7)<br \/>Live Chat &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetrevorproject.org\/get-help\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">thetrevorproject.org\/get-help<\/a> (Fridays 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM EST)<\/li>\n<li>Red Nacional de Prevenci\u00f3n del Suicidio: Call (Llame) 1-800-786-2929 (24\/7)<\/li>\n<li>Veterans Crisis Line: Call 1-800-273-9255, option 1<\/li>\n<li>TAPS National Military Survivor Helpline: Call 1-800-959-TAPS (1-800-959-8277)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<h2>\n\t\t\tAdditional Resources\n\t\t<\/h2>\n\t<p>Watch these previously recorded Instagram Live videos in partnership with First Response Pregnancy.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\tVideo: Making the Leap from you OB-GYN to your Infertility Specialist\n\t\t\t\t<p>Shannon Willardson, and Dr. Banafsheh shares their experience on how to prepare emotionally for your first visit when you are making the leap from your OB-GYN to an infertility specialist.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Making the Leap from you OB-GYN to your Infertility Specialist\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jbEHWxqhKyA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\t\t\t\tVideo: Mental and Emotional Support During Your Infertility Journey\n\t\t\t\t<p>Shannon Willardson and RESOLVE Board Chair Dr. Elizabeth Grill shares the importance of finding both mental and emotional support during your infertility journey.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mental and Emotional Support During Your Infertility Journey\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dfh77Xm3M20?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n\t<p>Questions or concerns about RESOLVE support groups? Please contact RESOLVE staff by phone at 703-556-7172 or email us at <a href=\"mailto:supportgroups@resolve.org\">supportgroups@resolve.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What type of support group are you looking for? In-Person Support Groups Find a group in your area that meets in-person (or occasionally virtually). These groups are peer-led. Virtual Support&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":13318,"parent":1674,"menu_order":94,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1833","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1833"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1833\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51618,"href":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1833\/revisions\/51618"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1674"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/resolve.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}