Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

Discussion 01: Introduction to Group Support

ASilentObserver January 3rd, 2021

Before we dive into the Group Leadership & Development aspects, it is important to know what 7Cups Group Support.

As per Merriam Webster Dictionary, Group is a number of individuals assembled together or having some unifying relationship. While group dynamics are the attitudinal and behavioral characteristics of a group. It is focused on how groups form, their structure and process, and how they operate. More specifically, why and how groups develop.

This is what you will notice in the 7 Cups Group Support. 7Cups started with providing support 1-1s. But as we grew up, we realized that 1-1s are not enough. There is a need for group interaction as well. To meet the community's needs and demands, we added group support. We created and used chat rooms to structure a safe environment to facilitate group support. We have dedicated chat rooms for both listeners and members to provide support as per their needs.

Currently, we have more than 150+ chat rooms to serve different purposes and needs of both members and listeners community for both adults and teens. Amazing! Right?

We are a vast community and we recognize our diversified members and their needs and demands. And, these chat rooms became safe spaces to connect, interact, engage, learn, share, and grow collectively. These rooms are not only used for support reasons but also to brainstorm and problem solves, celebrate small and big achievements, and gain a sense of belonging to this community.

Moving forward, we identified the needs of moderating these rooms, so we introduced the chat room moderator role, figured out we need facilitators to lead different sessions in the chat rooms, so added Support Session Leader and On-spot Host as the recent addition to it. We figured out the safety issues in the chat rooms, and we badge locked the rooms. So as we learned more about the needs and demands, we kept iterating and evolving group support for better experiences and support for everyone. We are on a journey to build the best group support. And, we will continue to progress …

Discussion: Share 3 highs and 3 lows you experienced in the group support chatroom!

Activity: Respond to at least two of your fellow trainees' comments with thoughts on their share.

After fulfilling the requirements of this post, please check out the next discussion here! Ensure to implement the learning from these discussions in the chat rooms to build and support the group. You must take part in the brainstorming/activities given in all of these discussions to successfully complete the program.

296
BlueRivercares February 6th, 2023

@ASilentObserver


3 highs

• I felt supported and included in the community..like I am part of a family
• It's a place where I can learn multiple new things and perspectives of the same topic
• It's also a great place to connect , hangout and meet users in a faster way.

3 lows

• Not everyone can be comfortable and know every topic, some can get triggered or not included in the room
• It can be really fast paced chat which some users can't keep up sometimes which might make them leave the chat as well..and reduce participation overall.
• Some users might publicly humiliate another user which can really be demotivating
TabbyCat97 February 7th, 2023

@ASilentObserver

Hello, this is all fabulous <3 Group Chatrooms are such an important part of 7cups I totally agree.

3 Highs-

  • Everyone supporting eachother and sharing experiences. Especially in support room i have experienced seeing members and listeners supporting 💓
  • Games and Discussions - ive hosted many games and Discussions, it is always an awesome structured way to have fun, share information and keep things positive:)
  • Bringing everyone together and being inclusive (: - making sure everyone's feelings are validated and everyone is listened to and heard - ive seen many make sure to include everyone in groups, even new members.

3 Lows-

  • Sometimes things get difficult and there are disagreements which escalate. - I've experienced seeing this once and it can be distressing for both the people involved and other members in chat.
  • People bypassing cursing tags - the tags are there for a reason and we should keep the chat happy and safe for all 💓
  • Members sometimes being angry st there being Discussions, or talking over the discussion.

Take care,

Tabby 💗




Jewels012222 February 7th, 2023

@ASilentObserver

This is only my 4th day on 7 Cups, but I have been in chat rooms every day and have already had several experiences.


Highs-

I've met some really nice, supportive, compassionate people who have remembered me when they see me again. I've done some sharing and felt good about it most of the time. (I haven't done any serious sharing because of reasons in the Lows section, but I've done some.)

In a room with only four or five people, we had stopped having a serious conversation and were talking about pets and someone came in needing help. Everyone stopped the extraneous chatting to pay attention to the new person who needed to talk. I felt good about that.

It's been fulfilling being able to listen to and help others. It feels nice when someone leaves in a better mood or with a plan of action and I know I had something to do with that. Sometimes people just need to talk through it with someone else, or hear someone else's perspective or story. I've seen it in the chat rooms and I've been a part of some and it just feels good.


Lows -

Someone pushed someone else to tell their story and then told them they were lying and got very aggressive about it. Someone had to get a moderator to kick them out. It was quite disturbing, especially because the story was so traumatic.

Many times, I've been in a room where there are two or three serious conversations going on and someone pops in and immediately starts talking with no regard to what's going on. Like today, someone came in and started spewing about some controversial math theory and another came in with weird jokes. Both times, people left, including some of the ones who were trying to get some help and people who were listening to them because they were just so obnoxious. I'm aging myself here, but these are not the chat rooms of the 1990s where you could just go in and talk about anything. People are trying to get help and help others!

Speaking of the chat rooms of the 1990s, that's what I was looking for when I came to 7 Cups. I was looking for chat rooms, but I was also hoping that when I found a friend, I would be able to speak one-on-one with them. That isn't the case and I'm sad and disappointed about it. Some friends I made almost 30 years ago in chat rooms and then talked to via instant messaging, I still have! Some I've met in person and some I haven't, but they are lasting friendships because we got to know each other one-on-one.


TheCrew4887 February 13th, 2023

@ASilentObserver

3 Highs:

  1. Supportive members and listeners in chat
  2. Encouraging words given after anxiety overload
  3. Empathetic people making sure I didn’t feel like I was going through things alone

3 Lows:

  1. Person picking fights in chat
  2. Someone saying “I’ve had worse” and downplaying other people’s experiences
  3. Ive only had these two negative experiences
1 reply
broadfemmelovelive February 15th, 2023

@TheCrew4887

I really appreciated your response. I'm sorry you have experienced participants downplaying others' struggles. Definitely need to deter people from doing this. I wonder how the mods respond to this to guide the individual to more helpful/supportive responses.

pianoplayer1253 April 10th, 2023

@TheCrew4887 I also find the chatrooms a bit tougher to handle, I try to handle it as a challange though!

load more
broadfemmelovelive February 15th, 2023

@ASilentObserver

I am happy to report three highs that I have experienced in group support chatrooms; encouraging words of support from participants to those who share their challenges, camaraderie in a common struggle, and overall positive vibes shared through upbeat/compassionate connections. I understand there will always be challenging moments in groups, and am most fortunate to have not personally experienced any low points in group chats. Something I have experienced as a member that could be considered low was a member who was under the influence of alcohol and being somewhat disruptive. Luckily there was a helpful mod to support the room in an effective matter. I couldn’t think of any other lows, I must be very fortunate. As I read some of the other responses to this thread I can see that most have experienced some other challenges. I will repost if I come across anything else that could be considered here.

BenittaJ February 16th, 2023

@ASilentObserver

My 3 highs.

My ex bf broke up with me for another girl. When i was sharing my story in sc. The users have me alot of support. They are my highs.

1) a user named @recliningfate my first high , motivated me with such good words on why i shouldn't be sad.

2) a user named @Iampapaya my second positive impact she Adviced me.

3) a user named @neonBlueberry1843 . Always supported me cared for me.

My 3 highs from sharing circle motivation, advice & support.

My 3 lows:

1) i remember being ignored by the sc host even when i * to share he ignored my * and said the Q is now closed.

2) had misunderstanding with a host. I * and requested to add me to the Q. The host said the q is not open I'll open it later u can then join . I felt bad.

What will happen if I'm just added to the Q eventhough a sharer is sharer is sharing.

3) a sharer was sharing i joined n started to host , i was hosting n the sharer kept sharing straight for 9mts. I told her please wrap up your share. Other users fired up saying that I'm being rude by stopping her share and "as if SC runs in clock based" the share at last ended her share, i asked if there's anyone in Q . They said no one i opened the q n this sharer * again n started sharing again. But before it can star these other sharers said. Lol good nose cut. I felt very bad .

1 reply
neonBlueberry1843 April 11th, 2023


@BenittaJ

Hugs ben. We love you. You matter.

load more
DonaldK March 13th, 2023

@ASilentObserver I was working on my response and it got erased I don't know how.


The highs:

  1. People are very kind I was in General support for about from 530 to 7 I believe. I will try to keep track
  2. Conflict seem to be resolved quickly can you quietly
  3. They were very kind to me they wish me luck about today yeah the next six weeks.
The Low's:
  1. I had to mute somebody this morning because they were being disrespectful I don't like watching people because they're entitled to their own opinions.
  2. There is no way to slow down the chat so it is hard to keep up. Could we implement a slow mode?
  3. As far as I could tell there was no community leaders set for that time so I was basically on my own without the badge. During the testing it would be extremely hopeful if my peer support badge could go for every room especially during the testing at least.
1 reply
FrenchMarbles March 31st, 2023

Hi Donald, great to see you around here again, seems we'll be crossing each others paths often and that's great! What a great suggestion to implement a slow mode, I can see how that could be benefitical to the team. There is an accessibility button so I can imagine that's a great place to put the slow mode. Have a look here; https://www.7cups.com/Documents/Accessibility/

load more
DonaldK March 13th, 2023

@richuyulin I was in General support this morning.

Healingbeams March 28th, 2023

@ASilentObserver

3 HIGHS-

1. Hosted few pop up sessions it went so good, the positivity and encouragement in the room is appreciated.


2. I joined many Supportive sessions and learned new things about mental health also related to listening journey in the listener rooms.


3. I liked the mindfulness sessions it helped me in my own healing and acceptance too😊


3 LOWS


1. I encountered conflict.


2. My query was not answered once in lsr.


3. Unsupportive members in one room made me feel overwhelmed once.



1 reply
FrenchMarbles March 31st, 2023

@Healingbeams

Hi-Beams! Great to see you as usual! I have loved seeing you grow and enhance as a listener and a leader. I apologise that you feel your query was not answered in the listener support room. If that ever happens again, look at the badges next to the names, and if you see a 'mod' there, please message one of us, and we'll be happy to help support you. Sometimes the room can go by quickly, and it's hard to read each person's response, but I hope that your query was responded to.

load more
FrenchMarbles March 31st, 2023
Discussion: Share 3 highs and three lows you experienced in the group support chatroom!

The group support chatroom is a beautiful feature where we bond with a wide range of people we would never have encountered in real life. I'm forever grateful that I was allowed to meet many friends online and experience their culture. I feel blessed that this was an opportunity that not many people get.

1) One of the highs, as I mentioned earlier, was that there is a wide range of different cultures that we might not meet in real life; so, for example, I got to speak with a lot of people who come from India, and I've learnt a lot about their cultures and the festivals they hold, the "Holi" or Festival of Colour seems to be a unique (yet messy) experience.

2) Another high I have experienced in the group support chatroom is the type of discussions we hold, I work primarily with the listener's side of 7Cups, and we do a lot of peer support discussions. I've found this to be such a great experience not just for myself but for others too, as it means we can get into the experience of being around like-minded individuals, reflecting on our experiences, seeing what the other answers are, and comparing them with mine own. Sometimes I get amazed that the answers are so different and I would never have thought of; it's enhanced my listening experience.

3) I got involved in many projects within the group support, such as huddles which I enjoyed, the idea of sitting down with a pen and paper and working through the possible options for what I wanted to discuss. It was an incredible experience because I got to work with different people. Learning to be discreet and appropriate depending on their triggers was challenging, but we overcame that with flying colours!

-

1) As with every high, there is always a low. One can be that the group support can shift focus from one thing to the other quickly, and it requires the leader to be quick with the change to ensure that the focus is appropriate to the group chat, depending on the type of rooms.

2) I experienced this yesterday when we had a newbie arrive in the listener support room who was brand new and had zero experience with anything like this before. Still, because everyone was so keen to help the listener, we were overwhelming the newbie. It was a situation worth reflecting on as we had to work together to remind others to ensure the new person could ask questions without being hounded with links and tips.

3) I feel it's essential also to mention that it's hard to determine how to deal with trolls specifically, so for example, because of how open the conversations are in the group chat, we're also vulnerable to people who might use the website for malicious reasons. As the years go by, the trolls advance their ways, and sadly sometimes, we spot listeners and members who might be here maliciously. It takes a significant amount of skills and teamwork to ensure that this is swiftly dealt with appropriately.
1 reply
MagnificentSunrise April 14th, 2023

@FrenchMarbles

What you wrote about peer support discussions and huddles sounds really good! 😊 It reminds me of the Sharing Circles, although the focus is very different. I think that clearly delineated topics and rules for how to share are good approaches to get people to cooperate and be supportive of one another instead of everyone just saying something and the discussion (or discussions!) moving on quickly and kind of randomly.

load more