Introduction to Group Support for Community Leaders

Group Support Rooms were created for the purpose of providing emotional support to participants. Emotional support can be achieved through active listening: validation, empathy, and reflection. Group Support Rooms also provide a sense of belonging, community, and support. Our role as Community Leaders in group support are to help keep the rooms a supportive, safe, judgement free space for participants to share their thoughts and feelings.

Reading a Room

When you are first starting out in a room, it’s perfectly normal to take your time to get to know the rooms and how they function. Over time you will improve at reading the room and understanding its dynamic. As you will get to know the rooms more and get to know the regular participants of the rooms, you will be able to notice personal connections between the participants' interactions. You’ll also recognize the normal vibe of the rooms. If something appears to be out of the ordinary, you may choose to employ de-escalation methods.

Confidentiality in Group Support
Confidentiality is one of the core pillars of 7 Cups. Our site is a safe place to come to and share things that one may not be able to share with others, anonymously. Confidentiality of members in Group Support is another significant aspect of confidentiality on 7 Cups. A participant may feel comfortable sharing their thoughts in one room but not another. It is up to the participant how much they feel comfortable sharing and while something may seem insignificant to you, it may be very personal to the member and something they wish to keep private. That is why it is particularly important to respect that right as a Community Leader and not bring up things they have previously shared in group support about themselves at a different time.

How to Communicate and Act as a Community Leader in Group Support

As a Community Leader, you need to be a positive example to other members of the community in the way you interact with others.

Read through the rules and make sure you follow them. Leading by example requires you to follow them yourself. If you have questions about the Chatroom Rules, and what is allowed and what isn’t, please seek clarification with your Support Team Leader, Community Mentor Leader, Group Support Mentor Leaders, or Group Support Ambassador..

Be professional when representing the teams you support. Minimize distractions around you so that you can be fully present to support participants.

Be Mindful: With typed messages, it can be particularly difficult to read emotions, tone, and body language, and understand the meaning of what is said. Emojis are a good way to convey emotion and meaning over text. Do not be afraid to use them. However, balance is key here. A Community Leader that over uses emojis can be perceived as unsupportive or unprofessional.

Remember, the purpose of group support rooms is to give participants encouragement, support, validation, and empathy. If someone is seeking support, try to provide it. Again balance is key. Being overly serious all the time might prevent you from building a bond with participants. You will learn to balance playfulness and seriousness while remaining professional as a Community Leader.

Balance is key. As a Community Leader, please know that you are a valued team member and your support is appreciated by other leaders and participants. However, it’s important to balance your time on Cups with self care. By taking care of yourself, you will be a better Community Leader. Remember, you can not pour from an empty cup.

Remember, every participant has an equal right to receive support on 7 Cups. Please do not at any time engage in conflict with participants, call them names, or be abusive in any way, shape or form towards them. It is equally unacceptable to call members trolls or accuse them of trolling. At any time, it is unacceptable to pick and choose which members deserve support or announce that.

LISTENING IN A GROUP SUPPORT SETTING

Being a Community Leader in a group support setting can feel overwhelming at first. It may feel like you don’t know where to start or what to do. Your active listening skills- reflection, validation, and empathy are always welcome in group support.

To keep group support rooms safe, supportive, and inclusive, we can begin by directing questions to the whole room.

• What does everyone think?

• Has anyone else experienced this? How does this affect you?

• Does anyone else have any ideas? Let's brainstorm!

When a participant joins a group support room, it may be because they find 1-1 chats too anxiety provoking or they enjoy sharing with a group of people. Be a welcoming presence in the rooms. It is always easier for a participant to share if they are made to feel comfortable and welcome! This starts by greeting people as they enter the room. Some will choose to participate while others may hang in the back for a while and that's okay! As Community Leaders, we can let them know that we are there. Remember, it's hard for someone new to join a conversation when everyone seems to know each other. Ask open ended questions, be inclusive, and avoid favoritism. It will help them feel like a part of the community and let other participants know you care by including everyone and helping to ensure the room is safe and supportive.

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