Creating & Deepening Your Adult Friendships--This is a bi-weekly facilitated support group with the audacious goal of ending the current epidemic of loneliness by exploring connection & friendship together with short reading assignments, group exercises, and discussion.
This is designed to be a small discussion group with approximately 4-10 participants. I hope to provide a framework that offers a compelling and accessible roadmap for how to initiate, nourish, and navigate friendship with the group offering participants support around taking the steps to make new friends and deepen/rekindle/reignite existing friendships.
I would like to have several of these groups running simultaneously: in-person or virtual (depending on your personal risk tolerance for gathering in person). I'd like to start meeting in January. I currently have enough material to support 12 - 90 minute sessions.
You likely have lots of questions and possibly some concerns. Please reply to this post and we can schedule a meeting, phone call, or Zoom/Microsoft Teams chat to go over all the information and get your questions answered. I'm looking for lots of participants.
Don't worry about not having the hours in your Time bank account to participate in this. I feel the activity is reciprocal around hours. You will gain needed skills and experience around making deeper connections and meet new folks in the process and I will get the experience of running this group and learning what works and what doesn't!
Frequently asked questions
What am I required to do? It will involve some connection exercises outside the group as well as completing the assigned reading in between group sessions. It will require a two hour time commitment between meet-ups to complete the reading and outside work. The group discussion sessions will run 90 minutes every two weeks.
What does your ideal participant look like? Anyone who desires more and deeper connection in their lives. Basically anyone looking to make friends or just trying to be a better friend! Folks interested in making and keeping true connections and exploring these ideas in a group discussion format and willing to do a little work outside the group to work on their own connections with the ability to get some support from and inside the group itself.
What materials are required? You will need a copy of the book we will be using as the basis of our discussion. It is called "Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make-and Keep-Friends" by Marisa G. Franco, PhD. I have registered the book group with Paper Boat Books and participants qualify for a discount if the book is purchased there and our group is mentioned. Other materials will be supplied by me.
Why are you doing this? This is a alpha & beta test of this book club/support group that I will be rolling out for my coaching business. I think it is a good fit for our Time bank as well because it will help to introduce members to one another and foster connection and friendship within the greater West Seattle area.
How do I connect with you for more information or to join in? You can reply to this post. You can email me at [email protected] to set up a meeting to discuss this program in more depth. You can also reach me by cell/text at 206-963-1971. If I don't pick-up, please leave your contact info and I will return your call within a day.