Ideas on how to run a Support Group

Following is just some ideas on how to run a support group. 

AMANDA, REGARDING THE SELF HELP GROUP I HAD - I MUST SAY THAT WE WERE
VERY CASUAL ABOUT THE WHOLE MATTER.

1. FIRST OF ALL WHEN WE MET FOR THE FIRST TIME, I HAD EVERYONE STAND UP AND INTRODUCE THEMSELVES, GIVING A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PULLING. I LIKED TO GET AS MUCH FAMILY BACK GROUND AS POSSIBLE, HOW THEY WERE INTERACTING WITH THEIR SPOUSE, OR FAMILY.

2. HAD THEY HAD ANY REMISSION OF THE HAIR PULLING, WHAT MEDICATION THEY HAD TAKEN ETC.

3. AS THE WEEKS PROGRESSED WE WOULD TALK ABOUT HOW FREQUENT THE PULLING APPEARED AND WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES HAD CAUSED IT - WE WOULD GIVE  GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT WHEN ANY OF US HAD STOPPED AND OFFER ADVICE AS TO HOW THEY HAD DONE IT.

4. WE DISCUSSED DIFFERENT METHODS IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR HANDS BUSY E.G. PRESTIC OR PUTTY OR SOME SORT TO PLAY WITH WHEN THEY WERE MOST LIABLE TO PULL.

5. WE DISCUSSED ISSUES AND EVENTS THAT WERE UPSETTING DURING THE COURSE OF THE WEEK PRIOR. TRY AND RESOLVE THE ISSUE AS WELL.

6. WE WERE VERY VERY CASUAL, SO MUCH TO SAY THAT WE WERE LIKE A CLOSE KNIT FAMILY AT THE END OF THE SIX YEARS, WE ALWAYS WOULD CELEBRATE BIRTHDAYS, HAVE A CHRISTMAS FUNCTION, LIKE GOING OUT FOR A MEAL.

7. I WOULD ALSO GATHER INFORMATION AND GIVE INFORMATION TO THE GIRLS. WE ALL HAD EACH OTHERS TELEPHONE NUMBERS AND WOULD CONTACT ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THE WEEK, AS A BACKUP TO ONE ANOTHER.

9. EACH WOULD HAVE A TURN IN BRINGING CAKE EACH WEEK, WE ALWAYS MET AT MY HOUSE FOR THE FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN WE STARTED GOING TO EACH OTHERS HOUSES, DUE TO THE TRAVELING - BUT THIS DID NOT LAST, WE ENDED UP BACK AT MY HOME.

THIS IS MORE OR LESS HOW WE HAD OUR MEETINGS,  I FELT THAT THE MORE CASUAL WE WERE THE BETTER
WE INTERACTED. , I FEEL PEOPLE ARE MORE AT EASE ON A CASUAL BASIS.