Support groups provide safe havens and strength for people struggling to cope with adversity. By building bonds of trust and compassion with others who have shared similar life-changing experiences, group members learn they are not alone which helps them to recover and go forward. Drawing upon many years of experience as a group facilitator, Linda Klein describes what groups are, how they develop, and how they can function as a source of communal healing and strength. Combining moving insights with solid, expert advice and guidance, she uses inspiring real-life stories to explore the ups and downs that groups commonly experience, develops practical guidelines on how to find, research, join, and participate in one, and how to form, sustain, and manage one. This valuable information pertains to support groups of all types, from illness, grief, abuse, and chemical dependency groups to compulsive eating, spending, and gambling groups.

Linda L. Klein (Stillwater, MN) is President of Klein Communications, Inc. and works with several national health associations to develop patient programs. She is a facilitator for two cancer support groups and coauthor of I Can Cope (Wiley).