Peer-to-Peer Groups

NorthShore's peer-to-peer groups offer vital support for those affected by substance abuse, providing interactive sessions and education for family members and friends dealing with a loved one's substance abuse. Additionally, specialized groups like Women's Support and Co-Occurring Disorders Groups focus on fostering empowerment, healthy coping, and education, creating safe spaces for recovery and mutual support. Registration is necessary due to limited group sizes.

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A woman is hugging another woman in a meeting.

Peer-to-Peer Groups

Schedule Appointment

Peer-to-Peer Groups at NorthShore

Family Matters Support

If you’re a family member or a friend of someone struggling with substance abuse, chances are you are dealing with your own struggles due to their substance abuse. You may be feeling lost, helpless, or even angry.

NorthShore offers interactive support groups and education for those coping with a loved one suffering from substance abuse.

Registration is required and group size is limited.

Women’s Support

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, women benefit from support and activities that can help develop their voices and self-identities. Trauma and violence can have significant short- and long-term effects on a women’s neurological, biological, psychological, and social health. Through group interventions, women can learn healthier ways of coping with the long-term effects of trauma. Encouraging mutual self-help among women in groups can help enhance their engagement in recovery. This can improve health, healing, and recovery. Women in recovery often have low self-efficacy and self-esteem, which can impact their recovery. Making choices and having a chance for shared decision-making, goal-setting, and voicing their ideas can help build confidence and courage.

In substance abuse, we see clients with significant trauma history, especially among women. A crucial part of recovery is recognizing, removing, and replacing our triggers, thoughts, and behavior. Women often do not get a chance to have a safe place for them to understand and learn about domestic violence, sexual abuse, self-harm, etc. In our Women’s group, we provide a safe place to communicate, learn, and express ways to overcome some of the trauma they may have experienced, as well as how to start the healing process.

Benefits of Women’s Support:

Developing a voice and self-identity
Learning healthy coping skills
Building confidence and courage
Learning about healthy interactions and friendships that include respect, boundaries, and communication
Building self-esteem
Building supportive relationships with other women

Co-Occurring Disorders Group

According to NAMI, co-occurring disorders is a term for someone who experiences a mental illness and a substance use disorder simultaneously. Dealing with a co-occurring diagnosis can feel both challenging and isolating. A group environment allows patients to receive education, celebrate success, and form healthy friendships with encouragement to stay clean. When treating both together, relapse is less common.

NorthShore utilizes Cognitive Based Therapy in order to explore patterns of behavior and thoughts that may lead to relapse. Patients will formulate coping strategies to handle stress and other difficulties during recovery. The skills learned in group can be incorporated into the patient’s everyday life.