Support Groups

ALL groups are currently on HIATUS. If you are interested in any of the groups listed, please continue to reach out via email and your name will be added to a reminder list, so that you will be notified when groups start meeting again in 2025.

Groups are a great way to be with others who have had similar experiences in a healthy, safe environment. Those who attend groups are not required to talk about their trauma but may if they feel safe. Groups can help build foundational skills for processing trauma and learning how to regulate your feelings when you are triggered.

ASSIST offers a variety of educational support groups throughout the year for those that have been directly or indirectly affected by sexual, domestic, and/or physical violence.  If you’re looking for a place to connect and heal, but don’t know where to start, or if you have a need that is not addressed by the support groups in this list, please contact Michelle Hendrix-Swords at 317-739-4456 or michelle@assistindiana.org.

A support group for anyone (ALL ages) that has experienced trauma. We will be creating art to help express our emotions, focusing on new beginnings and recreating/finding ourselves. We also will make some objects to help cope when we are stressed. There will be drawing, coloring, and painting activities. Please join us!

This group meets Mondays, 4:30-6:00pm
at Grace United Methodist Church (1300 E Adams Dr, Franklin IN 46131)

Upcoming 2025 Dates:
Monday, January
Monday, February
Monday, March
Monday, April
Monday, May
Monday, June

This group for adults will focus on the emotion regulation skills found in the DBT Skills Manual. You will learn to be master over your emotions and decrease impulsivity. You will learn how to identify (name) your emotions and how to reduce emotional suffering and increase positive emotions.

This group meets online via Zoom on Wednesdays. For more information or to sign up contact Abby at abby@assistindiana.org or call 317-739-4456.

Upcoming 2025 Dates (Day/Time TBD):

This in-person group for adults will be a short 12 week intro to DBT. We will meet at ASSIST Indiana. You will learn to be master over your emotions and decrease impulsivity, how to identify (name) your emotions, & how to reduce emotional suffering and increase positive emotions. Please contact Michelle at michelle@assistindiana.org or more information and/or to sign-up.

Upcoming 2025 Dates (Tuesdays 5:45pm-7pm):
Tuesday, February 4: introduction/week 1 (Exploring Your Mind with Mindfulness)
Tuesday, February 11: week 2 (How to Practice DBT-Based Mindfulness
Tuesday, February 18: week 3 (Incorporating Mindfulness into Your Routine
Tuesday, February 24: week 4 (Managing Crises with Distress Tolerance)
Tuesday, March 4: week 5 (Using DT to Get Through the Week Without Making it Worse)
Tuesday, March 11: week 6 (Learning to Accept What You Cannot Change)
Tuesday, March 18: week 7 (Getting to Know Your Emotions Using Emotion Regulation)
Tuesday, March 25: week 8 (Understanding Emotion Dysregulation)
Tuesday, April 1: NO GROUP
Tuesday, April 8: week 9 (Decreasing Your Emotional Vulnerability and Changing Emotional Responses)
Tuesday, April 15: week 10 (Understanding Your Wants and Needs with IE)
Tuesday, April 22: week 11 (Strengthening Your Relationships Using Validation
Tuesday, April 29: week 12 (Becoming a Better Communicator with Interpersonal Effectiveness)

A support group for folks that are survivors of violence and/or trauma. This group will meet in-person, once a month and give you an outlet to share what’s on your mind with others that have also experienced violence and/or trauma. For more information please email michelle@assistindiana.org

A support group for folks that are caregivers for any age person who has experienced trauma! This in-person group meets once a month and will provide a space for you to connect with others that are caregiving for babies, children, teens, adults, or the elderly. For more information please email abby@assistindiana.org

This group meets the first Wednesday of the month, 4:30-6:00pm.
This group meets in person at ASSIST Indiana, 198 E Jefferson St, Franklin IN 46131

Upcoming 2025 Dates:

Wednesday, March 5
Wednesday, April 2
Wednesday, May 7

Wednesday, August 6
Wednesday, September 3
Wednesday, October 1

In this group (teens & their parents) learn how to be master over your emotions and decrease impulsivity. You will learn how to identify and name your emotions, as well as how to reduce emotional suffering and increase positive emotions.

This group meets Tuesdays, 6-7pm via zoom for approximately 10 weeks. Please sign up for the upcoming session by emailing michelle@assistindiana.org. (You may join the group through the end of January)

Upcoming 2025 Dates (Day/Time TBD):

A child's hands full of paper
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills for kids
Individual sessions held for Elementary age & Middle school/Jr. High age that have experienced trauma and would like to become master over their emotions.  Learn mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness skills. DBT Skills are provided individually for younger children
To set up your individual timeslot, please email michelle@assistindiana.org for the consent form & materials.

For more information on any group, to sign up, or to make a referral, please contact Michelle Hendrix-Swords at 317-739-4456 or michelle@assistindiana.org.