Guidelines for Zoom meetings

Please familiarise yourself with the guidelines and preamble before your first zoom meeting. We will only read the guidelines when newcomers attend.

Attendees are expected to have read, understood and have agreed to abide by the guidelines.

1. Please do not give unsolicited advice or feedback. This group is a place to be heard and not fixed.

2. Please use "I" statements, as opposed to, "you" or “we” statements when speaking.

3. Please keep everything shared in the group STRICTLY confidential. No recordings are allowed.

4. Please keep discussion focused on cPTSD recovery, the book and the relevant reading for the week.

5. While we encourage everyone to share their experiences, please avoid trauma dumping. www.talkspace.com/blog/trauma-dumping/

6. The host will interject if 1 or more people dominate the conversation to the exclusion of others talking, this includes repeatedly interrupting people. This is for the safety of all members and to create a healing space.

7. This is not a mental health professional lead group. Please be aware that feedback, advice, things you hear are strictly the opinion of the person saying it. This group is not designed to be a substitute for professional mental health support. Anybody hosting or involved in this group is a volunteer.

8. We do not pre-vet people so please exercise caution when swapping contact details. If you do not feel safe please let the host or other group members know. We do not allow offender type personalities to join.

9. We do not tolerate abusive behaviour to other members.

Preamble for Zoom meetings

• This meeting lasts for 1h. It will start on time and end on time.
• It is only for people who identify as having cPTSD or suspect that they do.
• You do not have to be formally diagnosed to attend.
• You are welcome to either share or simply listen.
• You do not have to show yourself on camera or talk on mic, but if you feel comfortable you are welcome to say hello on camera or microphone and then turn it off for the remainder of the meeting.
• If any member takes up too much of the sharing time the host will wave the yellow card. Please wrap up if you see the yellow card. This isn’t to say stop talking immediately but to wind down, so that everyone who wants to, gets a chance to share.
• We encourage this to be a supportive community so feel free to use the reactions tab or comment in the chat.