I’m excited to launch the Eyes On Trauma Peer Support Group. I want to help people with lived experience of complex trauma and neurodiversity connect with our peers. I think a lot of us struggle with feeling lonely and misunderstood. I’ve been part of peer support groups before and found them so helpful. I’ve been looking for a group like this and I struggled to find what I was looking for, so I’ve decided to create it.
What is it?
Launching January 2026: A peer support group for people with lived experience of complex trauma. We meet once a week for 2 hours to connect with our peers. We meet online, so participants can join from around the world.
Who is it for?
The group is for people with lived experience of complex trauma, of any kind. We do not talk about our traumatic experiences in detail or in a way that could overwhelm or distress others, but we do talk about the shared experience of living with that trauma.
Open to all ages 18+ and genders. People join us from different nationalities and countries around the world. We aim for around 6 people per meeting, plus Eleanor, who facilitates the group. We are neurodiverse friendly, trauma-informed and want to improve access for people living with disabilities.
Who is the facilitator?
The peer support group is facilitated by me – I’m Eleanor, a 35-year-old woman from England, who created Eyes On Trauma a few years ago. I have lots of lived experience around complex trauma, healing journeys, therapy, research, and peer support
I run a peer support group called Kindling Space which meets weekly around a campfire in Brighton, UK. I hold a BSc (hons) Open Social Science degree, and PGDip Community Psychology. I have undertaken certified training in Intentional Peer Support, Youth Mental Health First Aid, and Lean Organisation Management. I am a big fan of peer support and helped organisations e.g. Home-Start UK gain funding to set up a peer support service.
What happens at the meetings?
During our meetings, we have a mix of facilitated peer support, knowledge sessions, sharing time, and free flow chat, sometimes with themes. The emphasis is on peer support in a facilitated space, with lived experience knowledge sharing. We like to create a basic structure for the meetings, and let things flow organically. An example schedule:
- Short hello and check-ins (10 minutes)
- Intentional Peer Support sharing session: 5 minutes share, 5 minutes feedback (60 minutes)
- Information Topic session – e.g. somatic healing; psychedelic therapy; medication (20 minutes)
- Open time to chat freely, make friends, or go into breakout rooms (20 minutes)
- Round-up and goodbye (10 minutes)
Meeting dates & times
We meet on a Monday at 2-4pm and a Friday 11-1pm. You can choose to join one or both groups. Hopefully, the different days and times give people with different schedules a chance to join. We are open to hosting peer support groups at different times so please let us know if there’s a particular day you’d like.
How can I join?
You can apply to join the group via the form here. We ask a few questions to make sure the group is a good fit for you at this time.
How much does it cost?
If we are able to offer you a space, the cost for taking part in the group is £5/£10/£15 per session, pay as you feel. We offer bursaries for x1 fully-funded place per group, please contact me to enquire about this opportunity. Extra donations are welcomed to help us support others.