NAMI Family Support Group

* Note: NAMI does not offer support groups for people under age 18.  Normally, groups for children and adolescents must be led by a licensed professional, while NAMI groups are run by trained peers with lived experience.  You can try contacting your insurance provider to locate a mental health agency that offers therapy groups for youth. NAMI does have support groups and an education class (NAMI Basics) for parents and caretakers of children & adolescents with mental health issues.

Due to Covid Restrictions, our support groups are meeting online via Zoom. 

You will need to pre-register to attend online NAMI Family Support Groups.

• To pre-register, click on the link to sign up ahead of time.
• You will receive a zoom link from your facilitator by email on the day of your meeting.
• Deadline to sign up: 2 hours before the support group begins (e.g. 5 PM for groups starting at 7 PM)
• Group facilitator will email the zoom link to the email you provided at registration. Please note: the facilitator will not be able to email you if you register after the deadline.
• For more information about these support groups, call Warm line Help Desk at 408-453-0400 option 1 Mon – Fri 10 AM to 6 PM or choose option 4 if calling after 6 PM.

To find a NAMI Familiy support group that meets your needs, click on the icons below. We recommend that you attend a few groups to find the one that best suits your needs. For more information, call our Warm Line at 408-453-0400 option 1, during our office hours, Monday – Friday from 10am to 6pm.

NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. Gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar experiences.

NAMI’s support groups are unique because they follow a structured model, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to be heard and to get what they need.

• Free of cost to participants
• Designed for adult loved ones of people with mental health conditions
• Led by family members of people with mental health conditions
• 60-90 minutes long and meets weekly, every other week or monthly (varies by location)
• No specific medical therapy or treatment is endorsed
• Confidential

What You’ll Gain

By sharing your experiences in a safe setting, you can gain hope and develop supportive relationships. This group allows your voice to be heard and provides an opportunity for your personal needs to be met. It encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community. You’ll benefit from other’s experiences, discover your inner strength and empower yourself by sharing your own experiences in a non-judgmental space.

NAMI Family Support Group will help you:

• Aim for better coping skills
• Find strength in sharing experiences
• Not judge anyone’s pain
• Forgive ourselves and reject guilt
• Embrace humor as healthy
• Accept that we cannot solve every problem
• Understand that mental health conditions are no one’s fault and can be traumatic experiences

What People Are Saying

“The most beneficial thing for me was that I am not alone. I found the NAMI Family Support Group at the time I really needed it!”

“The support group facilitators and attendees were respectful of other people’s experiences and were non-judgmental when there were different ways of handling things.”

“I felt I received constructive, practical and helpful information from group members.”

“Using the [NAMI] support group model is so essential to the success of our family support groups. As a group, the collective wisdom covered a lot of possibilities.”