Our Meetings.

Peer-to-peer support is a format that The New Normal has proudly adopted from inception. We feel that the best form of therapy is to talk to others with similar life experiences.

We have been helping people through life’s difficult moments since 2018, facilitating conversations between individuals who find themselves in similar positions. 

We deliver around 25-30 meetings per month for a range of grief and mental health experiences, communities and identities.  

Our spaces are free, inclusive and non-judgmental.

All of our meeting facilitators receive substantial training and have lived experience in the topic of the spaces they hold, ensuring genuine and empathetic peer support.

Read on to find out about our spaces, what you can expect in a meeting, and view our upcoming meetings.

upcoming meetings.

Here you can find out what meetings are running over the coming weeks.

Click on the + symbol to view each week’s schedule. Click on a meeting name to find out more about it, and to register for that space.

Please note the time zone listed for international meetings.

“It’s changed my life wholly and helped me learn about and navigate my grief in a way I would never have been able to otherwise.”

What to Expect.

Each of our meetings were created to give space to openly discuss experiences of grief or mental health in an empathetic environment, in the knowledge that they are sharing with others who can relate. 

You are able to sign up for any meeting spaces relevant to you, and your experience, above. On the morning of the meeting you will receive an email explaining how to access the meeting.

Each space is facilitated by two volunteer Meeting Hosts who support the running of the meeting, but do not give advice.

Our Hosts will open by reading an introduction outlining the purpose of the space, how it will work, how to take part, and basic guidelines we ask all attendees to adhere to. You can read this in advance here.

Attendees are asked to introduce themselves with their name and the person(s) that have brought them there. We also share our pronouns, if comfortable, to create a respectful and inclusive space for all. 

Hosts will then invite the group to share and will facilitate the session, one topic at a time. They will ensure everyone who wishes to gets the opportunity to speak. 

We ask that everyone is respectful of privacy and to treat each other, and themselves, with kindness. Every experience is valid and to be respected.  

If you wish to discuss any barriers to access or support needs for any of our spaces, please Contact Us. We will always try to help.

You may wish to read through the below Frequently Asked Questions.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.

HOW DO I JOIN AN ONLINE MEETING?

Our virtual meetings take place on Zoom - you will need to have, or sign up for, a free account in advance.

Once you have signed up to a meeting space, you will receive an email on the morning of each meeting explaining how to access the session. You don’t need to sign up for individual dates of the same meeting.

Will i have to have my camera on in an online meeting?

There's no obligation to have your camera on. We do encourage it as it can support connection, but some attendees like to leave it off to help feel more comfortable in the space.

does everyone just say nice things about their people?

No, we don’t expect you to pretend like they, or you, were perfect. You don’t need to censor your feelings and experience, and you can share the things that you mightn’t feel comfortable sharing in your everyday life.

what if my relationship or grief is complicated?

Your grief is valid, regardless of the difficulties in your relationship and/or the complications that came along with their death. Those complications don’t disappear with the death, and you deserve a space to grieve authentically.

You, and your grief, are welcome in all of our meeting spaces, but we can also recommend our dedicated It’s Complicated meeting.

what if i change my mind after signing up?

That is no problem at all. It can be scary attending your first meeting, and it’s okay to sign up and join when it feels right. If you do attend, there’s also no problem with leaving again if it feels too much - there’s no obligation to stay until the end of the meeting.

hOW LONG DOES A MEETING LAST?

Our online meetings last around 1hr 15mins, and our in person meetings usually around 1hr 45mins. We may close a meeting early if everyone feels they have nothing further they’d like to speak about. But don't worry, you can leave at any time - there’s no obligation to stay!

ARE MEETINGS RUN BY tHERAPIST?

No, we proudly champion a peer-to-peer support model: all of our meetings are facilitated by volunteers who have lived experience in the topic of the space they hold, ensuring genuine and empathetic support.

Facilitators receive substantial training to hold these spaces, support the running of the meeting, but do not give advice.

my grief isn’t due to a death - can i still attend a grief meeting?

Our grief meetings are ringfenced for those who have been bereaved by a death, or who are anticipating a death in the near future.

However, you’re very welcome to explore experiences of living losses in our Boys Talk and Girls Talk mental health meetings!

WILL I HAVE TO SPEAK ABOUT MY GRIEF?

Not at all. There's never any pressure to speak or share about your grief: you're welcome to join and just listen. Only those who indicate they would like to share, will be invited to do so. You can also use the chat to make comments or ask questions, if that feels more comfortable.

does everyone just cry?

Not at all! While there can be tears, there’s often also laughter. Our meetings are a space to share our grief without judgement. We hold space for all emotions that grief brings.

are the meetings accessible?

We’re actively working on ensuring our spaces are as accessible as possible. This includes Closed Captioning, option to use chat area instead of speaking verbally in each virtual meeting,, and our in-person meetings are held in accessible buildings. If you wish to discuss any barriers to access or supports, please Contact Us directly. We’ll always try to help.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to Contact Us.

“I find the sessions are an important part of my life, not only to talk but also to simply listen to others in the group. The safe space provided by TNN has had a positive effect on my own mental health.”
— Paul, Boys Talk & Grey Matters Attendee