FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Thank you for asking! This is an important distinction, and one we want everyone to be clear about.

A peer support group, also referred to as a “self help group,” refers to a group of people who gather together to talk about shared life experiences or challenges, and who provide mutual informal support for one another. Peer group facilitators do not have to be professional clinicians, and the leadership role is less “formal,” meaning the facilitator is also a peer and has little liability for what happens within the group. This is the type of group that Motherless Daughters Support Circles are designed to be.

A therapeutic support group, on the other hand, includes one (or more) licensed clinicians who create and manage a more formal experience for a group of people who are “clients” to the involved leader or healthcare provider. The status and role of the professional clinician facilitator is significantly different than the role of a group member. The clinician is responsible for leading the group according to professional standards, and is liable for their actions in this professional group leadership role. This is not the type of group that a Motherless Daughters Support Circle is designed to be.

Peer support groups have common benefits for members, including:

Feeling understood and less isolated or “different”;

Exchanging practical information based on personal experience (versus from a book/podcast/website/professional in the field);

Receiving emotional support, including validation, normalization, and encouragement from peers who have had similar experiences;

Gaining insights about common challenges as well as insights into one's own life;

Expanding one’s social network;

Using one’s personal experience to potentially help and support others;

Opportunity for building or rebuilding trust in others

…and more!

“Trauma-informed” means that a program and its leaders understand and consider the pervasive nature of trauma and promote environments of healing and recovery, rather than advancing practices and services that may inadvertently re-traumatize participants.

The six key principles that constitute a trauma-informed approach are:

1. Safety

2. Trustworthiness and Transparency

3. Peer Support

4. Collaboration and Mutuality

5. Empowerment, Voice, and Choice

6. Cultural, Historical and Gender Issues.

You can learn more about trauma-informed approaches at: https://ncsacw.acf.hhs.gov/userfiles/files/SAMHSA_Trauma.pdf

Motherless Daughters Retreats does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, age, national origin, disability, or marital status in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants and, whenever possible, choose retreat sites that are ADA compliant.

We will be selecting an initial cohort that will represent the wide variety of motherless daughters – a group that is diverse in age, race, ethnicity, geography, vocation, ages at time of loss, and causes of loss.

We strongly prefer trainees who have participated in a Motherless Daughters Support Circle first, but you do not need to have taken part in an MDSC to apply or to be chosen for the training.

Yes! If you’re not admitted to this initial cohort, please check our web site at a later date for future trainings. You are encouraged to re-apply!

A history of mother loss is not a prerequisite for admission. We do, however, have a preference for trainees who have personal experience with mother loss, as we know that group members prefer leaders who share this aspect of their histories. We’re open to trainees who have a demonstrated interest in the subject for other reasons. There’s a place to tell us about this in more detail on the online application.

No, this is not an area of mother loss we cover. While some long-term effects of estrangement are similar to long-term effects to mother loss by death, the MDSCs are designed only for daughters whose mothers have died. For information about trainings and groups that address mother loss due to estrangement, we recommend Kelly McDaniel’s Mother Hunger book and groups.

These circles are designed as peer support groups, not as therapeutic groups. (See distinction as it’s explained in Question 1.) This program trains facilitators specifically to lead Motherless Daughters Support Circles using our unique peer support curriculum, and that curriculum cannot be used in groups under any other name. If you’d like to lead a therapy group for motherless daughters, Hope and Claire Bidwell Smith offer an annual Mother Loss Certification Training program for therapists, coaches, and other mental health professionals. 15 CEs are available. This is a good fit for anyone who’d like to lead therapy groups. You can read more about the Mother Loss Certification Training here.

We understand that designating 14 Wednesday evenings to a training program is a big commitment, and one that may be difficult to adhere to. That’s why we’ve worked intermittent weeks off into the training, so participants can plan for time off on those Wednesdays.

It’s essential to participate in the live modules to have the full experience of this program. Live interactions and engagements, small-group discussions, and real-time questions and answers are all important parts of the training.

We require that each trainee attend a minimum of 12 out of the total 14 live sessions. It’s okay to watch up to two recorded versions if you need to miss a week or two. Every module is important for a different reason, so we’ll have a few questions for you to answer after any recorded version you watch, so we can ensure that you’ve spent adequate time with the material.

Recorded versions of each session will be posted online at a password protected page at www.motherlessdaughters.com. If you need to miss a live session and watch the recorded version instead, there will be a handful of questions for you to answer and send in afterward to confirm that you’ve watched the full video. You’ll be responsible for doing the exercises in between sessions whether you attend live or not.

Unfortunately, live participation in a minimum of 12 Wednesday sessions is required for training completion and authorization. However, we are aware that the timing of the first training makes it hard for trainees in certain countries to join us. We’re committed to scheduling our next training at a time that’s more convenient for applicants who live in UK and EU time zones. Please check back later this year for updates.

We welcome and even recommend co-leadership of MDSCs! You are welcome to sign up in sync with a colleague or prospective co-faciliator. However, enrollments cannot be shared. You would both need to apply and be admitted separately, with two individual applications, fees, and authorization processes.

To become an authorized Motherless Daughters Support Circles Facilitator, you will need to attend all 14 Wednesday sessions (up to 2 can be watched as recorded versions); attend or watch all 5 Sunday Sessions; attend, observe, and reflect on a minimum of three Motherless Daughters Community Calls between March 6 and June 30; and answer a series of brief, written questions within 60 days of the completion of the training. Upon authorization, you will be able to offer your own MDSC either in person or online.

Your authorization will be current for one year, and includes licensed use of the MDSC name, materials, and badge; a personal listing (with photo and contact information) on our online MDSC resource page; monthly support calls exclusively for facilitators; and email access and support from Hope, Victoria, and Zanne as individual questions or issues arise.

At the end of one year, and after attending a minimum of 6 monthly support calls, you will be eligible for re-certification by attending a two-hour Refresher workshop and paying an annual $299 re-licensing fee.

Up to 30 days prior to the start date: refundable minus the $200 registration fee.

Up to 21 days prior to the start date: 50% refundable minus the $200 registration fee.

Within 14 days of the start date: non-refundable.

We suggest you purchase travel insurance when you book airline tickets to avoid flight cancellation fees.

Organizers reserve the right to cancel the retreat up to 21 days before the start date if minimum enrollment has not been achieved. You would then receive a 100% refund of the registration fee.

COVID-19 FULL VACCINATION AND BOOSTER (if 6 months past the last dose) IS REQUIRED for all in-person retreats and workshops. You will need to show proof of vaccination prior to the retreat. Failure to show full vaccination will forfeit any money paid up to that point.

Some coaching and training programs send their graduates out into the world to employ their methods with little ongoing follow-up or support. We’ve heard this can feel like falling off a cliff right from the start. We don’t want our peer facilitators to have that experience.

Our monthly support calls will offer a place for you to share anecdotes about what’s working well in your groups and also to be honest about where you need advice or support. We’ll share new research as it’s released and introduce new tools as they’re developed, offering you an easy and accessible form of continuing education throughout the year.

Making this commitment to your own personal development will help you not only grow as an individual but also improve as a group facilitator.

Yes! We understand this program is a big financial commitment for a trainee to make. If you’re accepted, we want to make it as easy as possible for you to be able to attend.

We have two payment options available:

Pay in full. The $2899 fee can be payable all at once. This amount includes the non-refundable $300 deposit that will hold your spot.

Pay in installments. A $300 non-refundable deposit is due upon your acceptance to hold your spot. Four equal installments* of $699 will automatically be charged to your credit card. (* please note that paying by installments includes additional servicing and processing fees)

Our cancellation policy is as follows:

Within 48 hours of registering: 100% refundable

Up until two weeks before the first session -- 100% refundable, minus the non-refundable $300 deposit

After the first session -- no refunds

Our cancellation policy is firm. We will not be able to grant exceptions.

Enrollment in the MDSC Peer Training Program is a serious commitment. You will be required to attend 12 of the 14 training sessions live. That said, we recognize that emergencies do occur, and our intent is to be flexible at such times. Depending on the circumstances, we will try to work with you as best as we can. Please know, this may involve transferring the remainder of your training to a future training cycle and delaying the start of your groups.

If you already anticipate that you may not be able to complete the full program, please wait for the next cycle before applying.

We hope to launch a second training cohort in Fall of 2024, but it may be Winter or Spring of 2025 before another one begins.

Yes! We will have a limited number of full and partial scholarships available to qualified applicants. These scholarships are made possible by the generosity of donors, and will become available on a rolling basis.

Anyone in financial need can apply for scholarship funding. We have special interest in supporting single moms; women experiencing financial distress due to adverse health events; and women who are committed to leading MDSCs for underserved and/or disadvantaged populations. For more information about scholarships and to fill out a scholarship application, contact zanne@hopeedelman.com.

We do not have the capacity to help market or promote individual groups. However, once you are an authorized MDSC Facilitator, you will be added to our online listing page for Motherless Daughters Support Circles. Your photo, credentials, contact information, and details about your groups will be added to a directory of Motherless Daughters Support Circle Facilitators that will be prominently displayed at both www.hopeedelman.com and www.motherlessdaughters.com. Prospective group members will be able to find you there.

We will promote the MDSC Facilitator List continuously on our web page and periodically through our social media accounts to help direct prospective group members to your groups. Otherwise, you will be fully responsible for getting the word out about your group(s); screening applicants; charging a fee that you determine to be reasonable; registering applicants; collecting payments; and communicating with your group members throughout the 12-session program.

Upon completion of the training and authorization, one year of free listing is included in your initial training fee. Updates to your listing can be made quarterly. We ask for a 7-day turnaround period after your request before the changes appear online. At the end of one year you will be eligible for re-authorization, which will include another full year of licensing and listing online.