Peer Support Group

This peer support group is for PhD students and early career PhD recipients whose degrees are in any field of Ancient Studies, broadly conceived. A peer support group is a gathering of people to provide knowledge, experience, emotional, social, and practical help and support to one another.

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The concept of this group is for the participants to help each other in navigating the emotional and practical difficulties that often arise in the journey through a doctoral program and beyond. This group is a safe space for the participants to put forth issues they are experiencing that they may feel the need to keep to themselves in other contexts. For instance, impostor syndrome can often diminish our sense of self-worth, and there is often extreme competitiveness involved in our shared journeys. But, in the spirit of caring for one another, we agree to put aside such feelings and engage in a non-hierarchical discussion as we participate in this group.

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Each session will have a topic for discussion. The session is divided into two parts. During the first part, everyone is invited to share his or her experiences and feelings regarding the topic. The second part consists of open discussion, where all are invited to talk about strategies to better cope with the issues raised in the first part. While many things we will discuss are difficulties we face in our lives that carry negative emotions, the goal is to discuss them in positive, productive, and solution-oriented ways.

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Participation Guidelines:

1. Everything said in the group is confidential. Please do not share with anyone the names or stories you learn in this group.

2. We share feelings and experiences just as they are. We welcome different perspectives. We accept each other without making judgments. We are sensitive to the difficulties others may be experiencing without comparing them to our own.

3. Everyone’s presence is appreciated and can be a source of support and healing for others. No one is required to speak during the meeting. Listening is a gift, too.

4. At times there may be silence during the meeting. This provides a moment to reflect on what has been shared. No one needs to feel anxious or responsible to break the silence.

5. Regarding emotional issues, try to offer positive support and validation, but for practical issues, advice is welcome.

6. We maintain an emphasis on positivity.