Support Group
Support group for adult children of toxic or abusive families.
Growing up with difficult or toxic parents can leave lasting emotional impacts that carry into adult life. This 6‑week in‑person support group offers a gentle, supportive space to explore those experiences, build understanding, and feel less alone.
Do you have a difficult relationship with one or both of your parents? Have you often felt unheard, misunderstood, blamed, or invalidated? Did your childhood involve cruelty or emotional harm that left scars you’re still trying to heal? Do these wounds show up in your adult relationships and the way you move through the world? Do interactions with your parents or family of origin leave you feeling anxious, ungrounded, or triggered? Have you made the painful decision to limit or cut contact with your parents? If you answered yes to any of the above, this group may be for you. Hi, we’re Neliona and Evangelia, two experienced counsellors based in Edinburgh. We are creating a support group for adult children who grew up with toxic parenting and difficult family dynamics. Our aim is to offer a safe, supportive space where you can:
Share your story at your own pace
Feel heard, seen, and validated
Connect with others who have lived through parental abuse or toxic family systems
Build community and feel less alone in your healing journey
This group is for people who want to gently explore how their upbringing has shaped them and who are seeking connection, understanding, and support in a non-judgmental environment. You don’t have to carry this alone.
Event Details
Location
20 Forth Street, Edinburgh EH1 3LH
When
The support group will begin on the Friday, 25th September 2026 for 6 weeks
Cost
£240.00 (6-weeks inclusive)
Limited availability
8 Spaces available only
Meet Your Counsellors
Evangelia Botsaki
Counsellor
Neliona Moutsou
Counsellor
6-Week Group Programme
Each session builds gently on the previous one, creating a safe and supportive environment to explore early experiences, econnect with the inner child, and develop greater self‑understanding and emotional resilience.
Weekly Programme
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In our first session we will get to know one another and establish the foundations of the group, including confidentiality, boundaries, and psychological safety. We will explore how we experience emotions and introduce simple self‑regulation techniques that can help us stay grounded and supported throughout the group process.
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This session focuses on developing the Adult part of ourselves, the part that can observe, reflect, and respond thoughtfully to our experiences. We will also explore how the nervous system responds to stress through fight, flight, or freeze responses, and how understanding these reactions can help us relate to ourselves with greater compassion.
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In this session we gently begin to connect with the different parts of ourselves, particularly the younger parts that hold early experiences and emotional memories.
Participants are invited to bring a photograph of themselves as children, which can help open a reflective conversation about early experiences and the messages we may have received about ourselves while growing up.
We will also introduce the idea of the window of tolerance and explore how we can remain emotionally present while connecting with these experiences.
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We will explore how difficult or harmful family environments can shape our beliefs about ourselves and others. Together we will reflect on the ways our needs may not
have been met and the coping strategies we developed in order to adapt and survive. -
This session focuses on the idea of reparenting, learning how to respond to ourselves with the care, protection, and understanding we may not have received earlier in life. We will explore ways of developing a more supportive inner relationship and begin to nurture the younger parts of ourselves with compassion
and kindness. -
In our final session we will take time to reflect on the journey of the group and the insights that have emerged. We will focus on integration, acknowledging personal growth, and considering how to continue supporting ourselves beyond the group.
The session will also provide space to bring the group experience to a thoughtful and supportive close.
Interested in joining this group?
If you are interested in joining this group, you can complete this short questionnaire.
After receiving your application, we will invite you for a short conversation to ensure that this group is the right and safe space for you at this time.
What We Do With Your Information
The information you share in this form will help us understand your needs and consider whether this group feels like the right and supportive space for you at this time. As part of this process, your responses may be shared with the co-facilitator, as we work closely together in supporting the group. We will treat everything you share with care, respect, and confidentiality. Your information will be stored securely and will not be shared outside the therapeutic team without your consent, unless there are concerns about your safety or the safety of others. If you have any questions about how your information is used, you are very welcome to ask. By submitting this form, you are giving consent for your information to be used in this way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Group therapy is a form of therapy where a small group meets regularly with one or two therapists to explore thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
Instead of one-on-one sessions, people share and listen to each other in a safe, supportive space. This helps them understand themselves better and feel less alone by connecting with others who may be going through similar things.
It’s useful because people can learn from each other, give support, and build a sense of belonging while working through their problems.
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On one hand, it helps you understand your own thoughts, feelings, and behaviour better, this is your self-concept. On the other hand, being in a group reminds you that you’re not alone. According to Social Identity Theory, people feel stronger and more understood when they belong to a group.
In group therapy, you hear others share similar struggles, which can make you feel supported and less isolated. You can also learn new ways of coping by listening to others and sharing your own experiences.
Group therapy works because it helps you grow as an individual while also giving you a sense of belonging.
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It’s not really about one being better than the other they just help in different ways.
Group therapy is especially useful if you feel isolated or want to connect with others. Hearing people talk about similar struggles can make you feel understood and less alone. You also get different viewpoints and advice, which can help you see your situation in new ways. Being part of a group can improve confidence and emotional support.
Individual therapy, on the other hand, gives you a private space to go deeper into your personal experiences. You can talk freely about sensitive issues without worrying about others listening. It allows you to focus fully on your own thoughts and feelings, helping you build a clearer self-concept and work through problems at your own pace.
In group therapy, you may get less speaking time, but more shared insight, while in individual therapy, you get full attention, but fewer perspectives
In the end, the “better” option depends on what you need. If you need support, connection, and reassurance that others understand you, group therapy can be very powerful.
Many people use both individual and group therapy as the gains can be different and the one can feed the other with issues for exploration.
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If you’re looking for group therapy in Edinburgh to explore painful relationships with your parents, then this is the right group for you.
If you’re feeling stuck in patterns that don’t serve you, group therapy can help you understand and change them.
This group will take place at 22 Forth Street, Edinburgh EH1 3LH, every Friday at 6:30 pm. Starting on the 15th May 2026. Come join our Support Group for Adult Children of Toxic or Abusive Families.
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Feeling anxious about joining group therapy is completely normal, many people feel that way at first.
A big part of the anxiety comes from not knowing what to expect or worrying about being judged. But group therapy is designed to be a safe and supportive space. You’re not expected to share everything right away, you can take your time, listen first, and speak when you feel ready.
It can help to remember that others in the group often feel the same way. That shared experience is part of what makes it helpful.
Even though it feels uncomfortable at first, many people find that their confidence grows as they settle in. Over time, it can even improve how you see yourself, strengthening your self-concept.
See the anxiety is a normal first step, not a sign that group therapy isn’t right for you.
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This 6-week programme will cost £240.00 in total. Flexible payment options available. Payment must be made in full prior to the groups starting date.