I used to attend a (free) local community group which was a huge support to me right back when I was desperately seeking help to make change for my family.  It was such a powerful realisation that I wasn’t alone in this. I met some other mums just like me, mums who were fully committed.  Mums who went to the group each week to listen and learn - mums who wanted to share things they’d tried, and ask for support with the next steps.  

But unfortunately those free sessions were regularly hijacked by other mums who were not fully committed.  These were often mums who had been directed to attend the sessions by their child’s school, or by their social workers, they were there under duress - they weren’t looking for support, they were looking for a soap box. 

Eventually myself and some of the other mums like me, we stopped attending because we realised that that wasn’t the right type of support for us.  They weren’t the ‘right people’ for us. This wasn’t the right environment for us to grow in. That’s when I started investing financially in support.  Because the free offer could only take me so far. 

I started paying out for 1:1 support for our family, which was extremely helpful, but didn’t give me the same regular contact with other mums like me.  It was also not sustainable for a long period of time financially (I remind you of my mortgage!!). 

Following my recovery from burnout, when I was in a place where I felt my lived experience could really help others, I set up a number of ‘community based’ groups of my own, I focused on attracting committed parents to the group, parents who were in it for the right reasons, the ones who wanted to learn, the ones who were serious about making change. 

Those groups were amazing.  I absolutely loved them.  I loved the community support that everyone provided each other, the validation and comfort that came from all of the participants recognising themselves in the other members. The full commitment of everyone - to learn, to go away and try new strategies and then to come back and share what had worked and what hadn’t worked.  I loved that in each session different topics would be raised by different people, and we would discuss a whole range of things that weren’t included in my ‘session plan’.  I love how happy everyone was at the end of each session (even if they’d come in having had a really bad day and feeling really low about things beforehand), and the generosity of spirit we all felt in those groups was incredible.  

Whilst I have been trying to grow SENsory Mother, I have been focussing on attracting 1:1 clients and whilst I absolutely love providing this type of support, I feel there is so much more value to be gained from a group experience.  So much more validation, so much more energy and motivation, and so much more support both inside the group and outside, in between sessions.  

And so - I want to start a group!  And I want you to be the first to know about it, the first to experience it and the first to really help me shape it into an online experience.  I am only telling the people who have been with me when it’s mattered most for me and my business!  Only the people who have already invested in PAUSE™, because that tells me that you are committed to making a change, and I want my groups filled with people like you.  

My promise to myself in the steam room was simple:  This doesn’t need to be perfectly formed YET.  I have got time between now and the 25th of February to really fine-tune what this group will look like. But for now, here are my ‘messy’ thoughts about what this ‘pilot’ group experience will entail:

• No more than 5 people (if there are way more than 5 who are interested then I will consider putting on a second group)

• It will consist of 4 virtual group coaching sessions (1 hour per week via zoom) 

• PAUSE™ principles will be touched on throughout all 4 sessions

• A wider ‘curriculum’ will also be covered including communication and sensory processing (as well as other topics)

• Whatsapp group support will be available in between sessions.

As well as the added benefits of the community support, group coaching can also be more financially accessible for many people.  To provide this as a 1:1 service, I would charge over £600, but for a group offer I expect to charge around £300 once it’s all up and running.

In exchange for feedback at various points, to help me shape this offer for future cohorts, I would like to offer this to you for an investment of just £150.

On 25th February I will go over all of the specific details - including the dates and times of the coaching calls and a breakdown of the ‘curriculum’ which I will have, by then, planned for each session. 

There is absolutely no obligation for you to say yes, you are more than welcome to come to the ‘coffee morning’ simply to experience that session alone if now isn’t the right time for you to invest further into your family situation. 

I would love to see you at the virtual coffee morning - please be sure to bring your own coffee!!

Laura x