The goal and role of ARMS support groups is to be a tool for our own healing and to provide mutual support to women who have lost their child/ren to adoption.

ARMS' Philosophy

We are here to heal ourselves, not to give advice or to change anyone else's beliefs or behaviour. Being accepted as we are makes it easier for us to accept others.

We agree to listen with an open heart, to give mutual support and to practise non-judgemental listening and sharing.

We respect ourselves and each other as unique and recognise that each woman's process is important - not our judgement of it.

We share from our own experience. By risking and exposing our own emotional state we find common experience that allows healing.

Code of Conduct for Support Groups

Each woman who attends an ARMS support group agrees to abide by this Code of Conduct.

We agree that:

1. We will maintain the confidentiality of other women inside and outside the group in order to ensure the group is a place of safety and trust.
2. We will respect each other and ourselves by not being judgemental.
3. We will listen while others are speaking and will not interrupt or disrupt group discussion and will share time fairly.