The Fowler-O’Sullivan Foundation
SELF-HELP AND PEER SUPPORT GROUP
Join Peer Support Group
Self-Help and Peer Support Virtual Group Guidelines
Group members will:
1. Practice confidentiality.
- What’s said here in each session stays here, who you hear in each session stays here,
and please don’t use names of ‘outside’ people when sharing within the group. - Ensure you are in a private environment during this group. If you are not in a private environment, use earbuds/headphones and turn off your incoming video, to ensure anonymity and confidentiality for all.
2. Practice virtual group etiquette.
This includes:
- Muting your microphone when you’re not speaking.
- Turning your camera off if you want to smoke, vape, or eat.
Please use the hands up function when you’d like to be heard, remembering to put your hand down afterwards.
3. Create space for all to share.
Which includes holding back to make space for quieter people to participate.
4. Practice respect for all.
Including respecting differences of opinions and approaches to recovery, all forms of diversity and the rights of all people within the group to feel respected.
5. Use person-first language and speak from your own experience.
When talking about your experiences, avoid going into specific details that may trigger other group members.
6. Be mindful not to reinforce stigma in your language, for example, when talking about your own or someone else’s body size or shape, or about someone’s mental health status.
7. Be responsible for your own self-care.
You do not have to share if you do not want to and always feel free to pass if you’d like. If you need to step away from the group and practice self care, please do so. If you do need urgent support after the group, please let the facilitators know.
Peer Support Meeting Dates 2026
Each meeting is on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.
This is a free open group.
January 20th , February 17th
March 17th, April 21st
May 19th, June 16th
July 21st, August: 18th
September 15th, October 20th
November 17th, December 15th
Recommended Reading and Videos:
In “The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change,” author
Pauline Boss examines how we can begin to cope with loss that cannot be resolved.
David Kessler, an expert on grief and loss, has assembled helpful articles, videos, and
other content on his grief-focused website.
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Facilitators
Maureen Trask
Maureen Trask - Facilitator
Maureen was a long-time resident of Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada until she made Puslinch her home on May 2017. She has a BA in Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University and is retired from a 40-year career in Information Technology.
On Nov. 3, 2011, she was confronted with the most challenging situation of her life when her youngest son, Daniel, went missing. This set her on a journey of searching, not only for Daniel, but also for information and resources.
During the early years, Maureen was shocked to discover the lack of support services for families like hers, along with little community understanding of what families needed. This put her on a path to helping families of the missing by facilitating peer support groups to share our lived experiences and to acknowledge our loved ones in a safe and caring space.
She remains an advocate for families by raising awareness and providing training for those who can help support families. She is also actively engaged in collaborating with families, police, victim services, community agencies, and the media to introduce legislation and policy that will help the families of the missing on their journey of uncertainty and living with Ambiguous Loss.
Dawne Robinson
Dawne Robinson - Co-Facilitator
Dawne was a resident of Guelph, Ontario, Canada until she and her husband made the decision to leave the city for a more rural life in Inverhaugh, Ontario. She has a degree from in Wildlife Biology and initially worked for Parks Canada and the Ministry of Natural Resources. After an 8-year research career with the University of Guelph’s Department of Environmental Studies, she changed direction and went back to school to obtain a Bachelor of Education degree. That led to a 30-year career as a high school science teacher.
Dawne and her younger brother Paul Miller, shared many of the same interests, especially a love of the wilderness. They spent their time together hiking, camping and paddling. On July 13, 2018, while Dawne was on an expedition in the Arctic, Paul went missing while on a solo hike in Joshua Tree National Park, California. Park staff and SAR volunteers looked for Paul for 5 days until the heat became too dangerous for the search to continue. This began Dawne’s journey to find her brother. Paul was very experienced in the outdoors so it was hard to accept that he had just disappeared. Paul’s remains were found a year and a half later but not without many obstacles along the way. Dawne is looking forward to helping others on their own journey to find a missing loved one by her involvement with the FOF’s peer support group. She has participated in a similar peer support group in Canada for a number of years and has experienced first-hand how helpful it can be.