Why we do what we do –(Our Vision)-
We are here to share and encourage you to share what most prefer not to speak about, the aftermath of trauma. We are building a community of people that are living the same reality and struggles in a stigmatized mental health society. We are here to support one another, through compassion, understanding and humanity. We are the Dinner Space, where people from all over the city, can unite at one table and share their grief, struggles and strength and continue to heal with a little more support and understanding, from your fellow NY neighbors. You are not alone and we want you to know this. We are the bridge from one survivor to another, whether it is a story of suicide, Domestic Violence, Drug abuse, Homelessness, we get you and so do many of your fellow neighbors, this is where we bridge the silence and come together to heal.
How do we relate to you – About Us
We are a group of survivors, educators, and psychologists, yes, we get you!!! We live and breathe it every day, just like you are and we get where you are coming from. We understand the ups and downs of living in a post trauma world and how our society sees and misunderstands us. We are saddened by the lack of mental health accessibility to all. We have been doing outreach work and developed this platform to enable people to join together on a journey to mental health awareness and support for one another. We believe that all human beings should be allowed to tell their story, no matter how uncomfortable it may be for others to hear. We believe that you can heal your trauma with enough support and love around you. We are volunteering because we believe that the ability to heal after trauma is possible and that accessibility to mental health help should be free for all. We give you the platform and you come together and support each other.
FAQ’S
Due to COVID19 We are currently all virtual - All Dinner Space parties will meet on zoom instead of in person. You are welcome to attend with your favorite non alcoholic drink and snack to keep our dinner vibe going.
+ This is my fist Dinner space meeting, what should I expect??**
You will be matched to a Dinner space group that best matches your enrollment questionnaire. Once you have been admitted to your zoom meeting, you will be greeted by other fellow NYers, that are ready to chat and share their related experiences. It is a safe and casual space, for you to share in conversation with other fellow survivors. Each Dinner Space meeting will last 1 hour and meet weekly at the same time and day.
We do ask that you email your Host prior to the meeting, if you will not be present.
+ I’m worried that all we will talk about is grief and loss? Won’t this just bring me down?
At dinner space, participants will share difficult times as well as uplifting stories and most importantly what is working for them during this journey. Being able to share something in common with others is often more uplifting than depressing, no matter what the story is.
+ Will all hosts be mental health professionals?
No, all our hosts will not be mental health professionals as we want this space to be therapeutic in terms of community healing and not a psychotherapy session. However all our hosts are trained and highly understanding of post trauma struggles, some of our hosts are survivors themselves.
+ What should I do if I feel uncomfortable during a gathering?
Although our Hosts are trained to guide the gatherings and monitor any inappropriate behavior, we may not always notice that something may have made you uncomfortable.
If this is the case, you can message the host privately and/or are welcome to step out of the meeting and we will follow up with an email to discuss, how we can best remedy the situation.
At Dinner Space we strive for 100% communal acceptance, kindness, equality and are a non-judgmental space.
+ How do I Join? And what are the fees?
You simply join by filling out a questionnaire, enrolment form, we will then send you an email with available dinner spaces times/days. Once you have chosen the time and day, we will follow up with your meeting link. The dinner Space is absolutely free to partake in, however we do ask that you pay a one time enrolment fee of $10 p/year. We believe that mental health support should be accessible to all. All of our hosts are volunteers, so that our Dinner space is of no cost to its participants.
+ How do I Join? And what are the fees?
Yes, you may join at anytime as long as the group has not been caped to its maximum allowance. We try to keep our groups to under 12 participants to keep the conversation intimate, we want all of our members to be heard. We all have other obligations and will have to miss a dinner or two but we do ask that you miss as little as possible, in order to allow for progress in your journey to better mental health and to not disrupt the groups flow