Online groups can be really helpful, especially if time and distance act as a barrier to getting to F2F groups.
It really depends on the nature of the group, the capacity of the organiser to hold the space with integrity, and the willingness of the participants to participate as fully and as authentically as they can.
It's all about finding what works for each individual.
I've participated in plenty of online groups for a range of different things, and I also run them myself.
The key to organising one is to have very clear guidelines, and then moderate consistently. State the boundaries of what is/what is not acceptable, and hold everyone to account to them.
Happy to share more thoughts and ideas.... its not different to running a chat room, really.
That's fantastic. Thank you for your response. I'm open to the idea. I am just trying to understand it. I'm more of a face to face kind of person. I am really having trouble with basic communication up to life changing communication being online. I'm just trying to understand. To me if you are needing support for a mental health issue, it's a very personal thing and online to me doesn't feel personal because there's no live human connection. I can understand it in a pinch. A live video feed doesn't count as live human connection to me. ... it just seems to be taking over important face to face interaction and the personalness of that. I'd love to hear more from you on that.