Our approach
We run anonymous guided group discussions on specific issues that could affect emotional wellbeing. Often, these will be issues that are difficult to discuss even with close friends, family or colleagues - the sorts of issues that we tend to ask Google about or that we trawl through forums to read up on.
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Every hour-long discussion is moderated by a Discussion Guide who asks the group a series of carefully composed questions about the issue. A group is made up of between 5 and 10 people who all have experience of the same issue.
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Discussions take place in password protected online chat rooms and are completely anonymous. This offers a safe space to share. Discussions can be accessed via any device and are held at convenient times of the day.
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Our ambition is to make it easier to talk constructively and more comfortably about the many difficult challenges that life and work can throw at us.
Our Story
The idea for The Mutual Friend came about in 2019 when founder, Diarmid, ran a research project on a highly sensitive issue.
During the project, groups of people who had been affected by this issue were brought together to discuss it anonymously online. They were asked to share their experiences of the issue, its emotional impact, the information that they had gathered about the issue and the ways that they had found to cope.
It was clear that the discussions themselves were helpful and, in many ways, therapeutic. Sharing emotions helped reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation. Sharing information created new perspectives of the issue. Sharing coping mechanisms gave new hope.
The Mutual Friend is committed to making this kind of conversation more widely available and learning from them through careful analysis.
Discussions
By listening to ordinary people, health practitioners and HR professionals and through careful research, we identify common issues or life experiences that can have significant impact on emotional wellbeing. For example, these could be issues relating to physical or emotional wellbeing, work or relationships.
We design discussions about these issues.​ Typically, the issues explored will be those that we are uncomfortable to discuss with friends or family. This may be because our friends and family have not shared our experience of the issue or because we fear that by raising it that we will be judged.
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The sorts of issues that we will hold discussions on are:
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Menopause
Parental illness
Adultery
Workplace difficulties
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We are currently running free trial discussions on COVID 19's effect on the workplace. Please click through to the COVID 19 TRIAL page to find out more and make an enquiry.
Privacy
We take your privacy and anonymity very (very) seriously.
We have processes in place to guarantee a safe and secure space to talk openly and without judgement.
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Every discussion is accessed using a user-unique, single-use username and password.
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The booking process and the actual discussions happen on separate platforms so there is no direct data link.
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Every discussion is moderated by an experienced Discussion Guide who will protect anonymity of participants.
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If you have any further questions about privacy, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Contact us
Please use the form below to contact us and we will reply as soon as possible. We can answer any questions you have about the service or joining a discussion.
If you would like to speak with us directly, please send us your phone number and let us know when it would be convenient for us to call you.
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Social
Phone
Address
27 Duo Tower
Penn Street
London
N1 5FF