Supportive communication is one of the most frequently studied phenomena in the field of interpersonal communication (Braithwaite & Schrodt, 2021) and is of interest to scholars in additional subdisciplines including mediated communication, health communication, and organizational communication. Over the past several decades, numerous theoretical and methodological approaches have been developed and applied to the study of supportive communication. This working group will consider how to best focus supportive communication research efforts in light of continued theoretical and methodological sprawl and the advent of new technologies. Specific questions include: 1) What theoretical approaches hold the most promise for supportive communication research? 2) What methodological and statistical approaches can be most fruitfully applied to the study of supportive communication? 3) How might AI be harnessed to study supportive communication processes? The goal of this session is to develop an agenda for future supportive communication research.