Support-led self-help

In support-led self-help projects, members work with peers to develop self-help skills. These skills include problem-solving and communication. Participants are expected to share their own experiences and learn from one another. The goal of the groups is to develop self-help expertise and the ability to take personal responsibility.

The self-help model emphasizes the importance of showing concern for the feelings and needs of others. Rather than focusing on the past or unconscious, it is about the present situation. The facilitator helps the parent maintain focus on feelings and behaviours to develop the ability to change. The facilitator helps the parent learn to see the problem as a changeable problem, rather than as something that cannot be changed.

Support-led self-help activities are grassroots initiatives that aim to alleviate common problems among groups of people. Self-help groups emerged as a response to the traditional medical model, refocusing the focus from the expert to the individual. These groups were also founded in response to the common experience of suffering. Because people’s meaning systems are often disconnected from the expectations of society, they seek ways to bridge these experiences with social and cultural meanings.

Mutual self-help groups are a good example of a support-led self-help project. The members of these groups are required to identify with one another and are socially committed. This means the conditions for group membership must be clear and open, and participants should feel free to discuss differences and make comparisons. The sociodemographic features of such a group are also important for the process.