What is a peer support group?
A peer support group is a small, regular gathering of people who have been through something similar, such as grief, anxiety, depression or an abusive relationship, who take turns sharing and listening so nobody has to carry it alone.
How a peer support group works
Groups are usually small, often fewer than ten people, so everyone gets a chance to speak. Someone keeps the group on track: a host with lived experience of the topic, or in guided groups a set of talking points everyone moves through together.
People take turns to share what's been happening for them, and the others listen without judging or trying to fix it. Sharing is always optional; many people just listen in their first few groups.
Why peer support helps
Being understood by people who have been there is different from being understood by people who haven't. Peer support reduces isolation, puts words to things people have struggled to explain, and shows that others have found ways through.
It's built on mutual respect: everyone in the group is an equal, which is why many people find it easier to open up than in other settings.
What a peer support group is not
It isn't therapy, and peers don't diagnose, prescribe or give medical advice. It isn't a crisis service either. Many people use peer support alongside therapy, or while they wait for it.
Free online peer support groups at Heal Kinder
Heal Kinder runs free, small, live video peer support groups on more than forty topics, hosted by peers with lived experience or run as guided peer groups. Members sign up for free and save a spot, and times show in each person's own time zone.
Questions
Are peer support groups free?
Many are. All groups on Heal Kinder are free to join.
Do I have to talk in a peer support group?
No. You can just listen, for as long as you like. Sharing is always your choice.
Who runs a peer support group?
Usually a peer: someone with lived experience of the topic, rather than a therapist. On Heal Kinder, hosts are members who have been to groups themselves, and many have done its host course.