Welcome to Peer Support+

Learn about Peer Support in Mental Health

These materials have been created by people with a passion for what peer support in mental health can accomplish. You’ll find an introductory course to get to know the basics, as well as a toolkit that holds more in-depth and practical materials.

For whom are these materials created for?

These materials are for everyone who is interested in how to use their lived experience to enrich the life of other people who are struggling with their mental health.
People who wish to improve their communication skills and find ways to create meaningful and trusting relationships
Interested people from any field or speciality, but especially youth and social work, community organising, advocacy etc

Peer support in the mental health field is offered by an individual who has a lived experience of trauma, psychiatric diagnosis and/or emotional distress, after doing some work with their experience and learning the core principles of peer support.

Our Experience in Peer Support

Peer support is a way of relating to someone through shared humanity and core commonalities with the goal to offer and/or receive support.

Authors experienced in Peer Support

Authors of this e-course and toolkit have learned and practiced Peer Support in mental health through many years, as well as in different types of organisations.

International perspective

We have combined perspectives from three countries and mental health organizations in Europe to include insights from very different socioeconomical settings and mental health systems.

Unique focus on experience stories on mental health

Storytelling is an art, and especially in telling stories of recovery. We guide you in how to share your experience in a way that’s supportive and safe for both you and your peers.

Thoughts on Peer Support

"For me, communication is the key ingredient in peer support, but it doesn't always take place with words. It also takes place in silences, in looking with my heart as well as my eyes and trusting my gut. Still, there are some communication tools that I cherish so much - active listening, reflecting back what I've heard and letting myself be guided by the wish to understand what my peer is going through. And of course the key ingredient: the courage to act that I get from knowing that simply a sincere talk with someone can make a world of difference."

"Sometimes it's difficult to tell a loved one or a mental health specialist what's going on in my head, because you don't always feel like you're "on the same page". In our peer support group, I do feel that. I know that when I talk about what's on my mind, then the people listening to me know in their unique way what it means to be struggling. The safe and free environment of the group allows one to express the things that don't come out so easily in the everyday rush. And the understanding that exudes from others helps me feel more confident. "