Peer Support

Peer support groups run by untrained amateurs often do more harm than good. They turn into complaint sessions where everybody gets a chance to blame everything but their own refusal to do the hard work. Run professionally, they can be a major part of an integrated program. Professional peer support programs are run by people with extensive facilitation experience that know how to keep a group on track and focused on finding solutions and inspiration. Professional facilitators that have also made progress on the same path can help others in many ways.

Tom Wootton wrote the book on turning your condition into an advantage. Actually, three books: The Bipolar Advantage, The Depression Advantage, and The Bipolar In Order Workbook that is used in the workshops. He also has been a professional facilitator to Fortune 500 companies, college professors, high school teachers, and thousands of people with mental conditions.

The Peer Support component starts with facilitating the workshops, but continues for the rest of the six month program. With weekly meetings in small groups and one on one, the peer support program helps everyone share their successes and failures in an environment that fosters helping each other to overcome all obstacles.