The Miracle of Talk- Listen methods--
Peer, Group & Para- Professional Support
Peer, Group & Para- Professional Support
Talk- Listen, para- professional and Peer Support work in similar ways with similar, very positive results.This method brings two or more people, often with similar concerns together to share experience, knowledge, goals and wishes. They may take turns as listener or helper or being listened to or helped.
Para- professionals add to this arrangement with skills and qualifications, bringing greater expertise in a specific field. This may be quite different from what is offered by a doctor, counselor or case manager. Many who are unsuccessful in achieving or maintaining health goals succeed well with professional or peer support. |
Pages for our Groups: Happy Health / Happy Groups / Serenity Zone Groups
Peer Support-- Effectiveness & Info / Group Process / Guidelines
Individual Support also available by donation / Contact
Strong Evidence, Strong Results
Evidence strongly shows that community, paraprofessional or peer health support can help people prevent disease and/or manage it, including heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. It helps people cope with stress, emotional or psychological challenges, engages populations. Think about it. If you spend an average six hours a year with professionals or clinicians, that leaves 8,760 hours a year in which you must manage your health on your own.Paraprofessional and peer support give more time to participants, working with you in your own time and pace, helping daily, weekly or as needed in your health achievement, maintenance, momentum and goals.
Evidence strongly shows that community, paraprofessional or peer health support can help people prevent disease and/or manage it, including heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. It helps people cope with stress, emotional or psychological challenges, engages populations. Think about it. If you spend an average six hours a year with professionals or clinicians, that leaves 8,760 hours a year in which you must manage your health on your own.Paraprofessional and peer support give more time to participants, working with you in your own time and pace, helping daily, weekly or as needed in your health achievement, maintenance, momentum and goals.
Peer Support-- People like it We're Better when we support each other!
Paraprofessional & Peer Support Works
Paraprofessional & Peer Support Works

A Rewarding Partnership
People like paraprofessional and peer support because it empowers them rather than being something that is done to them.
Peer & paraprofessional support demystifies health care, supporting patients in the ways that matter most to them, creating a secure environment that puts the client at the center of their own wellness.
People like Peer support because it empowers them rather than being something that is done to them.
Peer & paraprofessional support tends to demystifiy health care, supporting patients in the ways that matter most to them, creating a secure environment that puts the client at the center of their own wellness.
People like paraprofessional and peer support because it empowers them rather than being something that is done to them.
Peer & paraprofessional support demystifies health care, supporting patients in the ways that matter most to them, creating a secure environment that puts the client at the center of their own wellness.
People like Peer support because it empowers them rather than being something that is done to them.
Peer & paraprofessional support tends to demystifiy health care, supporting patients in the ways that matter most to them, creating a secure environment that puts the client at the center of their own wellness.

Para/ Peer Support-- Humanizing Health Care
Peer & para-professional support makes you Better --
Empowering, Healing, Humanizing
1. Paraprofessional & peer supporters can and do devote more time to participants in the process.
2. Peer/ Paraprofessional support offers personal experience, often more valued and holding more weight, flexibility and adaptability than a “just the facts.” approach.
3. Sharing and the shared experience is enjoyable for supporters and those they help alike, making encouraging, uplifting and something they will want to continue in.
4. What is shared is grounded in the circumstances and experiences of both the “helper” and the “helped.” It is mutually affirming.
5. Peer/ Paraprofessional supporters tend to have a good understanding and perspective of the shared or familiar community, culture and conditions of the lives of their participants, often adding up to vastly improved communication as opposed to the constrained dialogue that takes place between a patient and a salaried professional who often has their own partnerships or agendas that may or may not serve the client.
Peer & para-professional support makes you Better --
Empowering, Healing, Humanizing
1. Paraprofessional & peer supporters can and do devote more time to participants in the process.
2. Peer/ Paraprofessional support offers personal experience, often more valued and holding more weight, flexibility and adaptability than a “just the facts.” approach.
3. Sharing and the shared experience is enjoyable for supporters and those they help alike, making encouraging, uplifting and something they will want to continue in.
4. What is shared is grounded in the circumstances and experiences of both the “helper” and the “helped.” It is mutually affirming.
5. Peer/ Paraprofessional supporters tend to have a good understanding and perspective of the shared or familiar community, culture and conditions of the lives of their participants, often adding up to vastly improved communication as opposed to the constrained dialogue that takes place between a patient and a salaried professional who often has their own partnerships or agendas that may or may not serve the client.

Not a “Cure” or “Treatment”
The paraprofessional or peer may have similar experiences that help create a bond allowing a fellowship as co- learners or co- creators. The practitioner takes time to learn about you, your skills and needs, to help you figure out how you need to or can change the way you do things or think and the best way to move forward with your life. In this connection the para- professional meets participants on more of a peer- to peer model, wherein the “guide”, helper or mentor is not constrained from sharing his or her own vulnerabilities and experience. Indeed that very experience can be indispensable when it facilitates participant goals or understanding. The flexibility, honesty and authenticity of this method creates a safe container that can free both parties to learn together or to safely try out new ideas and behaviors that arise through “learning” rather than “cures” or “treatments.”
The paraprofessional or peer may have similar experiences that help create a bond allowing a fellowship as co- learners or co- creators. The practitioner takes time to learn about you, your skills and needs, to help you figure out how you need to or can change the way you do things or think and the best way to move forward with your life. In this connection the para- professional meets participants on more of a peer- to peer model, wherein the “guide”, helper or mentor is not constrained from sharing his or her own vulnerabilities and experience. Indeed that very experience can be indispensable when it facilitates participant goals or understanding. The flexibility, honesty and authenticity of this method creates a safe container that can free both parties to learn together or to safely try out new ideas and behaviors that arise through “learning” rather than “cures” or “treatments.”
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