SIGN IN YOUR ACCOUNT TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT FEATURES

CREATE AN ACCOUNT FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?

FORGOT YOUR DETAILS?

AAH, WAIT, I REMEMBER NOW!

CREATE ACCOUNT

ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT?

IAHIP

CALL: +353 (0)1 284 1665
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
    • Publications
    • Services
    • Training
    • All Ads
    • Submit Ad
  • News
    • IAHIP News
    • Blog
  • Members
    • AGM 2020 & 2019
    • Events Calendar
    • Professional Conduct
    • Continued Professional Development -CPD- For Accredited Psychotherapists
    • Accreditation
    • Re-accreditation
    • Supervision
    • Honorary Membership
    • Child and Adolescent
    • Garda Vetting
    • Resources
      • Members’ Resources
    • Payments
  • SIGN UP
  • LOGIN
  • Home
  • About
    • About IAHIP
    • Governing Body
    • Committees
      • Committees
      • Regional Development
    • Complaints
    • Constitutional Documents
      • Articles of Association
      • Bye-Laws of the Association
    • IAHIP in N.I.
    • Considering a career in psychotherapy?
  • Psychotherapy
    • About Psychotherapy
    • How Psychotherapy Can Help Me
    • Choosing a Psychotherapist
    • Useful Links
  • Join
    • Join IAHIP
    • Why Join IAHIP?
    • Benefits of Membership of IAHIP
    • Categories of Membership
    • Fees
  • Publications
    • Inside Out
    • Subscribe
    • Buy Back Issues
    • Buy Full Page Ad
    • Buy Half Page Ad
    • Advertising
  • Training
    • Recognised Training Courses IAHIP
    • European Certificate of Psychotherapy (ECP)
  • Find a Therapist
  • Home
  • Inside Out
  • Issue 18: Autumn 1994
  • EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

Our definition of a Self-Help group is one where the members usually come together around a single issue like illness or addiction. There is generally no fee except perhaps a nominal one for rent of the room, tea, coffee etc. The group is usually led by a member who is not in the role of a therapist and who does not receive a professional fee.

Most support groups in the self-help world are about consciousness raising. One of the primary benefits of such groups to members is that it provides information so that members have accurate and verifiable data that helps them cope with whatever has drawn them to such groups in the first place.

While most self-help groups work quietly in the background, there are some that see themselves as having a broader responsibility. This can include efforts to heighten the awareness of the issue they contend with in the public arena. This can be for many reasons, among them being the political objective of ensuring that those affected by the particular interest of the group are not forgotten and allowed to slip into obscurity. Another reason may be, at times, to ensure currency in the public mind so that funding for research or support from government agencies is maintained.

The majority of self-help support groups are for people who, in one way or another, are suffering or whose lives are disrupted by the particular reasons for the group’s existence, eg. alcohol, abuse, food, illness, etc. It is easy to see the reason for these groups because they provide an incalculable service to their members and to those people associated with them; family, friends and partners. Some kinds of groups are not as clear as others in making the distinc­tion between self-help support and what might be called self-help therapy.

There are many things and circumstances in peoples’ lives that cause pain and distress, both emotionally an physically. Self-help groups may be an answer in terms of support, reduction of anxiety, education or acceptance.

There is also a major industry surrounding the self-help world. There are myriads of “How to …” and “You can …” books and tapes on the market. What is their value? What do they contribute? Are their often simplistic solutions dangerous? Are they more trouble than they are worth because they make it seem easy to achieve change in even the most emotionally turbulent life?

Where does self-help leave off and therapy begin? Most of the contributors to this issue recognise there is a clear distinction between therapy and what they do. It is true that people often find their way to more formal therapy as a result of the introduction to personal awareness and development that they experi­ence through self-help support groups.

We hope you enjoy reading the various contributions within. The Winter issue will be published in Early December and will have the theme “Joy and Ritual”.

Search Inside Out

Latest from the Blog

Latest News

  • New Trends and Opportunities for Psychotherapy as a Profession – Online Workshop
  • Empathy Counselling & Psychotherapy – Rooms to Rent in Portlaoise

Upcoming Events

Contact Us

The Administrator,
The Irish Association of Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy Ltd.
40 Northumberland Avenue,
Dun Laoghaire,
Co. Dublin

Telephone: +353 (0)1 284 1665
Email: admin@iahip.org

Office Hours

9.30am – 4.00pm Monday
9.30am – 5.00pm Tuesday to Friday

Telephone Line Answered
Monday – Friday 9.30am – 1.00pm.

Disclaimer

IAHIP Ltd. cannot be held liable for the services, products or information contained in ads posted on this website.

FIND A THERAPIST

Search in radius 0 miles
  • Contact Details
  • Privacy Statement
  • Code of Ethics for Psychotherapists
  • Company Registration

© 2018 All rights reserved.

TOP
This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience. Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.