Two way interaction in peer support
Learn what we mean by two way interaction, why it's important, and what it looks like in practice.
What does two-way interaction mean?
Peer support is something that people do together. The interaction is two-way and involves both people learning from each other and from their relationship.
Sometimes one person might feel like they’re giving or sharing with their peer, and on another occasion they might feel like they’re being supported by them. But it is the reciprocity or mutuality in the relationship – the sense of ‘doing peer support together’ – that people find rewarding.
Interactions between people in peer support always have the potential for both giving and receiving.
"I like the fact that we’re all helping each other… I think if you’re signing up to do peer support… you do need to recognise that it is giving, and receiving, support."
Why is it important?
At the heart of peer support is a two-way commitment to share time together in the same space (physical or virtual). Peer support relationships operate in both directions and at any one time. This involves people sharing their own life experiences, and listening to others sharing theirs. When people feel able to share personal experiences with each other, they are able to build trust over time and feel valued. These supportive, trusting relationships form the basis of the human connections that people are able to make with each other in peer support. Equally, being listened to with care and attention can be a powerful experience for some peers.
It is the two-way interactions that make peer support different from other forms of mental health support. Where people have the potential to both be helped, and to help, it’s possible to reduce the power differences that can occur. In helping other people, peers may be able to feel a sense of purpose while gaining some support for their own difficulties.
This value strongly depends on peers feeling safe, and having choice and control over how they participate. Peers should not feel that they are obliged to share or listen to anything that they find too difficult or upsetting on a given day. The way in which peers support, or are supported by, others will ebb and flow over time. Peers may not be engaged in two-way interactions all the time – what is important is that the environment is supportive of two-way interactions where peers want to have them.
"Peer support means being supported by equals, people like you. And by support I mean… having somebody with you who can make you feel better, feel like a proper human being, because there is somebody like you… [I]t’s equal, so I might be supporting them and they might be supporting me. It’s a mutual, equitable relationship."
What can two-way interaction look like in practice?
There are many ways these interactions may be present in peer support:
- Sharing experiences and listening to other people’s experiences.
- Sharing coping strategies and learning coping strategies from other peers.
- Listening carefully to people who may be speaking about difficult experiences.
- Performing simple gestures of kindness such as making a cup of tea for someone or sending a supportive message.
- Expressing patience, ensuring that people don’t feel under pressure to share when they’re not ready.
- Helping each other in practical ways, for example, helping each other fill in difficult forms.
"I think that was the turning point for me, the realisation that we could share complex and painful truths and not need an expert in trauma to put us back together again. We could acknowledge how we feel, express our emotions and step over the rubble of our lives hand in hand with people who are already on the same journey."
Reflective questions
- What opportunities are there for everyone to share?
- How can people contribute if they don’t feel comfortable talking in a group?
- How can we ensure that new members feel comfortable enough to contribute?
- How can we best work with each other to identify and develop our skills, strengths and interests?
- How often do people interrupt each other when speaking? How do people react when this happens?
- Are there facilities for peers to make each other tea or share refreshments?
- Do we need some training or discussion to help develop our listening skills?
- Do we need some training or discussion to help us share our views and experiences with others, in a way that is safe for us and helpful for others?
