Types of Peer Support
Peer support services can help people in different ways. Community Living Well Peer Support provides a wide range of options depending on your needs and goals.
Peer Support Groups
Give and receive mutual support in a peer support group to manage daily stresses, online or in-person.
Structured self-help peer support groups aim to bring people together to share their experiences of dealing with mental health issues. It’s your chance to talk about your mental health, an opportunity to learn about how others in similar situations manage their lives and connect with people who know what it’s like to feel the way you do.
Groups include support for people of specific communities, such as LGBTQIA+, women’s peer support, and support through art.
One-to-one
Meet with a peer support worker (this may be over the phone), talk through emotional challenges and share coping suggestions. Talking helps, but not everyone is comfortable talking in a group and even if you are, sometimes it’s nice to be able to talk to someone on a one-to-one basis. When you’re talking with a peer you are with someone who is equal to you, not a professional therapist or counsellor. It’s someone who can put themselves in your shoes.
Sometimes just having a safe space and time to talk is enough. The peer support worker is there to listen, relate to how you feel and even offer practical tips they themselves have used to overcome similar difficulties.
Social Peer Support
Social peer support provides friendly meet ups where you can connect with others in a safe, supportive environment to join in an activity, or just spend time with people who have a similar interest and shared experience.
Social peer support activities include walking, culture, arts, singing, social trips and much more. Some activities are face-to-face and others are online.
Living Well Workshops
Living Well Workshops provide a safe and supportive space to develop skills to manage the stresses and difficulties in your life. Each session is different, covering a variety of subjects. Learn alongside peers who may be experiencing similar difficulties. Living Well Workshops are co-facilitated by a peer trainer.
How to access peer support
You can refer yourself quickly and easily by:
Alternatively, you can ask your GP or other professional involved in your care to refer you to Community Living Well.
To receive regular updates about the Peer Support service, sign-up here
For our list of eligible GP practices please click here.
Community Living Well Peer Support is provided by Kensington & Chelsea Mind