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date: 30 June 2022

Abstract and Keywords

Why do people find it so helpful to meet others who have similar problems or life-changing experiences? Why does finding others like ourselves give us a sense of hope, a sense of being understood, and often a direction to a solution to our problem? Coming together in this way often takes place is what we call “mutual help groups.” This chapter offers some understanding of how these groups come about, what they do for those who participate, and the kind of settings in which they take place. There is a related question that needs to be answered: Are there other aspects of the experience and the setting in which this kind of encounter takes place that matter? What seems to matter a good deal is who controls the program and the resources of these encounters.

Keywords: group counseling, mutual help, group settings, group benefits

Phyllis R. Silverman

Phyllis R. Silverman, Resident Scholar, Brandeis University Women Studies Research Center, Waltham, MA

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