Peer Support and Mentoring Practices
The peer role
Peer support is a mutual, non-clinical relationship grounded in shared lived experience. You are not a therapist, case manager, or sponsor: you do not diagnose, assess clinically, prescribe, or give medical or legal advice. Core values are hope, mutuality, authenticity, respect, empowerment, and shared responsibility.
Skills and practices
- Listening: reflections, open questions, affirmations, summaries (OARS), with the motivational interviewing spirit of partnership, acceptance, compassion, and evocation.
- Intentional self-disclosure: brief, purposeful, and in service of the peer. Avoid graphic detail; never make your story the center.
- Recovery planning: tools such as WRAP, wellness tools, triggers, early warning signs, and a crisis plan; goals that are specific, measurable, and the person's own.
- Mentoring: modeling coping, walking alongside, sharing what helped you, and linking to resources - not prescribing.
- Groups: safety, equal airtime, group confidentiality agreements, no cross-talk.
Traps
Advice-giving ('you should'), rescuing, over-identifying, dominating with your own story, using clinical jargon, and making decisions for the person. Also watch for pushing a goal the peer has not chosen.
Worked example
A peer says, 'My anxiety is out of control.' Weak response: 'You should try journaling.' Stronger: 'That sounds exhausting. What has helped even a little in the past?' - reflection, then an open question that keeps the person in charge.
Rule of thumb
Self-disclose for under a minute, then return the focus with a question.