How can you support peers in making their own choices?

1 Listen actively

One of the most important skills in peer support is listening. Listening actively means paying attention to what the person is saying, reflecting back their feelings and thoughts, and asking open-ended questions to explore their options and preferences. Listening actively shows that you care, that you understand, and that you are not judging them. It also helps the person to clarify their own goals and values, and to identify their strengths and resources.

2 Validate their experiences

Another way to support peers in making their own choices is to validate their experiences. Validation means acknowledging and accepting the person's emotions, beliefs, and perspectives, even if they are different from yours. Validation does not mean agreeing with everything they say or do, but rather showing empathy and compassion. Validation helps the person to feel heard, respected, and valued. It also reduces shame, guilt, and isolation, and fosters trust and rapport.

3 Share your own story

Peer support is based on mutual learning and sharing. Sharing your own story of recovery can be a powerful way to support peers in making their own choices. Sharing your own story means telling the person how you overcame your challenges, what helped you, and what you learned along the way. Sharing your own story can inspire hope, motivation, and confidence in the person. It can also offer them some insights, tips, and strategies that they can apply to their own situation. However, sharing your own story should be done with caution and sensitivity. You should only share what is relevant, appropriate, and comfortable for you and the person. You should also avoid giving advice or imposing your views on them. Instead, you should invite them to reflect on how your story relates to their own.

4 Explore options and consequences

Sometimes, peers may face difficult or complex choices that affect their recovery and well-being. As a peer supporter, you can help them to explore their options and consequences. Exploring options and consequences means helping the person to identify and weigh the pros and cons of different courses of action, and to consider the possible outcomes and impacts of each one. Exploring options and consequences can help the person to make informed and realistic decisions that align with their values and goals. It can also help them to anticipate and cope with any challenges or risks that may arise from their choices.

5 Support their self-determination

The final and most crucial way to support peers in making their own choices is to support their self-determination. Self-determination means the person's ability and right to make their own decisions and control their own lives. Supporting self-determination means respecting the person's choices, even if you disagree with them or think they are not in their best interest. Supporting self-determination also means encouraging the person to take responsibility for their actions and consequences, and to learn from their mistakes and successes. Supporting self-determination can foster the person's sense of agency, autonomy, and empowerment. It can also enhance their self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-advocacy.

Peer support is a meaningful and rewarding way of helping others in their recovery journey. By supporting peers in making their own choices, you can help them to achieve their goals, overcome their challenges, and live their lives according to their values and preferences.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?