What's your secret to building trust with peer support partners?

1 Listen actively

One of the most important skills for peer support is active listening. Active listening means paying attention to what your partner is saying, reflecting back their feelings and thoughts, and asking open-ended questions to encourage them to share more. Active listening shows that you are interested, curious, and respectful of your partner's views and needs. It also helps you avoid making assumptions, judgments, or advice that may not be helpful or appropriate for your partner.

2 Share selectively

Another way to build trust with your partner is to share some of your own experiences and insights, but only when they are relevant and helpful for your partner. Sharing selectively means that you are not oversharing or dominating the conversation, but rather offering some examples or stories that illustrate a point, a challenge, or a solution that your partner may relate to. Sharing selectively also means that you are mindful of your boundaries and confidentiality, and that you respect your partner's privacy and consent.

3 Validate and empower

A third tip to build trust with your partner is to validate and empower them. Validation means acknowledging and affirming your partner's feelings, thoughts, and actions, without minimizing or dismissing them. Empowerment means supporting and encouraging your partner to make their own decisions, set their own goals, and find their own solutions, without imposing your own agenda or expectations. Validation and empowerment show that you are compassionate, supportive, and respectful of your partner's autonomy and agency.

4 Be consistent and reliable

A fourth tip to build trust with your partner is to be consistent and reliable. Consistency means that you are following the same principles, values, and standards in your peer support practice, and that you are not changing your approach or attitude depending on the situation or mood. Reliability means that you are keeping your promises, showing up on time, following up on your commitments, and being available and responsive when your partner needs you. Consistency and reliability show that you are trustworthy, dependable, and professional.

5 Seek feedback and improvement

A fifth tip to build trust with your partner is to seek feedback and improvement. Feedback means asking your partner for their opinions, suggestions, and preferences on how you can improve your peer support skills, methods, and outcomes. Improvement means acting on the feedback, learning from your mistakes, and seeking new knowledge and skills to enhance your peer support practice. Feedback and improvement show that you are humble, open-minded, and committed to providing the best possible service to your partner.