The differences between help offerer by members of mutual help groups and help offered by trained professionals are clarified. The perils for professionals who emulate the methods of mutual help associations are discussed. (Author)

Traces one program's history in facilitating grassroots community development. Focuses specifically on group methods by which indigenous peoples can carry out their own developments to relieve the effects of poverty. Discusses effective social, economic, and cultural development. (Author/NB)

Notes that widowed persons in the United States have little support following funeral. Describes Widowed Persons Service (WPS), service which offers one-to-one outreach to newly widowed by persons previously widowed and trained to help the newly widowed; and Talk Group, ongoing, open-ended support group for newly widowed formed by the WPS in…

Offers a reassessment of the feasibility, even given "ideal" conditions, of conducting relevant research on the dynamics that take place in self-help groups. Examines kinds of changes, group methods, group members, group leaders, and environmental conditions. (Author/ABB)

Describes Comunidades Eclesial de Base (CEBs) or base communities which are self-help and mutual aid groups that assist in alleviating the effects of poverty and powerlessness in Latin America. Discusses two potential problems of CEBs - that they may encourage either passivity or increased violence. (Author/NB)

ASSIST is a self-help program for spouses whose partners are employed in stressful occupations. Describes ASSIST from a practitioner's viewpoint, discusses emergent issues among spouses, and suggests using ASSIST as a helping resource. (Author)

Describes approaches to leadership interventions in mutual support groups that will increase participants' awareness of the groups' developmental phases and the most likely sources of support during those phases. (Author/ABB)

Parent study groups have the potential to reach a large segment of the parent population. These self-help groups do not require a substantial number of professionals to provide help for parents. Parents quickly accept study groups because they can readily see the results of their efforts with their children. (Author)

Describes a workshop providing tools for self-confrontation and for acquiring self-help methods of making the desired changes in participants' daily lives. Many participants came to the realization that they are not passive victims of life, that they do make choices, and that they shape their lives by those choices. (Author/BEF)

Examines self-help groups for Vietnam veterans, the reasons for their effectiveness, typical group processes, and issues for counselors who work with these groups. (Author)

Directed self-help, mutual support groups are useful resources for the treatment of various populations victimized by sexual abuse. Several group models are presented. (Author)

Provides a model of how hypnosis might be integrated into existing college counseling center programs. Describes a six-session skill building self-hypnosis group. (RC)

Presents a group technique for secondary and postsecondary students whereby participants are assigned careers and are encouraged to examine their cognitive and affective reactions. Students engage in self-directed career exploration, decision making, and planning. They become proactive agencts in their own career development. (Author)