What is Peer Support?
Peer support is built on shared understanding, mutual respect, and practical support grounded in lived experience. It offers a different kind of space from clinical services, where people often feel more comfortable talking openly and exploring what is happening for them.
Watch this video to get an idea of what peer support consists of:
Peer Support
How it works
Peer support provides a consistent, one-to-one space to talk, reflect, and make sense of difficult experiences. Sessions focus on understanding patterns, managing emotions, and developing practical ways to cope with everyday challenges.
Because peer support is grounded in lived experience, many people find it easier to feel understood and less judged. This can make it easier to build trust, speak honestly, and engage more fully in the process of change.
Why it works
Peer support works because it combines empathy, understanding, and practical problem-solving in a way that feels relatable and realistic. Research shows that people often feel more hopeful, more confident, and more able to manage challenges when they feel understood and supported by someone with shared experience.
Peer support also helps reduce isolation, increase self-belief, and support people in building independence over time.
When it works
Evidence behind Peer Support
There is growing evidence that peer support can:
• improve emotional wellbeing
• reduce feelings of isolation
• increase confidence and self-efficacy
• support recovery following crisis
• help people engage more confidently with services
Studies from organisations such as Mind, NHS England, and international mental health research consistently show positive outcomes for people accessing peer support.