Principles

Helping people make sense of their experiences in the context of their own lives, values,beliefs and culture. Creating hope and building independence, empowering the person to define and leadtheir recovery, and to identify and work towards their own goals.

Providing people with a safe, non-judgemental environment in which they can share theirexperiences. Supporting MH PSWs to respond appropriately and safely when people share difficult oremotional life experiences. Ensuring MH PSWs feel safe to share their own experiences.

Helping people learn from their experience and incorporate it and/or move forward. Focusing on a person’s strengths, helping them develop their ability to make use of theresources available to them.

Taking a relational approach; not giving advice or direction, but listening, exploring, andsuggesting alternative interpretations and explanations without imposing them, to helppeople find their own solutions that work for them. Acknowledging that each person is the expert regarding their own experience and hasresponsibility for their own life.