Intentional Peer Support

Intentional Peer Support This is a song I wrote as my final presentation for the Intentional Peer Support online training course I just completed. The Course lasted 5 weeks and was intense but very informative! Intentional Peer Support is a way of thinking about and inviting transformative relationships. In IPS relationships, power is shared and support flows to and from both directions. Nobody approaches the relationship with an agenda to “help” the other person nor does anyone arrive thinking they will be “saved” in the relationship. IPS involves mutual respect and responsibility and never starts with the assumption of a problem. The idea that we should try to move towards positivity, hope and life aspirations is key to the mindset in IPS and means that there is less space left for us to focus on the negative aspects of ourselves. IPS promotes a trauma-informed way of relating. Instead of asking “What’s wrong?” we learn to ask “What happened?” and over time this helps to change how we view ourselves and to realise the sometimes negative and unhelpful stories we have been telling ourselves throughout our lives. If anyone is interested in learning more about Intentional Peer Support you can get in touch with me here at Gateway. Ali