The “Helper” Therapy Principle

Abstract

ency—it may be that emphasis is being placed on the wrong person in centering at tention on the individual receiving help. More attention might well be given the individual who needs the help less, that is, the person who is providing the assistance, because frequently it is he who improves! While it may be uncertain that people receiving help are always benefited, it seems more likely that the people giving help are profiting from their role. This ap pears to be the case in a wide variety of self-help therapies, including Synanon (for drug addicts), Recovery Incorporated (for psychologically disturbed people), and Alcoholics Anonymous. Mowrer notes that there are over 265 groups of this kind listed in a directory, Their Brother's Keepers.1 The American Conference of Therapeutic Self-Help Clubs publishes an official maga zine, Action, describing some of the func tions of these groups. While there is still a need for firm re search evidence that these programs are effective, various reports (many of them admittedly impressionistic) point to im