Through the Eyes of a Professional | By Dr. Joyce Webb

Photo courtesy of Grzegorz Lobinski

Despite years as a psychologist treating people with many different kinds of problems, until my divorce many years ago, I had never really given much credence to the idea of referring my clients to self-help groups for assistance. My knowledge of self-help groups was limited, and possibly tainted by the movie stereotype of smoky meeting rooms filled with addicts who didn’t really want help. Little did I know then, how incredibly ignorant I was of the power and healing nature of these groups. Nor did I know that years later, I would be in need of one myself.

During a time of pain, when I was trying to manage an unwanted separation and impending divorce, I heard about a program at my church whose sole purpose was to speak to the hearts of those like me who needed healing and help with forgiveness. I, somewhat hesitantly, showed up in a church classroom over and over for about 3 months where my small group met and talked and cried and grew. It was better than any experience I could have had in therapy. These people ‘got it.’ They were patient, they talked to me about their experiences of growth, and they helped guide my processing. They truly understood what I was going through. They challenged my soured and burned perspective, and led me from a great heaviness in my life to a journey toward a new life of freedom. Suddenly I could live again and move on.

That experience opened my eyes. Soon I began hearing of other small groups in my church, in the community, and across the state where people embarked on other journeys toward greater understanding and healing from cancer, addictions, eating disorders, and grief. I was amazed that this world had existed for so many years, and my eyes hadn’t been opened previously. Years later, I was approached as a professional to help a faith-based leadership team launch and nurture a large community-based self-help group centered on recovery. I can’t express how heart-warming it was to watch people struggle with and conquer issues that had plagued them for years. I can only hope that other professionals, like myself, will open their eyes to the vast resources that can be found in self-help groups and step up to help build and expand these healing efforts in our communities.

As one person, I can’t meet every need of every client. Neither can any other professional. Self-help groups can be a great tool for many people seeking help and professionals who believe in them can assist in their success. Access to these groups and many other useful resources can obtained through the Self-Help group online database at www.kansashealthsolution.org/selfhelpgroups. This website is easy for clients (and professionals!) to navigate and can be searched by type of group or area of Kansas. For assistance, call 1-800-445-0116.