Mutual aid counselling is a model of cooperative counselling for adults which utilizes counsellor-client role exchange and embodies the 'helper principle'. This article presents a rationale and description of mutual aid counselling.
MINISTERING TO THE HELPLESS Since the early 1900's counselling has developed in association with social casework and psychotherapy. In counselling, one person attempts to help another mainly through the use of skillful dialogue. Counselling differs from psychotherapy mainly in the severity of problems addressed. It can be argued that both counselling and psychotherapy are examples of social casework principles appled to the individual rather than to the social milieu. However they may differ, conventional forms of social case work, psychotherapy and counselling all imply a treatment approach in which experts minister to the helpless. Whatever the benefits of 'expert' treatment orientations, they exhibit one major flaw: they are inclined to reinforce helplessness on the part of help-seekers. In fact, social casework, psychotherapy, and counselling as professions require helpless others as their raisons d'&re.
MUTUALITY IN COUNSELLING
All conventional counselling models utilize the counsellor-as-expert orientation which keeps help-seekers in the low status position which they bring to counselling in the first place. However, some counselling approaches have indicated that a degree of mutuality in the counselling relationship is desirable. Otto Rank (1936/1964) countended that a therapist should hold 'expertise' in check, thus making it possible for the client to utilize his 'will to health'. Rank's goal was to release in the client '... the impulse to free himself so that'he may then continue on his own way' (p. 111).