Could Self-Help Groups Help Heal Childhood Trauma? THA Pilot Insights

Healing often begins with a single moment of connection. A nod of understanding. A shared story. A quiet “me too.”

Marina Chrisikopoulou

Head of Research

Andrea Bujor

Research Assistant

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When you’ve lived through a childhood marked by addiction, neglect, or abuse, finding a safe space to share your experiences can be challenging, but life-changing.

Self-help groups (SHGs) have long offered that environment- safe spaces where people come together to support one another, reduce stigma, and build resilience through shared experience and connection.

Groups may be led by a mental health professional, but most provide peer-to-peer support with a moderator who is also a member of the group (Shalaby et al., 2020). SHG’s provide social support by creating a shared community of experiences. Being a part of the group can provide a feeling of normalcy and connection, which may not be present in daily-life. Seeing peers who have faced similar challenges can normalize emotions and inspire hope (Markowitz et al., 2015).

Sharing experiences not only reduces loneliness but also boosts self-esteem, as members realize their stories can help others.

Insights from the The Human Aspect Pilot Study

Benefits of Self Help Groups 

The benefits of self-help groups are well-documented: autonomy, acceptance, catharsis, self-esteem, coping strategies, openness, and self-disclosure (Seebohm et al., 2013). Social identity theory further explains how identifying with a recovery-oriented group strengthens resilience by aligning one’s behaviors with healing norms.

Watch our mini documentary on peer-support groups on Youtube:

To learn more about available self-help groups, check out Selvhjelp Norge here: https://www.selvhjelp.no/selvhjelpserfaringer/ and Link Oslo here: https://linkoslo.no/

Our Role

We know the importance of connection and how sharing stories can be powerful for personal and community healing. At The Human Aspect (THA), we asked ourselves: What if we added another layer to the experience of self-help groups? 

In an age of increased mental health challenges, high cost of services, and stigma, it is important to look for fresh and innovative ideas. We thought that with our resources, we could search for alternative solutions. We have a digital lived experiences (DLE) library with real, recorded interviews of people sharing their own personal journeys (explore our library: https://www.thehumanaspect.com/. 

Our ‘sterkere sammen’ (stronger together) approach combines the traditional SHG principles and structure with lived experience storytelling. This approach gives participants practical coping strategies and highlights real-life examples of resilience and hope. In collaboration with Link Oslo and Barn av Rusmisbrukere, we conducted a pilot project which explored the practicality of the sterkere sammen approach, the experience of participants, and any suggestions for further use. 

How the Pilot Worked

• Who joined: 12 participants (10 women, 2 men) with lived experience of challenging childhoods marked by addiction, neglect, or abuse.

• How they found us: Social media and partner organisations like Link Oslo and Barn av Rusmisbrukere.

• Groups: Three groups of four people each.

• Observers: Two psychology students/interns at THA per group who were there to watch and provide feedback, not to lead sessions nor to provide counseling support.

• Presentations: Six in total, some with DLE videos and reflection questions, some with just the questions. The aim was to move gradually from lighter topics (“low openness”) to more personal and challenging ones (“high openness”).

The Big Lessons from the Pilot

Openness takes time

Trust grows gradually – jumping straight into deep topics can overwhelm people.

Shared experience is powerful

Seeing others’ lived experiences made personal sharing easier and helped people understand their own challenges.

Structure helps, but flexibility keeps people engaged

A clear plan is important, but participants value some control over topics and format.

Observers need

careful handling

If they’re included, their role should be explained clearly at every meeting and revisited often.

What Participants Told Us

We heard from both people who finished the program and those who dropped out, which informed us about the practicality of the program.

From those who finished all sessions

• THA interview material helped them open up.

• THA material helped participants understand and connect with their own challenges.

• The SHG increased opennesses outside of the program. 

• They’d recommend the program to a friend.

What Participants Told Us - From those who didn’t finish:

It wasn’t about the content as no one said the topics were too personal or irrelevant.

• Instead, barriers were:

  • Finding the time to attend regularly.

  • Wanting more freedom to choose discussion topics.

  • Discomfort with the presence of observers.

  • Unmet expectations about the program’s format.

  • Feeling the group dynamic wasn’t the right fit.

    
    

• Suggestions from these participants included: 

  • Avoid starting during holiday periods.

  • Stick to a fixed meeting schedule.

  • Use shorter video clips.

  • Begin with less sensitive topics before moving into heavier ones.

What Observers Noticed

We also relied heavily on the feedback from our observers. 

Practicalities and Implementation:

• Room setup matters: A warm, inviting space sets the tone for trust and openness.

• Role clarity is key: Some participants were uneasy about having observers. Explaining their role from the very start helped.

• Printed prompts help: Having reflection questions on paper gave participants something to refer to.

• Paper for jotting down feelings was useful during emotional moments.

On the Presentations Themselves:

• Sometimes the questions went “too deep” too quickly – better to start broad and gradually go deeper.

• Participants occasionally went off-topic – but this sometimes led to meaningful discussions.

• A structured flow of questions from general warm-up to more personal helped the group ease in.

• Better “check-in” and “check-out” questions could help set the mood at the start and close sessions on a grounded note.

Participant Experience – Insights from Observers

• Overall atmosphere: Respectful, encouraging, and increasingly open as weeks went by.

• Growing comfort: Participants who were hesitant at the start became more willing to share later on.

• Impact beyond the group: Some participants began opening up more in their everyday lives. 

Our Recommendations Going Forward

Partner with formal mental health services for referrals to SHGs.

Set fixed meeting dates/times to make attendance easier.

Start with lighter, general questions before moving deeper.

Give participants some choice in topics and materials in order to reinforce autonomy.

If using observers, standardise their introduction and check in about their presence regularly.

The Bottom Line

Healing happens when we feel understood and connected to those around us.

Our pilot showed that with the right pacing, environment, and mix of structure and autonomy, self-help groups can help people feel less alone and more ready to talk. Paired with real lived-experience stories, we can get the conversation started and reduce the stigma and shame that some may feel when opening up to others. Let's start healing together. 

For more information, check out our research page.

Research

About the Author

This article was written by Marina Chrysikopoulou and Andrea Bujor, at THA, drawing on direct feedback from participants and observers of THA’s self-help group pilot. In our aim to redefine mental health, THA develops innovative programs to reduce stigma and increase access to healing.

To find ambassadors (interviewees), we collaborate with mental health organisations who have helped people through life's challenges. This allows us to reach a diverse pool of ambassadors, but also to ensure that interviewees have processed their challenges in a healthy way before being interviewed. We have also developed what we call ‘ambassador care’ where we follow up with interviewees over time to provide support.

THA have had the pleasure of going on 16 interview tours around the world to partner with organizations such as Friendship Bench in Zimbabwe, SADAG in South Africa, Shamiri Health and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Kenya, SUFMA and Mental Health Coalition in Sierra Leone, and Fundación Mi Sangre in Colombia. The tours are normally funded by a third-party making the tours possible. THA is now planning to extend our reach to Central Asia and South-East Asia once funders are in place. 

References

• Markowitz, F. E. (2015). Involvement in mental health self-help groups and recovery. Health Sociology Review, 24(2), 199-212. https://doi.org/10.1080/14461242.2015.1015149 

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/support-groups/art-20044655 

• Seebohm, P., Chaudhary, S., Boyce, M., Elkan, R., Avis, M., & Munn‐Giddings, C. (2013). The contribution of self‐help/mutual aid groups to mental well‐being. Health & social care in the community, 21(4), 391-401. https://doi.org/10.1111/hsc.12021 

• Shalaby, R. A. H., & Agyapong, V. I. (2020). Peer support in mental health: literature review. JMIR mental health, 7(6), e15572. https//doi.org/10.2196/15572 

• https://www.simplypsychology.org/social-identity-theory.html