Some of the most common types of self-help resources include books, audio publications, and support groups. Many self-help organizations and businesses exist to provide clients with self-help programs and other materials. Even therapists and other health professionals can provide self-help strategies.
Books are probably some of the most recognized types of self-help resources. Many traditional bookstores feature self-help sections, and most online bookstores sell hardcopy and ebook versions of self-help books. Most bookstores sell journals, and some sell self-help journals. A self-help journal might look like any other journal, with blank pages and space for writing anything from diary entries to dinner recipes, or it might feature pages pre-printed with self-help exercises. Some bookstores and similar shops also sell self-help audio materials, which some customers choose to listen to during long commutes or other spare time.
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Even though support groups consist of several people helping one another, they are still among some of the most popular types of self-help resources. Generally, a self-help support group consists of like-minded members who are trying to improve upon some similar aspect about themselves. For example, members might be learning how to cope with mental illness, rebuild their lives after a death or divorce, or develop and maintain their own self-esteem and self-worth. During support group meetings, members share their own stories and listen to those of others as well as offer support, advice, and suggestions. A support group might even be modeled after a particular self-help program.
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The self-help business is a popular one, and various self-help organizations and businesses exist to help people learn the skills of self-help. In fact, many of the other kinds of self-help resources available, such as books, journals, audio materials, and even support groups, are organized by professional self-help organizations and businesses. Some of these businesses provide for-pay and free self-help resources on their websites or for order directly from the company.
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Employing therapists to act as self-help resources might seem contradictory, but these professionals can provide patients with self-help techniques and strategies unique to their situations. For example, a self-help book about dealing with grief might help someone who’s lost her father, but a therapist can teach this person specific self-help strategies catered to her personality, lifestyle, and even religion. For some patients, seeing a therapist for one or two sessions is enough to teach them effective self-help methods they can use on their own.