Two Worlds - Self Help Groups and Professionals
by Judy Wilson
(available from BASW Trading Ltd, Publications Department, 16 Kent Street, Birmingham B5 6RD)

"Two Worlds" refers to the separate yet often linked worlds of the self-help group and of professionals working in the health and social services. The key questions addressed in the book are regarding good practice, partnership, degrees of involvement, and problems and obstacles to co-operation.

The author, Judy Wilson, is extremely experienced in the field of self-help, and her in-depth knowledge and understanding shine through. A total of 49 groups and 50 professionals took part in the study. The self-help groups referred to do not include any stammering groups, but the book is valid across the whole spectrum of the self-help world involved in health and community care.

Do SHGs want professionals to put people in touch with them? As you can imagine, it was a resounding "Yes!". Ideally, the professional should not be selective but should inform "across the board". The actual decision about joining the group being made by the potential member them self (in our experience we have found it may take three months and more before a stammerer, once told about the group, attends a meeting!).

Different methods of putting people in touch are discussed and the possible reasons for professionals not telling individuals examined. Attitudes of both professionals and SHGs play an important role in the support given to the groups. Lots of ideas in this section, with plenty of food for thought. Here's a mind-boggler - a doctor would not display a poster because he did not believe in SHGs and people would pick up bad habits from each other. Oh, so that's how I started stammering!

Chapter 5 - Promoting Self-Help Groups

Actually, this section was not as I had imagined it with the emphasis being on how professionals can promote SHGs, and the possible reasons why they will not promote them: a very interesting chapter. By using the information provided, and by being aware of possible setbacks, some insight into the professional world can be gained.

Chapter 6 highlights the fact that the worlds of SHGs and professionals are separate and different, but that this need not be a problem. The real problem is that the degree of difference is not recognized. This can be a major obstacle to co-operation. Other problems include professional power and control (the "I am God" syndrome) and also client expectation (the "You are God" syndrome).

Can such obstacles be overcome? Judy Wilson's final chapter is a summary of lessons learnt. No particular answers are given, but lots of suggestions are made. It is up to the individual (professional or SHG member) to reflect and decide on what actions to take.

Overall, the book is of great value to professionals and anyone involved in the self-help field. I have found the book to be very thought-provoking, and hope to use it as a reference manual to further develop and improve links between SSHG (Doncaster) and professionals. "We may be in different worlds, but we're still on the same planet!".

Reviewed by Bob Adams, Chair: Stammerers' Self-help Group, Doncaster, in the Autumn 1996 issue of 'Speaking Out'.

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