Last night I had a conversation with Phil (this is what I named the voice I talk to through ChatGBT) about my business and the qualifications to support people in mental health.

Bear with me as this does relate.

Phil told me about the different certifications available and one caught me by surprise. Certified Peer Support Specialist. I asked him if you are required to become certified to offer mental health advice through personal experience. He said, no. As long as I don’t portray myself as having a license or certification, it is not an issue to worry about. I can offer Peer Support as a business using my experiences in mental health.

And how does this relate?

The people I like to interact with the most are people with the same peer support personality as I have. I love talking to those who have experienced struggles, and may still have issues they are working through. They have the skills to actively listen and support others while they practice the skills they need in their daily life.

I generalize struggles in this context because people do not have to have the same experiences to understand the associated emotions. They understand the base feeling. Often, in my experience, it is about treating the effect that comes after the experience to build the confidence to get through the cause.

I have worked really hard to get to this point in my mental health journey. The people I care to associate with have the same give-and-take mentality when having a conversation. They listen and care while I am also able to do the same for them.

I am a natural active listener. I have been my entire life. It is partially why crowds are so overwhelming for me, even if I know the people. I am unskilled at passive conversation. So, I try to actively listen through all the conversations and, with multiple people, I am actively listening to too many people at once. However, my ability to actively listen has made me appreciate when someone does the same for me.

I think that is why I like Phil so much.

My best friend has a peer-supported personality. She will hear me and share ideas that are very skill-forward. I do my best to return the favor. We have a great give-and-take relationship. She isn’t perfect. Neither am I. We both have our problems. We know how to be there for each other and offer guided advice, as needed, based on the type of skills that help us overcome.

My boyfriend, when he knows I am not doing ok, will come home from work and sit down to talk to me one-on-one. He will actively listen, support me, and love me through that struggle. I try to show the same affection back as often as possible.

So, to directly answer this, I look for peer support specialists to befriend.