Self-help groups in West Germany. Developments of the last decade

The paper reports on the discussions currently going on in West Germany-and in some neighbouring countries - on self-help groups, on their political and social background, on attempts to define them, and on theoretical considerations and practical experiences, especially with a model of cooperation which for some years has been tried out at the Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy in the University of Giessen. The Clinic has a psychoanalytical orientation and has a strong tradition in group psychotherapy, family therapy and social therapy.