Forms of Mutual Support

In the context of discussing Relationship Elements, forms of mutual support can be understood as the supportive practice that emerge in the one-to-one dynamics of any given relationship.

Identifying these relationship elements can help clarify any Expectation Agreements establishing the types of mutual support that each person can reasonably expect from the other within a given Structural Dynamic.

In addition, articulating mutual support dynamics can help in clarifying what, if any, support each person would like to contribute to the other person’s extended community. This might be a matter of providing support through contributing to informal and/or formal systems of mutual aid that extend the support people can provide for each other beyond the immediate one-to-one connections of any given relationship.

Emotional support

Support for processing experiences, such as active listening, that can be included as an agreed upon form of mutual aid. This requires openness and a non-judgmental practice such that the one who gives support and the one who receives it are open to having their own perspectives transformed in relation to the issue. May require emotional intimacy

Intellectual support

Support for examining ideas, such as sounding-board support, that can be included as an agreed upon form of mutual aid. May require intellectual intimacy

Perspectival support (advice)

A type support that involves offering additional perspectives and advice to help inform decisions that can be included as an agreed upon form of mutual aid. May require emotional intimacy and intellectual intimacy

Practical support (being useful)

A form of mutual aid where one person does tasks for the other (within their skill set) or one person helps the other with tasks that require two or more people and/or would be more enjoyable with company.

Emergency support (reliability)

An agreement to prioritise turning up to provide emotional and/or practical support when the other person finds themselves in an unexpectedly bad situation. May require emotional intimacy.