Self-help – More than an honorary office

Around 120 self-help groups on a wide range of topics meet regularly in Jena and the surrounding area. The IKOS is the only institution in our city that provides a comprehensive range of information and advice on the topic of self-help. For more than 30 years, we have been supporting self-help groups in their work, referring interested people to existing groups, providing information, promoting and spreading the idea of self-help locally. Our services are aimed at interested citizens, self-help groups and professionals from the health and social sectors. On this homepage we present our work, inform you about self-help groups and current new foundations, provide you with information on the promotion of self-help work and much more.

Self-help groups are the result of the independent commitment of those affected or of others affected (e.g. relatives) in an honorary capacity. This makes them fundamentally different from support services such as medical or psychotherapeutic treatment. Self-help extends and supplements these professional services, but cannot and does not want to replace them.

Participation in a self-help group is usually free of charge. The staff of IKOS and the members of self-help groups commit themselves to confidentiality.