Our research focuses on all types of psychological helping and support. We mostly study those types that psychologists call social support, such as peer support, mutual support groups, internet support, befriending and mentoring. We also study professional helping, i.e., psychological therapy, counselling and general medical consultations. We are particularly interested in common processes that underlie all these different kinds of helping. We hope to contribute to the development of theory about what makes psychological helping effective, and also to address the practical issues of how best to deliver effective help to people in distress.