BestSelf-Help.com: The Best Self Help Ever

Category: File - :GrammarGirlLogoSmall.jpg|thumb|Self-help book for grammar improvement

Self-help, or self-improvement, is a self-guided improvementAPA Dictionary of Psychology, 1st ed., Gary R. VandenBos, ed., Washington: American Psychological Association, 2007.?economically, intellectually, or emotionally?often with a substantial psychological basis. There are many different self-help movements and each one has its own unique focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases leaders.

Self-help often takes place on the basis of publicly available information or of support groups where people in similar situations join together. From early exemplars in self-driven legal practiceSteve Salerno (2005) Sham: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless, ISBN 1-4000-5409-5 p.24-25 and home-spun advice, the connotations of the phrase have spread and often apply particularly to education, business, psychological or psychotherapeutic nostrums, purveyed through the popular genre of self-help books. According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, potential benefits of self-help groups that professionals may not be able to provide include friendship, emotional support, experiential knowledge, identity, meaningful roles, and a sense of belonging.

Groups associated with health conditions may consist of patients and/or their care givers. As well as featuring long-time members sharing experiences, these health groups can become lobby groups and clearing-houses for educational material. Those who help themselves by learning about health problems do exemplify self-help, while one might better regard such groups as peer-to-peer support.