This is in contrast to a pathology orientation. A Path toward Finding and Mobilizing a Community's Assets . Rather, community building starts with the process of locating the assets, skills, and capacities of residents, citizens associations and local institutions. These assets can then be put to work on individual and community-wide problems. The help provided by self-help is contextualized by the fact that it is not a commodity to be sold and bought.
Services are free and reciprocal.
Unlike commercial self-help books and tapes that are sold in the marketplace for profit, mutual aid is not a commodity. This is a concept that is much broader than self-help. The selfhelp group is one of many forms of social support that enables individuals to withstand crisis, loss of loved one, or alienation. Supportive relationships provide a buffer against stress. They allow the individual to interpret the situation in a different and much less stressful way.