ABSTRACT
It is easy to become isolated or to actively withdraw from the mutual support available through contact with colleagues when we are under pressure or feel that we lack the time to make such contact. It is frequently contact of this kind that sustains and supports a group under otherwise intolerable pressure. Too often, there is a tendency to want to conceal from our colleagues the fact that we are under pressure or feeling stressed. We might fear that it looks like a confession of weakness or inefficiency. However, the likelihood is that once we can bring ourselves to share or confide in a trusted colleague or colleagues, then not only do we open up a channel of strong support but we can often find that colleagues are in similar circumstances. This chapter suggests differing ways of working with colleagues in partnership and thus deriving positive support.
