The German version of this article was first published in the anarchist newspaper Graswurzelrevolution No. 508, April 2026.
Someone involved in anarchist organizing recently said that the unique opportunity of our time lies in the fact that we are able to consider more levels of oppression than previous generations: the state, social institutions and structures oppress us. In addition, largely caused by systemic oppression, there are mechanisms of oppression in our relationships with others—including within political groups, activist groups, housing cooperatives, and romantic relationships—even if our intentions and ideals are deeply anarchist. And on a third level, all of this affects our bodies and our minds, which suffer under this oppression, have their potential limited, internalize mechanisms of power, and reproduce them. Alongside these three levels, there are various forms of discrimination—such as racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, ableism, and anti-queer hostility—whose intersectionality results in additional effects of oppression.
All these levels and forms of oppression are deeply ingrained in us—through socialization and habit. How can we recognize, reflect on, and break free from our dysfunctional and power-reproducing behavioral patterns, and replace them with less controlling, emancipatory ways of acting? How can we, through mutual support, ensure that we remain resilient in our political activities over the long term and are able to bring about effective change? So that these changes take root not only within us and our relationships, but also at the societal level, and so that the roots of oppression come under pressure?
One approach that is compatible with anarchist ideas is co-counseling. Co-counseling is a method and a self-organized network for mutual support that comes with therapeutic benefits. Co-counseling originated in the United States in the 1950s. The organization around it, known as Re-evaluation Counseling (RC), came to be perceived as increasingly centralized and restrictive. Consequently, Co-Counseling International (CCI) split off in the 1970s as a non-dogmatic, decentralized grassroots network that emphasizes self-organization and greater flexibility in both theory and practice. In what follows, I refer exclusively to the CCI version of co-counseling.
Every individual and group in the network is autonomous and self-organized. Anyone can propose new initiatives or suggest changes to methods, even if these changes take time to be implemented. However, there is a shared philosophy, set of principles, and processes that unite all: binding agreements—such as confidentiality—and shared values create a safe environment. The CCI network can therefore be viewed as a prefigurative emancipatory structure—a form of organization that anticipates the transformations into future societies by putting its ideas into practice today.
Co-counseling is based on the principles of humanistic psychotherapy, particularly on the assumption that people act according to their abilities, take responsibility for their actions, and can generate their own ideas for personal growth. The goals of this approach are to strengthen self-awareness, emotional competence, and resilience—not only in myself but also in others. This also enhances one’s ability to form relationships of any kind, which is an important resource—especially in times of crisis—and one of the best ways to prepare for difficult times.
The basic idea is that two people meet (online or in person) and divide the time equally. During the first half, the first person works through their issues. The second person listens with care, without judgment or interpretation, and offers interventions (tools). In the second half, the roles are reversed. The roles are also referred to as client and counselor. Due to the role swap, there is no hierarchy. The client is responsible for the process. The counselor creates a safe space but does not determine the focus or depth of what the client chooses to work on. It is therefore up to each individual to decide whether they want to work on their plans for next week, upsetting events from recent weeks, dysfunctional behavior patterns, or underlying childhood experiences during their session. Patterns are considered dysfunctional when they prevent a person from leading a fulfilling life and operate unconsciously rather than by choice.
Key principles of co-counseling include confidentiality (what is said during sessions must not be disclosed by the counselor, though the client is free to refer to their own content), non-judgment (the counselor listens without passing judgment), and the client’s responsibility for their own process.
After noticing the concept of co-counseling with interest for many years, I took a CCI Basic Course late last year; upon completion, participants are admitted into the international network. My concern about whether my attitudes would fit in there quickly vanished. The organizer succeeded in creating a safe and empathetic space. Issues with authority naturally came up time and again. The course itself utilized the concept of peer-to-peer learning. While there were presentations to convey the ideas and tools, these were always interspersed with demonstrations by more experienced co-counselors and practice sessions. In the practice sessions, we were sometimes paired with people from the learning group and sometimes with experienced co-counselors, so that we could learn a great deal from this hands-on experience as well. I experienced this as a low-hierarchy and diverse learning environment.
Here are a few examples of CCI tools: By using I-messages and the present tense, individuals can better access their own emotions. To provide emotional relief, feelings such as anger can be released—for example, by punching a pillow vigorously or by expressing things in role-play that would be violent or hurtful in real life. This creates space for regulating emotions. Using the fantasy tool, one can envision a future, explore the feelings involved, and think about the steps needed to get there.
The course not only covered methods and tools, but also encouraged participants to reflect on how personal suffering can be caused by social power relations, how internalized oppression limits our choices and resources, how behavioral patterns are influenced by social power dynamics, how power dynamics affect us, and how we can break through them. The intention of co-counseling is to address internalized pain, but this process can also help identify and challenge oppression and exploitation as contributing factors. In this way, social transformation can be initiated. Not only in the sense that social transformation should begin with personal change, but also in the sense that many of the people involved in co-counseling are simultaneously active in social movements, and that co-counseling helps them sustain this activity over the long term without burning out.
Here are a few examples of how co-counseling is actually used in social movements: These techniques are also employed in radical therapy, a practice popular in left-wing circles. One participant in the course plans to use the tool of empathic listening in a workshop within XR UK to raise awareness of privilege and oppression. An experienced co-counselor uses the communication skills she has gained through co-counseling to work with refugee women. In this context in particular, it is important that people feel valued and are listened to.
Co-counseling is not therapy in the sense of a regulated, state-approved service provided by psychotherapists to clients. It is a form of peer support that can have therapeutic effects. This is not meant to diminish the value of therapy. Co-counseling is another option alongside therapy, especially when therapy is not available due to long wait times or financial constraints, or when it is rejected because of the inherent power dynamics between therapist and client. Depending on the person and the circumstances, one approach may be more suitable than another. For example, people in deep crisis are more likely to need therapy. To date, there has been no scientific study on the effectiveness of co-counseling; however, research (“Efficacy of peer support interventions for depression: a meta-analysis”) demonstrates the effectiveness of peer-to-peer methods in therapy.
Since co-counseling shares similarities with methods that, in my opinion, are heading in a potentially dangerous direction, a clear distinction should be made here as a word of caution.
But enough of the critical thoughts. I’ve gained a very positive impression of the CCI community—of its friendliness and reliability, its enthusiasm for the idea, and its empathetic acceptance. I’m surprised that CCI is so little known in anarchist circles, given that it aligns with anarchist activities on at least three levels:
For German speakers, CCI courses are currently being offered at coco-dach.net—by people I had the chance to meet during the course. For English speakers, co-counselling.info is a good entry point.