Authenticity Work

Abstract

Peer support is a relatively new form of funded mental health service provision, in which services are provided by current or former service users. It operates from recovery philosophies, aiming for deep, transformative relationships. This article asks how such “love labour” can be sustained through processes of paid work. It argues that authenticity is central to achieving this, created by a type of emotion work that focuses on clearing obstacles to the development of mutual, caring relationships. I call this authenticity work. Authenticity depends on what Bolton and Boyd call philanthropic emotional management, but requiring this as a part of paid employment creates tensions for peer support, which are addressed in debates around boundaries. This article looks at what peer supporters had to say about boundaries, authenticity, and the sustainability of their work; it is grounded in an interview-based study of 14 peer support services in Aotearoa New Zealand.