Although it is widely agreed that the experiences of service users have much to offer mental health professionals, the majority of books for this group focus on either conditions or different types of service provision. This book takes as its starting point the lived experience of recovery which is the process whereby individuals can be helped to understand and come to terms with their illness. The role and actions of mental health professionals is explored as part of the process of recovery. The major part of the book focuses on ways in which direct care staff can assist people with mental health problems, reflecting the accounts of the nature and type of assistance which have been valuable, and the ways in which such help can best be offered. It addresses two key components of recovery - access and inclusion to life opportunities and acceptance. Each chapter of the book looks at an aspect of recovery and clearly shows how practitioners must accept the individual.