A study identified communication characteristics that indicate an individual's perceived ability to offer informal therapeutic relationships to people in a social network. Subjects, 93 male and 130 female students from 16 randomly selected sections of a required speech communication course at a major state university, were assigned to one of three qualitative conditions (good, adequate, and poor) and then were asked to identify an individual in the classroom who exemplified the condition. Results showed that adequate and good helpers were found to be similar to one another, while poor helpers were found to be significantly different from good and adequate helpers. Among other conclusions is that a communicator who is friendly and genuine tends to engage in empathic communication behaviors and is therefore perceived to have empathic understanding ability. Based on the results, a model for a desirable peer helper was created. (A six-page list of references and tables of data are included.) (DF)