Who are Peer Counselors? What do you gain from Peer Counseling?
To become a Peer counsellor, the person is trained in communication, listening skills, assertiveness, ethics of peer counselling, confidentiality and breach of it, boundaries regarding helping others, and basic counselling skills. Peer counsellors act as a bridge between the counsellor and the student. In the absence of a school or college trustee, peer counsellors help other students understand their emotional and behavioural problems and come up with solutions. They are also called professional advisors but are seldom given a certificate or diploma.
Contents
Essential Skills of Peer Counsellor
- Active listening skills (causing no intrusion)
- Empathy and sensitiveness.
- They must keep the student’s information confidential, not gossip about it.
- Good communication skills and the ability to dig deeply into the psyche of a student.
- Amiable in nature.
- Innately interested in helping students with their issues.
Video on Peer Counselling
What do Peer Counsellors gain?
- Improves self-esteem and problem-solving skills.
- Teaches leadership competencies.
- They develop empathy, respect and other life skills.
- Also, the experience can help them fetch suitable employment in some foreign universities ask for NGO/volunteer experience.
Do try Peer Counselling in your class and share what changes did you experience during the process.
