Explanation of Basic Peer Counseling Training Contents

Techniques for Individual Counseling (1-3) and Quality Control (4-7)

1. Personal characteristics that help a counseling volunteer be effective
2. Basic counseling guidelines
3. Specific "Do's" and "Don'ts"
4. Confidentiality: Definition and basic rules of confidentiality
5. Situations which require exceptions
6. Talking about matters of confidentiality with clients and inquirers
7. Knowing what we can't handle: a) Explains status of CWM counseling volunteers (CVs)as paraprofessional counseling volunteers; b) Points out "red flag" situations that CVs should consider for referral to professional/credentialed counselors; c) Explains the need for each CV to be personally in an advanced state of her own healing before trying to help someone else, and admonishes the CV to not try to counsel others in issues where she has unresolved issues.

Setting Personal Boundaries

Setting personal boundaries helps the counseling volunteer keep a balance and set boundaries in the client/counselor relationship

1. The balance necessary between protection and vulnerability
2. Practical application of boundaries
3. How personal needs and unresolved conflicts can become entangled in the therapeutic process

Understanding Your Client—Personality Temperaments

1. A description of the four basic personality types:
   Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholy and Phlegmatic
2. The strengths and weaknesses of each type will be presented and discussed

Communication Techniques

1. Basic types of communication techniques
2. Levels of communication
3. Rules and attitudes necessary for effective communication (listen, try to understand, and give feedback)
4. Roadblocks that hinder communication

Listening Skills Techniques

1. Personal qualities necessary to be a good listener
2. Positions counseling volunteers take in relationship to their clients
3. Choosing between what is acceptable and what is not acceptable
4. Levels of listening
5. Roadblocks that hinder listening

Techniques of Group Facilitating

1. Rationale
2. Techniques
3. Areas of need
4. Nuts and bolts of beginning a group
5. Practical application

The Healing Process

1. Introduction to the recovery process
2. The characteristics of an emotionally wounded person

• Stages of the healing process

1. Presents and describes the sixteen core issues common to all woundedness
2. Instructions for working through problems, conflicts or issues

Unhealthy Relationships

1. A description of unhealthy relationships
2. Its causes and symptoms
3. How it influences relationships
4. Steps to recovery

Distorted Image of God and Spiritual Abuse—How it Affects Healing

1. Spiritual abuse as the cause of a distorted image of God
2. How a distorted image of God happens in childhood
3. How it happens in adulthood
4. How a distorted image of God affects the view of ourselves and others
5. How can we as counseling volunteers assist in healing?
6. The R's of Recovery=
   
   Rest Rehabilitation Releasing the hurt Risk taking
7. Our role as fellow believers in the healing process

Applications Workshop

Students observe a mock counseling session and participate in mock sessions.

Challenge to Personal Accountability

1. Personal integrity
2. Continual pursuit of a deep relationship with God
3. Vigilance in recognizing and confronting evil in ministry situations

Unless our personal relationship with God is healthy and developing, we will have nothing to give others.

We conclude the series shortly after this workshop with a graduation ceremony and a "blessing" for ministry.