REPORT OF PEER COUNSELORS AT CHIEF KOINANGE TERM11 2009SECTION 1COUNSELLING SKILLS By Mrs. Njoroge

from Karuri

1. Attaining skills: A counselor should have some social skills to catch the attention of the client.

2. Communicate attention physically for example the counselor should maintain eye contact with client. Maintaining this eye contact shows the client that you have interest to whatever he is saying and gives him/her the morale of telling you move.

NB: Not staring to the client.3. Counselors should be empathetic they are expected to put themselves in the clients

shoes and understanding him/her in the better way. You are also expected to use the appropriate language as a counselor. You shouldn’t be in the state of asking ‘why questions’. For example, when a drug addict comes to you as a counselor. You shouldn’t ask him/her why he/she joined or give in to drugs etc.

4. Observations skills. A counselor should be able to observe the behaviors of people and judge who among the many needs counseling some signs of those who needs counseling are

a. Being rude and impolite, people who are always rude to people and authority needs counseling.

b. People who tend to bully other people who are inquisitive about their problems.

c. People who seems to be disorganized and mixed up in class or being untidy always.

5. Challenging skills.

SECTION II By Mrs. IchariaFrom St. Anns Lioki

ROLES OF A PEER COUNSELORS.

Who is a peer counselor? This is a person who enters into a helping relationship with others of same status, age, etc in order to help each other to resolve some of the personal problems.

What is peer counseling all about?Peer counseling is all about

a. Helping peers to come up with choices, decisions and solutions.

b. Helping peers to resolve some of their personal problems.

What peer counseling is not about.

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It is not a conversation with other peers of what they should do in life.

It is not a discussion where peers give points and suggestions.

It is not a confession of sins. This is not a group where all confessions of all sins done should be done to it’s note a forum to confess sins one have ever done.

It is not about giving others advices. It should only be meant to help others to

come up with their own solutions/conclusions or decisions on the problems they have.

It is not trying to manipulate others to do what you do or to have the same beliefs as you do.

Roles/ticks of a good peer counselor.1. Should be able to inspire other people to trust him. i.e. keep matters of clients

confidential

2. Should be a person with objectives i.e. the ability to help your client.

3. Should be an ambassador of peer counselors among other peer. Should portray positive picture of peer counselors. It also means being an role model.

4. Should act as abridge connecting the troubled peers with the teacher counselor.

5. Be a facilitator in problem solving and being able to help others to explore their own solutions.

SECTION III

People who needs counseling. Those who are always in trouble and punishment at school.

Those who usually alienates themselves from others.

Those who have dropped out of school because of peer influence.

Those who seems to be day-dreaming and stressed in class.

Those who tend to bully others who want to know more of what they are going

through.

Those who seems to be drug addicts.

Those who gives up in everything due to low self-esteem. Education for example,

those girls who are usually with boys or vice versa.

Those who want to be alone and maintain some distance from others.

Those who are rude to all and sundry.

Those Who like giving stories abut sex and are addicts of pornographic materials.

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Referral. If as a peer counselor you are not able to candle your clients, you should refer them

(him/her) to another peer counselor. Or the teacher counselor.

If this is to be done, let the client know of your intentions, to refer him/her to another counselor.

In this case relatives and friends who seems to shy to give the required information, should be referred to another counselor who they will be free to in order to give the required or the essential information to aid in solving his/her problems.

Relationships

Why do most of the students have relationships?1) To share experiences.

2) To help me another especially in the academic area.

3) To help each other set goals for a brighter future.

Effects of relationships.

Negative

1) Some leads to academic decline.

2) Some of the involved parties end up being in blue-collar jobs.

3) Time management gets affected.

4) Waste of resources especially money to those who want to make their friends happy.

5) Tendency of over protection for example, a girl might be so over confident that she won’t loose a boy in the rest of her life leading to over protection.

Positive1) Motivation, inspirations and encouragement.

2) Effective sharing of experiences.

3) Setting goals for a brighter future.

4) Security (to some extinct)

5) Facing difficulties together. Also encouragement.

6) It gives a sense of belonging and many others.

Compiled by DAVID NG’ANG’A (3K) and ROSLYN GATWIRI (3K)

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