Making the most of your peer counseling experience
How does peer counseling help?
Every Peer Collective peer counselor has been chosen because of their exceptional ability to be present, open, and caring no matter what you're facing. They will listen deeply as you talk about your life, your struggles, as well as your hopes and dreams. They can offer impartial advice, ask insightful questions, share resources, or just be a human being who cares about you.
You are the hero in your story who does the real work, but your peer counselor can be right by your side, encouraging you and offering guidance when needed.
Before your first session
Reflect on what led you to seek support at this moment. Consider the following questions, and write down you thoughts. They might be difficult to answer fully, but just reflecting can help.
💙 Is there a pattern in your life that you want to change?
â—¦ What are the feelings, the thoughts, and the behaviors that make up this pattern? â—¦ When did it start? â—¦ What was happening in your life when it started? â—¦ If it's always been there, does it seem related to your childhood? â—¦ How? â—¦ What have you already tried? â—¦ What's worked and what hasn't? â—¦ What situations make this pattern worse? Better?
💙 Is there a specific challenge you're facing? If yes:
â—¦ Describe the situation? â—¦ Describe how you wish it were different as specicially as possible? â—¦ Do you want to change how you feel about the situation? â—¦ Do you want to make changes to you external environment? â—¦ Both?
You can share as much or as little of this information as you want. Ideally, it will help you be clear about how your peer counselor can support you.
After your first session
Research shows that the best peer counselors match with about 75% of the people that talk with them. That means there's an excellent chance that your first peer counselor will feel like a great fit. However, there's a 25% chance that your first peer counselor isn't a good match for you. If it wasn't a match or you're not sure, email support@peercollective and we'll help you find a better fit.
At Peer Collective, we want people to have as many resources and as much support as possible when facing life's challenges. Please let us know what we can do to be there for you.
