1. Facilitating vs. Counseling
Peer-to-Peer Helpers

2. Learning Outcome
Residence Life Staff will see themselves as Peer to Peer Helpers who want to learn new skills and practice new techniques that will shape them into more effective facilitators for helping residents solve their own problems.

3. Peer-to-Peer Helper
Your residents perceive you as a resource and ally and . . .
You listen to and advise students on a daily basis and yet. . .
You are not a trained counselor

4. You are a Peer-to-Peer Helper
Listen
Help students come to their own decisions
Provide information about campus resources
Facilitate problem solving

5. Facilitating Model Pre-Facilitating Listening
Problem Identification and Analysis
Resolution
Follow-Up
Referral

6. Listening Tools Open-ended questions: Avoiding “why”
Reflective listening: Strategic repeating and reflecting
Summarizing: Break the problem down
Importance and confidence rulers: Self-appraisal
Affirming: Supporting their initiative

7. Some Tips Prepare your environment when possible
Pay attention to body language
Never assume that you know more than the student
Limit the sharing of personal experience
Understand the limits of your position
Ask the student to recall times in the past where they have solved a problem or succeeded
Affirm their ability to make decisions
You are not an expert
Saying “no” is okay
Residents need to make decisions for themselves
You have to take care of yourself before you can help others

8. One Final Review!
Do you see yourself as a Peer to Peer Helper who wants to learn new skills and practice new techniques that will shape you into more effective facilitators for helping residents solve their own problems?