In January, Grade 10s and 11s of Crawford College Sandton were invited to submit applications to become a peer counsellor at the school.
A peer counsellor is a schoolchild that assists his/her fellow peers to solve their own problems by listening, supporting, educating and by being a role model. Often when people experience difficulties, frustration and worries, they turn to a friend for help and support, according to the school.
Friends always seem to be more approachable, as they usually share the same interests and concerns.
The applicants who were accepted attended a workshop to train as a peer counsellor. The aim of this workshop was to allow the counsellors to become a team, be trained in basic counselling skills and to plan for this year.
The new counsellors were able to interact with the counsellors from the previous year and to learn what they had experienced, both the highs and the lows.
Nicola Pereira, a counsellor at Crawford College Sandton and teacher in charge of the peer counsellors said, “The aim is to create an environment where people are free to feel safe, comfortable and confidentiality is maintained.
“Authentic integration of feelings, words and actions, such as having respect for peers and their ability to solve their own problems is essential in building trust and security.”
The following Grade 10 and 11s were appointed as counsellors: Charlotte Abrahams, Courtney Sibanda, Amy Cho, Riov Ramdhaney, Ammarah Hoosen, Erin Serman, Amy Walter, Zoe Neuhaus, Owethu Mbele, Bhavaniya Moodliar, Raquel Mitchelson, Kaisha Naidoo, Eva le Touze, Rinya Singh, Chloe Brayshaw and Adam Kirsch.
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