INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE / FEBRUARY 19, 1991

 

 

 

Methods For Teens Counselling Teens At

College Workshop

hen teenagers are in trouble,

who do they turn to for help?
They probably won’t open up to a
counsellor wearing a suit, but they
might talk to somebody who looks
like they do.

The concept of teens counsell-
ing teens is relatively new, but it’s
proven to be effective where other
methods fail, says youth counsel-
lor Rob Axsen. “It’s almost a tribal
thing. You get your rockers, your
thrashers, your punks; who are
they going to trust? Someone who
looks like them, someone they can
relate to, someone who’s been
through the same things.”

Axsen is giving a workshop
called Developing Peer Counsell-
ing Programs With Adolescents at
Douglas College this week. It’s a
framework for child and youth
care workers, school counsellors
and para-professionals to develop
their own peer counselling
programs.

It is normal for adolescents to
reject adult guidance and turn to
peers for approval and acceptance,
says Axsen, who has 14 years of ex-

 

perience working with young
people.

“The problem with adult coun-
sellors is that teens rate them right
down there with fathers as some-
one they can go to with a prob-
lem,” he says. “If dads are ar on

a list of ten, then some counsellor
who writes everything down ona
clipboard is nine.”

Workshop participants will
look at a model for developing a
peer counselling program, and ex-
amine different communication
and peer counselling styles. Axsen
says the course has two main ob-

  

jectives.

“Firstly, we want participants
to be able to determine if their
peer counselling strategies are ap-
propriate for their needs. Second-
ly, we want them to have a
framework for recruitment, train-
ing, management and evaluation
of community-based adolescent
peer counsellors.”

Developing Peer Counselling
Programs With Adolescents takes
place on Friday, February 22, from
9 am to 4 pm. For further informa-
tion, call 527-5479. To register, call
527-5472.

 

Professional Organization
Awards Co-op Students

Toe Computer Information Systems Co-op students were awarded
scholarships established by the Vancouver section of the Canadian In-
formation Processing Society (CIPS).

Terry Morris, currently doing a Co-op term with B.C. Systems (Minis-
try of Social Services and Housing), won a $300 award and a free 1-year
membership to CIPS. Terry completed his first work term at the Workers’
Compensation Board in Summer ’90, and will graduate this fall. His cur-
rent GPA is 3.9.

Debra Pepper was awarded a free 1-year membership to CIPS; she
will graduate in April. Her GPA is 3.6.

Marian Hill made the presentations to the students on behalf of the
Douglas College Co-op programs at CIPS’ February dinner meeting. @