UNS — Student Association (UKM) PIK-R Cakra Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta held an online training for peer counselors from Saturday to Sunday (28-29/8/2021). The student association invited the Coordinator of Institutionalization of Youth Defense (Koordinator Pelembagaan Bina Pertahanan Remaja) National BKKBN, Priyanti, M.P.H., and Indonesia Genre Ambassador, Teliana Juwita, S.Sos.
Teliana Juwita delivered material on how to be a peer counselor that helps adolescents’ issues by sharing knowledge on reproduction health and other issues teens face. She also shared tips on being a good listener by listening fully to what the speaker is saying, not cutting the story, and listening until the speaker finished their turn.
“The next tips are strengthening your principle to be a good listener. If you are not sure, clarify or ask the speaker to retell their story. Give them a serious look and empathy, and avoid disturbance from a phone. Then shows your interest in their story. Then we try to understand and position ourselves as someone outside the story,” she explained.
Further, Teliana shared information on the techniques in counseling, attending. This technique is implemented by showing calm, cheerful, and smiling expressions. Nodding as a confirmation to counselee’s statement, maintain closeness with the counselee, “Can be sitting closely face-to-face or side-by-side,” she added.
It also can be achieved by using variations of hand and arms movement spontaneously to deliver clearer messages. As a counselor, Jeliana emphasized that in implementing this technique, the counselor needs to listen actively, wait until counselee finished their stories, stopped talking, and give full attention to the counselee.
The next speaker, Priyanti, explained the method to improve communication for peer counselors. Peer education and peer counselor is vital as means or place to talk and discuss comfortably.
“As a peer counselor, you should not be lecturing, dominating, and forcing opinion. Be neutral and impartial, and do not judge right or wrong. Listening actively and provide an opportunity to the counselee to speak actively and give an opinion. Then, shows empathy and be sensitive towards their worries or discomfort,” she explained. Humas UNS
Reporter: Bayu Aji Prasetya
Editor: Dwi Hastuti