A group of other PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) and I just finished a couple of days of training. Another PCV and I trained a half dozen other PCVs to listen empathetically and to otherwise practice active listening skills. Here in Morocco, as in other countries where PCVs serve, there's a VSN (Volunteer Support Network) in place, which supplies VSN peer counselors, who are also PCVs, who listen to fellow PCVs who need to talk to someone about their problems. Insofar as the other trainer and I had already been trained as VSN peer counselors, we trained the half dozen PCVs who swore in as PCVs a few months ago.
We spent some time with our trainees discussing the counseling relationship and what it looks like. Thus we talked about how a VSN counselor is different from a friend. A friend might talk about himself or herself, whereas a VSN counselor focuses on the person asking for a listening ear. A friend might also criticize or rebuke another friend.
We also reviewed the importance of building rapport with the person who contacts the VSN counselor. It's important to establish trust so the person is comfortable sharing.
We also talked about helping the person to identify his or her emotions. Insofar as VSN counselors listen non-judgmentally, the VSN counselor doesn't tell the person what he or she is feeling. Rather, the VSN counselor tries to empathize with him or her and checks if he or she has correctly grasped what he or she is feeling. So, a VSN counselor might venture, "It sounds like you're feeling frustrated," or "It seems like you're irritated by this situation." We also reviewed various techniques for making sure that we correctly understand the people who are speaking to us about their problems. Thus we went over clarifying, paraphrasing, and checking our perceptions of what he or she is saying to us.
We also discussed how a VSN counselor can help someone develop a plan of action. But again, rather than telling him or her what to do, we described how a VSN counselor can ask someone how he or she feels about pursuing certain choices of action, and what the pros and cons of various courses of action might be. We talked about how we can ask him or her what the ramifications of certain courses of action might be.
We also spent time talking about various sources of stress which PCVs, especially those in Morocco, face. We discussed sexual harassment and cultural stress, including tension stemming from religious and political discussions which occur here in Morocco.
During a session on diversity today, once again I was reminded of the diversity amongst PCVs. At various points of my service, I've noted and enjoyed the diversity amongst PCVs here in Morocco, whether it be diversity of ethnicity, race, religion, age, marital status and disability. I've also enjoyed meeting PCVs who hail from many different states in the US, and who have lived abroad in various countries. When PCVs think about benefiting from diversity in the Peace Corps, it seems that often PCVs think of benefiting from the cross-cultural exchange of living in the host country where they're living abroad. However, PCVs also stand to benefit from the diversity they encounter amongst their fellow PCVs.
We spent some time with our trainees discussing the counseling relationship and what it looks like. Thus we talked about how a VSN counselor is different from a friend. A friend might talk about himself or herself, whereas a VSN counselor focuses on the person asking for a listening ear. A friend might also criticize or rebuke another friend.
We also reviewed the importance of building rapport with the person who contacts the VSN counselor. It's important to establish trust so the person is comfortable sharing.
We also talked about helping the person to identify his or her emotions. Insofar as VSN counselors listen non-judgmentally, the VSN counselor doesn't tell the person what he or she is feeling. Rather, the VSN counselor tries to empathize with him or her and checks if he or she has correctly grasped what he or she is feeling. So, a VSN counselor might venture, "It sounds like you're feeling frustrated," or "It seems like you're irritated by this situation." We also reviewed various techniques for making sure that we correctly understand the people who are speaking to us about their problems. Thus we went over clarifying, paraphrasing, and checking our perceptions of what he or she is saying to us.
We also discussed how a VSN counselor can help someone develop a plan of action. But again, rather than telling him or her what to do, we described how a VSN counselor can ask someone how he or she feels about pursuing certain choices of action, and what the pros and cons of various courses of action might be. We talked about how we can ask him or her what the ramifications of certain courses of action might be.
We also spent time talking about various sources of stress which PCVs, especially those in Morocco, face. We discussed sexual harassment and cultural stress, including tension stemming from religious and political discussions which occur here in Morocco.
During a session on diversity today, once again I was reminded of the diversity amongst PCVs. At various points of my service, I've noted and enjoyed the diversity amongst PCVs here in Morocco, whether it be diversity of ethnicity, race, religion, age, marital status and disability. I've also enjoyed meeting PCVs who hail from many different states in the US, and who have lived abroad in various countries. When PCVs think about benefiting from diversity in the Peace Corps, it seems that often PCVs think of benefiting from the cross-cultural exchange of living in the host country where they're living abroad. However, PCVs also stand to benefit from the diversity they encounter amongst their fellow PCVs.
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