A total of 13 students from various programmes participated in the “Peer Counsellor Program – Session 2: Counselling Skills and Techniques” workshop which was held in the Lecture Hall at the Centre for Postgraduate Studies on 3 July 2024. Organized by the Student Services Department, the session was facilitated by Teh Chia Li, a registered and licensed counsellor.

The workshop covered the “five counselling stages,” beginning with building a relationship with the client and ending with termination and referral. Ms. Chia Li demonstrated how to conduct an initial counselling session and invited students to pair up and role-play this introductory meeting. This exercise allowed them to practice important aspects such as maintaining confidentiality and defining counselling roles. Additionally, students were introduced to counselling skills necessary for a peer counsellor.

Julia Low Zi Ni, a student from the Foundation in Art and Design programme commented, “The sessions were both super fun and helpful. I managed to make new friends and learn more about peer-to-peer counselling, which can improve my (and everyone’s) social skills. My favourite part was the role-play sessions because they were very entertaining and helpful.”

The workshop concluded with a summary of valuable tips for conducting effective counselling sessions, which the students could adopt in their roles as peer counsellors. This workshop provided the students with valuable skills and techniques in counselling, enhancing their ability to support their peers effectively.