ABSTRACT
Peer counseling programs are increasingly common in school districts in the United States and are expanding elsewhere around the world (Ehly & Dustin, 1989). Definitions of peer counseling vary widely by author, but center around a core agenda involving students in the promotion of an affective support system. Topping and Ehly (chap. 1, this volume) consider peer counseling to involve “people from similar groupings who are not professional teachers or line managers who help clarify general life problems and identify solutions by listening, feeding back, summarizing and being positive and supportive. As with other forms of peer-assisted learning (PAL), this might occur on a one-on-one basis or in groups.” D’ Andrea and Salovey (1983) highlighted specific counseling techniques that can be used by students with peers: “Peer counseling is the use of active listening and problem-solving skills, along with knowledge about human grown and mental health, to counsel people who are our peers—peers in age, status, and knowledge” (p. 3). This chapter follows a similar emphasis on counseling techniques that promote affective awareness and coping, concentrating on school-aged populations from kindergarten to high school. References to university-aged students are limited to identifying resources.
