Istanbul Atlas University Psychology Department has implemented the “Power of Growing Together: Peer Counseling Program”, which it has prepared in order to increase communication and cooperation among students, to facilitate the orientation of newly registered students, to find solutions to the problems of students who need support through peer counselors and to help students who want to develop their social skills.
Developed by Res. Assistants Şeyma Aydın Öztürk, Res. Assistant Yaren Öner, Res. Assistant Çağatay Demirel, Res. Assistant Sevim Eyüpoğlu, and Res. Assistant Tuğçe Erdoğru, under the guidance of Prof. Dr. T. Gül Şendil and Prof. Dr. Ayşe Ayçiçeği Dinn, the program aims to help volunteer students, after receiving peer counseling training, use the knowledge and skills they have gained from the program to approach their peers' problems sensitively in their fields of study and provide social support to students experiencing difficulties. Students in need of support can contact peer counselors directly or through the guidance of their academic advisors.
Prospective peer counselors receive training from psychology department faculty members over eight sessions that include information useful in the counseling process. The sessions offered as part of the program are listed below.
- Session: Let's Get to Know Our Travel Companions: Orientation and Introduction, Powerful Tools You Can Use in Every Area of Life: Basic Communication Skills
- Session: Powerful Tools You Can Use in Every Area of Life: Anger Management
- Session: From Life: Romantic Relationships, Sexual Health, Conflict Resolution
- Session: From Life: Trauma, Grief, and Psychological First Aid
- Session: From Life: Eating Disorders
- Session: Powerful Tools You Can Use in Every Area of Life: Motivation and Coping with Stress
- Session: Ethics of Peer Counseling
- Session: Evaluation and Conclusion
This training program not only provides selected peer mentors with a certificate they can add to their resumes, but also allows them to develop their social skills, gain experience, and expand their social networks. Candidates from both the Turkish and English programs are selected from second, third, and fourth-year programs. The number of candidates selected is determined by class size, with one peer mentor for every 20 students. Applications for the program are accepted in the fall semester of each academic year.
Peer Counseling Program Application Criteria
- Candidates who apply to the peer counseling program,
- Being a volunteer
- The student must have studied in the department he/she studies in for at least two semesters,
- Having a general grade point average of at least 2.50,
- Having never received any disciplinary punishment,
- It should be within the normal education period,
- Not participating in an international exchange program during the academic year in which he/she will be providing peer counseling,
- Not being registered in a Double Major Program (DMP),
- Must not be working a full-time job.
You can contact the department research assistants to get information about the peer mentors working in the program.
