2 half-day virtual workshops

Anyone, at any time, could find themselves in a position of needing to support someone who is in a vulnerable state or crisis. This can be challenging if you don’t have the skills and knowledge you need to respond in a way that is empathetic and empowering for the person in distress, while maintain your personal boundaries to ensure self-care.

Perhaps you are a receptionist working on the frontline, an operator in a call centre, a health professional, an educator or just a concerned citizen. We believe, you can acquire the skills you need to become an Accidental Counsellor.

Accidental Counsellor will equip your team with the skills required to effectively respond to someone in crisis until they can access long-term support.

You will be equipped with the knowledge to:

Recognise
Respond
Refer
Reflect

This one-day workshop will help you to:

Recognise what is an Accidental Counsellor and situations where accidental counsellor skills are required
How to create a connection through empathy to create open communication
Use effective listening and communication skills to identify the primary issue of concern requiring a response
Respond appropriately within the boundaries of roles and responsibilities and determine the appropriate level of involvement
Evaluate individual responses and reactions to situations and reflect on personal impacts
Identify relevant organisational policies and procedures including the reporting and documentation of incident
Identify indicators of where stressful situations have impacted and understand the importance of self-care strategies, supervision, and debriefing
Respond to disclosed safety concerns and appropriate referral pathways

By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

Identify situations where accidental counsellor skills are required and assess the appropriate response
Examine effective communication skills to help identify the primary issue of concern requiring a response
Review how to respond appropriately within the boundaries of roles and responsibilities
Distinguish the appropriate level of involvement for an Accidental Counsellor
Evaluate individual responses and reactions to situations and reflect on personal impacts
Identify relevant organisational policies and procedures including the reporting and documentation of incident
Analyse indicators of where stressful situations have impacted an individual's wellbeing
Discover the importance of self-care strategies, supervision, and debriefing