UNAIR NEWS – During the current pandemic, Department of Psychology holds a virtual Community Service (Pengmas) at Rumah Pintar, Bengkok Village, Padangan District, Bojonegoro Regency. Rumah Pintar is one of the counseling programs recommended by Regent of Bojonegoro and focuses on providing services about family problems.
The activity aims to provide training and guidance to volunteers or observers of Rumah Pintar, who often become a place for residents to express their feelings. Dr. Hamidah, M.Sc., a psychologist as the chief executive, said that the volunteers did not have a background in counseling or psychology education.
“We think this training is necessary for the counseling process to run well. Moreover, this community service can help people to solve their family problems,” she explained.
In delivering the material on the first day, Dr. Dewi Retno Suminar, M.Sc., explained the essential things to be a good counselor. According to her, counseling involves listening and supporting other people and empower that person to find a solution. Vice Dean 3 for Research, Publication and Cooperation said that two things determine the success of counseling. First, a counselor must know that he is a counselor, a person who understand other person’s experiences, behavior and feelings. Furthermore, counselor also needs to understand the other person’s situation.
“Empathy is a mandatory thing that a counselor must have, we need to understand other person’s situation,” she said.
Furthermore, the lecturer who is usually called Mrs. Dewi explained the four stages of empathy. The first is putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and the second is respectfully imagining what someone else’s life is like. After that, entering into the private world of another person, without making judgements. The last is empathy is showing that you understand the person’s experiences, behavior and feelings.
“The most important thing is you understand the person’s experiences, behavior and feelings,” she explained.
Dewi explained that volunteer need to have to carry out training as well. Therefore, next week all volunteers will be given hands-on training to carry out the counseling process.
Author: Nikmatus Sholikhah
Editor: Feri Fenoria
