On August 1st of this year, we started the basic training for experience counselors with 13 young people under the leadership of Kogemuse Jõud trainers Kristi Peegel and Livia Laas. The training was preceded by writing a motivation letter and a group discussion, which gave us the opportunity to think about why we were starting this journey early on. The project was funded by the Noorte Heaks project competition, which allowed us to build the training thoroughly and substantively.
Esimesed kuud olid õppe mõttes intensiivsed: veetsime koos kolm päeva järjest, olles täielikult protsessis sees. Õppisime tundma üksteist, koolitajaid ja ka seda, mida kogemusnõustamine tegelikult tähendab ning millist vastutust see endaga kaasa toob. Meeles on ka algne hirm ja ebakindlus, kas me üldse hakkama saame ja kas meis on piisavalt julgust ja oskust sellesse rolli astuda. Esimesed päevad olid rohkem teooriaga seotud: tuli kirjutada essee nõustamise olemusest või kriisist, samal ajal oli õppesse põimitud palju praktilisi ülesandeid, mis aitasid teooriat päriseluga siduda. Saime harjutada nõustamist nii grupis kui ka kahekesi, kogedes, kui erinev ja samas tähenduslik võib olla iga vestlus.
I especially remember the task where we were divided into pairs: one person was blindfolded and the other was only allowed to give instructions by mumbling „mmhm“ or „mkm“ to put together a small puzzle. This task severely tested both patience and the ability to really listen to the other person without taking over the situation. At the same time, it was very difficult for the person giving the instructions not to get frustrated because the puzzle pieces somehow didn’t fit together correctly. This experience revealed how important trust, presence, and respect for the other person’s pace are in counseling.
Trainers Kristi and Livia created an atmosphere for the entire group, where a safe and nurturing environment quickly developed. Such a space allowed us to show our hidden sides and highlight the vulnerable parts that are often hidden in everyday life. A real sense of community emerged, where everyone's story was important and valuable. When starting the training, many of us were worried about whether we would dare to tell our stories or how our experiences would be received. Over time, we found empathetic listeners in our peers who did not share judgments, but offered support and understanding and created the feeling that you were not alone in your experiences. Based on their long work experience, the trainers were able to provide very good real-life examples and offer real-life situations for discussion, which helped us better understand complex topics.
As time went on, we began to delve deeper into our stories and how our experiences influenced our willingness to support others. There were also those who were not yet ready to fully open this box, and that was perfectly acceptable. Those who did share their stories found that dealing with the story was healing and helped them better understand themselves and their boundaries. It also brought clarity to what topics or people they should not discuss in future counseling sessions for the sake of self-care.
Koolituse lõpu poole olid külla kutsutud ka mitmed praktikud, kes jagasid oma kogemusi läbipõlemise, meediahinnangute ja muu kogemusnõustamise tööga seotu kohta. Mari Roots rääkis ausalt ja avameelselt, kuidas kulges tema teekond läbipõlemiseni ning milliseid samme ta on astunud, et tänaseks paremini toime tulla. Kristiina Piiroja, kes veab üht tuntuimat sotsiaalmeediakontot @yhelapselugu, jagas oma tausta ning kogemusi sellega, kuidas tulla toime kommentaaridega netiavarustes, jääda iseendaks ja hoida samal ajal oma vaimset tervist, ning milline näeb välja tema igapäevane nõustamistöö.
Koolitus ei ole aga veel läbi: ees ootavad supervisioonid ja praktika, kus saame õpitu päriselus töösse panna ning enda rolli kogemusnõustajana edasi kujundada. Juba üsna pea alustame ka piloodi testimisega usaldusisiku programmi raames, mis annab võimaluse saadud teadmisi ja oskusi veelgi laiemalt rakendada.
Many thanks to the Ministry of Education and Research's Youth for Good 2025 project, thanks to whom we were able to participate in the training for free.
