Volunteers and Volunteering

Volunteer Counselling Training

The purpose of our Volunteer Counselling Services are to provide affordable counselling services that support and enhance the coping abilities of individuals and families.

For many of the people we serve, our volunteer counselling services are one of only a few free or affordable counselling programs in the community to which they have open access. We are proud to have provided volunteer counselling in the Nanaimo area for over 40 years now.

It has been our experience, through client affirmations, that our volunteer counselling programs have been instrumental in assisting individuals to make positive impacting changes in their lives and families.

Training Counsellors for our Volunteer Counselling Program

Each year Nanaimo Family Life recruits up to twelve individuals who have completed level one and level two of the Counsellor Training Program offered through Vancouver Island University. We also receive participants for our training who have completed academic training in the counselling field. We select a diverse group of individuals of different ages, occupations and backgrounds. We look for your ability to commit to attending and completing the training program and returning 100 hours of service to the community.

Skilled helpers are trained by professionals to provide volunteer counselling services and receive ongoing professional supervision of their counselling. This training does not give them formal credentials of a professional counsellor; however, it does give them the skills to provide a high quality of service to our clients and to be highly valued within the Nanaimo community.

The training we provide is valued at $800.00 per person. We ask for $200.00 to be paid in advance of the training. The remaining amount ($600.00) is worked off in service hours. In exchange for approximately 120 hours of quality training you agree to return 100 hours of direct client contact and formal supervision after graduation. Formal supervision includes monthly learning opportunities and scheduled evaluations. There will be a 16 session probationary period (with video evaluations after 8 and 16 counselling sessions) following completion of the training and then once per year as long as you continue to volunteer.

Training Requirements

Volunteer Counsellors must complete the following:
• Level 1 Counselling Training: Vancouver Island University
• Level 2 Counselling Training: Vancouver Island University
• Or equivalency of 48 hours of counselor training elsewhere

Training Counsellors for our Senior PeerCounselling Program

Each year Nanaimo Family Life recruits up to 10 seniors who are 60 years or older and have retired. We also receive participants for our training who have completed academic training in the counselling or geriatric field. We select a diverse group of individuals of different ages and backgrounds. We look for your ability to commit to attending and completing the 12 week training program. Training consists of one 3 hour morning session per week. The Senior Peer Counsellor training is standardized throughout the province.

Upon completion of the training there is an expectation that the Senior Peer Counsellors will attend the monthly 3 hour case conference in addition to providing peer counselling for a minimum of one year.

This program is predominantly funded by the Vancouver Island Health Authority.

Skilled helpers are trained by professionals to provide volunteer counselling services and receive ongoing professional supervision of their counselling. This training does not give them formal credentials of a professional counsellor; however, it does give them the counselling skills to provide a high quality of service to our clients and to be highly valued within the Nanaimo community.