CHILD TEEN COUNSELOR

AS AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT I WORKED AS A PART TIME COUNSELOR FOR TEENS AND JUNIOR HIGH KIDS ANONYMOUSLY. THIS CENTER WAS IN DAYTON AND I WORKED A SHIFT FROM 10 TO 2 OR 3 AM. WE DIDN'T GET MANY CALLS, BUT THERE WAS USUALLY 1 OR 2 KIDS THAT WOULD CALL EACH NIGHT TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS. SOME KIDS JUST NEEDED SOMEONE TO CHAT WITH AND MAY HAVE BEEN LONELY. WE USUALLY DIDN'T COUNSEL PEOPLE WHO WALKED BUT REFERRED THEM TO OTHER SOURCES. I NEVER ASKED ABOUT THEIR SITUATIONS BUT I KNEW IT WAS A GOOD FEELING TO TALK WITH THEM AND REFER THEM TO DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES OR OTHER RESOURCES THAT THEY MAY FIND HELPFUL. THERE WAS NO WAY TO TRAIN FOR THIS TYPE OF TRAIN FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK, BUT TO LEARN ON THE JOB. IT WAS IRONICAL BECAUSE SEVERAL OF THE COUNSELORS WERE EXPERIENCING DEPRESSION AS WELL IN THEIR TWENTIES. AND I REMEMBER ONE GUY COMING BACK FROM VIETNAM. HE WAS OLDER THAN MOST OF US. HE PROBABLY HAD BEEN THROUGH QUITE A BIT. I DID NOT ASK HIM MANY QUESTIONS BUT I THINK HE SLEPT A LOT OF THE TIME. COLLEGE IS A TRYING AGE. AND COUNSELING OTHERS HELPED US TO REALIZE HOW WE ARE A SELF -CENTERED SOCIETY. OUR NATIVE AMERICANS HAD SO MANY EXTENDED FAMILY MEMBERS TO HELP RAISE A FAMILY AND SHARE GENERATIONS OF KNOWLEDGE. SO DOES THE HISPANIC CULTURE. THEY REALIZE THAT HAVING THEIR EXTENDED FAMILY LIVE WITH THEM IS USUALLY BENEFICIAL TO HELPING WITH RAISING THE CHILDREN, AND IT GIVES THEIR ELDERS SOMETHING TO DO AND THEY ARE APPRECIATED AS WELL.