Vol 'n' tell

The Official Blog of Volunteer Richmond Information Services

Lean On Me: The Inspiring Work of Senior Peer Counsellors

Posted: November 24, 2011

When somebody chooses to volunteer as a Senior Peer Counsellor, it's true that they're making a significant time commitment. But more than that, they're making an emotional commitment. They've taken it upon themselves to offer guidance and support to their fellow seniors, to be there for them in times of sadness, loneliness, and anxiety. If it sounds challenging, that's because it is. Why, then, do they do it? As volunteer writer Amanda Oye found out when she spoke with Marilyn Smyth, a Senior Peer Counsellor herself, it's because, although the experience is challenging, it's also uniquely and richly rewarding.

Marilyn Smyth had always loved helping people, so when one day she came across a volunteer position that would allow her to do just that, she jumped at the opportunity.

For the last five years Smyth has been a volunteer Senior Peer Counsellor with Volunteer Richmond Information Services, Seniors Community Support Services. The program is based on the fact that seniors are best helping other seniors in the community. Senior Peer Counselling has been providing volunteer services in Richmond for 11 years and the program is now funded by Vancouver Coastal Health/Richmond. The Richmond program is a member of the Senior Peer Counsellors of BC and trains volunteers in accordance with Provincial standards.

“When I saw the program being offered I was really excited about it because I thought it would give me a chance to do volunteer work, but also to learn something I’ve always wanted to do," Smyth said.

“I really enjoy working with seniors and I really like to help people. I am a very good listener and I feel that I am very compassionate and empathetic,” she said.

To become a qualified Senior Peer Counsellor, Marilyn Smyth completed an 18-week training course.

To become a Senior Peer Counsellor, Smyth had to complete a 54 hour training course and do a supervised practicum.

“We are trained to help with a variety of circumstances such as social isolation, mild depression, loss of a loved one, anxiety or confusion, adjustment to changes, chronic illness, relationship problems, indecision, things like that,” Smyth said.

“It’s kind of based on … principles of self help and empowerment and we’re trained to provide non-judgmental emotional support,” she said. “The training, it really helps us to understand other people.”

Each Counsellor is usually given one to two clients at a time that they go visit once a week in their homes for about six months. Each visit is an hour long, although sometimes longer “depending on what’s going on at the time in their lives,” Smyth said.

Smyth enjoys the time she spends as a Senior Peer Counsellor, often getting just as much out of it as those she is helping. “It makes us feel better … when we feel we’ve made a difference,” she said. “I think it’s just the idea of giving back and really knowing that it makes a difference in someone’s life, or hoping it does, anyway.”

For Smyth, the most rewarding thing about volunteering is “when the client really feels better about things they have been concerned about."

"If I can help people it gives me great joy," she said.

Volunteering has inspired Marilyn to help people not just in her role as a Senior Peer Counsellor, but in her day-to-day life as well.

“It inspires me to keep doing things that are helpful and that will help the community and other seniors,” she said. “It makes me want to help people all of the time even more, even people around me in my day-to-day living.”

To those who are considering volunteering, Smyth says: “it gives you inspiration and I would say it’s a great way of giving back to the community.”

Volunteering “is a very rewarding thing to do in many ways,” she said.

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