Peer Counselor Training

The Windhorse Peer Counselor Training Program prepares current or former Windhorse clients (or in rare instances, non-Windhorse clients) to share with others their experiences in and knowledge of recovery. Students' study and practice basic attendance, the foundational discipline of the Windhorse treatment approach. They also review articles by consumer advocates who inspire readers to pursue the ongoing challenges of reforming the mental health system. Course participants share life-changing experiences with each other; they exchange viewpoints and debate the implicit principles of recovery.  The subtle dynamics of living in a complex and potentially overwhelming world while seeking to regain one's health are illuminated.

This meeting of like-minded individuals provokes often brilliant and always stimulating insights, helping all those present to expand their understanding of what life has brought before, during, and after spending time in the Windhorse community. A key consequence of this intellectual and experiential exploration is a deeply felt comraderie. Students cultivate tremendous feelings of empowerment that can carry them beyond the classroom and into advancing their careers and service to others -- in the difficult but rewarding field of mental health, Windhorse style.

Learn more about Peer Counseling.