Body&Soul

Peer Counseling 

Coordinator’s Guide
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................2

RECRUITING PEER COUNSELORS........................................................................................3

TRAINING PEER COUNSELORS............................................................................................4

WORKSHOP AGENDA........................................................................................................5

ENROLLING CHURCH MEMBERS ........................................................................................6

MAINTAINING THE PEER COUNSELING PROGRAM.............................................................7

APPENDIX ..........................................................................................................................8

Table of Contents

Body&Soul

Peer Counseling 

Coordinator’s Guide
Using This Guide

This guide is designed to help you be an effective Peer

Counseling Coordinator. It includes information about:

• Recruiting Peer Counselors 

• Training Peer Counselors 

• Enrolling Church Members 

• Maintaining the Peer Counseling Program 

In this guide, you’ll also find an Appendix that includes:

• Sample Sign-up Sheet 

• Interactive Training for Peer Counselors Outline

• Peer Counselor Tools

As the new Peer Counseling Coordinator at your

church, you have an important and challenging job

ahead of you. This guide will help you do it well. It

provides all the information you’ll need to develop 

and maintain a successful Peer Counseling program. 

Body & Soul 

Eating a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables every

day promotes good health. It also may help lower the

risk of many chronic diseases, such as high blood 

pressure, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some types

of cancer. 

That’s why your church has decided to launch Body 

& Soul. This program has helped members of African

American churches across the country to eat more

fruits and vegetables. In time, your church may expand

the program to help members make other healthy

choices, such as becoming more physically active.

What Is Peer Counseling?

Peer Counselors help interested church members

understand how eating more fruits and vegetables

relates to their personal goals and values. They also

help members create their own plans for eating more

fruits and vegetables. 

Peer Counselors use a style of communication that is

open, supportive, and not judgmental. They generally

do not give advice. Instead, they help people overcome

their own barriers and find their own motivations for

change.

Peer Counseling Coordinator

The Coordinator develops and maintains the Peer

Counseling program. The Coordinator also serves as a

member of the Planning Team. He or she must serve

for at least one year.

BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 2

Introduction
Who Makes a Good Peer Counselor?

Peer Counselors are the members of your church

whom others turn to for help and advice. Generally,

good Peer Counselors:

• Are liked and respected by other church members.

• Communicate and work well with others.

• Keep track of tasks and finish them on time.

• Are willing to complete the training workshop.

• Have experience in a helping profession. Teachers,

counselors, social workers, healthcare workers, 

support-group leaders, and seminary students 

often make fine Peer Counselors.

How to Recruit Peer Counselors

Start by making a list of church members who have

the qualities listed above. Ask your pastor and 

members of the Planning Team for their ideas. 

Once you have several recommendations for Peer

Counselors, invite them to stay after service to meet

with you. At the meeting, explain that the church has

launched a Body & Soul program. Explain the purpose

of the program and that you are looking for Peer

Counselors to work with interested church members. 

Explain the role of a Peer Counselor. A Counselor:

• Is trained in communication skills that have 

succeeded in other Body & Soul programs. 

• Contacts only those church members who have

signed up for Peer Counseling.

• Listens to and supports church members to help them

figure out ways to eat more fruits and vegetables.

• Does not have to be an expert on nutrition or health.

Then share the responsibilities of a Peer Counselor. 

A Counselor must:

• Attend and successfully complete the training

workshop.

• Use the skills learned during the training workshop.

• Talk one-on-one with church members in person or

over the phone. 

• Contact church members at least twice. Each 

conversation lasts about 20 minutes.

• Participate in follow-up meetings with other Peer

Counselors.

BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 3

Recruiting Peer Counselors
One of your most important tasks as Coordinator is to

hold a training workshop.The Peer Counselor Training

DVD contains everything you need to conduct the 

training workshop. Well trained Peer Counselors are

the key to a successful Body & Soul program.

Purpose of the Training Workshop

In order to be effective, Peer Counselors must learn four

communication skills. The training workshop will teach

them these skills and give them the tools they need.

DVD

The DVD has three parts:

Movie. The movie demonstrates the four 

communication skills and how to use them. A 

practice exercise follows each skill. Pause the 

movie while Counselors do the exercises.

Printable Materials. This section contains the Peer

Counselor’s Handbook and the Coordinator’s Guide.

You can print out copies of the handbook to use 

for the training.

Bonus Materials. This section includes additional 

conversations that help Peer Counselors expand their

skills and understand how to use them in different

situations. These interviews can be viewed at a follow-up

meeting, or Counselors can view them at home. 

Preparing for the Workshop

The workshop will run more smoothly if you do some

work in advance. Take these steps to prepare:

Prepare yourself. Watch the interactive training 

movie. Get familiar with the content and plan how 

you will present it. This will also give you a chance 

to be sure the DVD works before the day of training.

Plan when/where. Set a date, time, and location

for the workshop. The training takes about 4 hours.

It is best not to schedule the training to be held after 

service. The workshop can be held in someone’s

home or in the church. Just make sure the room has

the equipment you’ll need. This includes a TV and a

DVD player to show the training movie.

Prepare Counselors. Give each Peer Counselor 

a copy of The Peer Counselor’s Handbook. The

Handbook contains information, exercises, and

resources that will be helpful to them as Counselors.

Ask Counselors to read through the Handbook and

bring it to the workshop.

Consider asking Counselors to bring tape recorders

and blank tapes with them to the workshop so they

can record their practice conversations.

Prepare your supplies. Bring these items to the 

workshop:

• The Peer Counselor training DVD. Set it up before

the workshop starts.

• Several extra copies of The Peer Counselor’s

Handbook, in case Counselors forget to bring theirs.

• Nametags.

• A copy of the following tools for each Counselor:

– Peer Counseling Roadmap

– Starters for Open Questions and Reflections

– Values Sheet

– Importance and Confidence Rulers

– Self-Assessment Form

BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 4

Training Peer Counselors
BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 5

Workshop Agenda

Below is a sample agenda for the training workshop:

1. Opening prayer.

2. Welcome and introductions. 

3. View the movie through the section on ‘Asking Open Ended Questions.’ 

Complete the exercises. (35 minutes)

4. Break 

5. View ‘Listening and Reflecting’ and ‘Building Motivation’. Complete the 

exercises for both these sections. (50 minutes)

6. Break 

7. View ‘Summarizing’ and complete the practice interview exercise. (45 minutes) 

8. View one of the Bonus Material conversations and discuss what Peer Counseling 

skills are demonstrated. (25 minutes)

9. Wrap up and set a date for the next meeting.

10. Closing prayer.
Now that you’ve trained a group of Peer Counselors,

it’s time to sign-up church members to talk with them. 

Promoting the Peer Counseling Program

In the beginning, you may need to make church 

members aware of the Peer Counseling program. 

Here are some ways to raise interest:

• Promote Peer Counseling during a Body & Soul

event, such as a kick off event.

• Ask the pastor to make an announcement.

• Place a notice in the church bulletin or newsletter. 

• Ask Peer Counselors to spread the word.

As you promote Peer Counseling, tell church members

about the benefits of the program. Say that Peer

Counseling:

• Can help people think about eating more fruits and

vegetables. 

• Can help people create a plan that works for them.

• Can promote a healthier, happier lifestyle.

• Is anonymous. Peer Counselors do not reveal the

names of church members without permission.

As the Peer Counseling program at your church

becomes established, church members may hear about

it from other members. 

Enrollment Paperwork

Interested church members should fill out a Sign-Up

Sheet. This asks for their name, phone number, and

times when they are available to talk.

In addition, each member should receive a copy of:

• Values Sheet 

• Resources about the benefits of eating more fruits

and vegetables (from The Peer Counselor’s

Handbook)

Match Church Members With Peer Counselors

Now it’s time to match interested church members

with trained Peer Counselors. If possible, try to match

each member to a Counselor:

• Who has a similar schedule. This will make it easier

for them to meet.

• Of roughly the same age.

• Of the same sex.

It’s important not to overburden Peer Counselors.

Assign no more than three church members to a

Counselor at a time.

BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 6

Enrolling Church Members
Congratulations! You’ve gotten the Peer Counseling

program off the ground. But your job isn’t over yet.

The program requires careful maintenance to keep it

running smoothly. 

Track Assignments

You need to make sure that Peer Counselors contact

and talk with the church members assigned to them.

To help you track assignments:

• Give Peer Counselors the Sign-up Sheet for each

church member assigned to them.

• Keep a copy of all Sign-up Sheets for your records.

On each one, write the name of the Peer Counselor

assigned to the church member.

• Ask Peer Counselors to return Sign-up Sheets 

to you as soon as they have finished both 

conversations with the church member.

Hold Peer Counselor Meetings 

It’s important to hold regular meetings with Peer

Counselors. You can decide with Counselors how

often to hold them. 

These meetings allow you to:

• Hear about problems. 

• Help Peer Counselors find solutions.

• Provide review or further training. 

• Collect Sign-up Sheets.

• Hand out new assignments.

• Announce Body & Soul events.

In addition, meetings give Peer Counselors a 

chance to:

• Share problems.

• Help each other find solutions.

• Share tips and positive outcomes.

• Practice conversations.

• Get support.

• Keep informed.

At meetings, Peer Counselors should feel free to discuss

any of the issues they deal with. But they should not

reveal the names of church members—even to you—

without permission from the member.

Make Yourself Available 

Invite Peer Counselors to talk to you if they have any

questions or concerns. Let them know how to reach

you. Try to help them with any problems that arise. 

Say “Thank You” 

Peer Counselors provide a valuable service for their

church. Ask the Planning Team and pastor to arrange 

a church-wide “thank you” for the time and effort

they spend. The recognition could take the form of a

ceremony, with certificates for all Peer Counselors. This

would be a great time to recruit new Peer Counselors! 

Train New Peer Counselors

From time to time, you may need to train new Peer

Counselors. This may happen when current Counselors

leave the program or when more church members

request Peer Counseling. 

Make sure new recruits get the same training as 

current Counselors. In addition, you may want to

arrange for current Counselors to mentor new ones.

Mentoring gives new Counselors needed support 

and the knowledge that comes from experience.

BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 7

Maintaining the Peer 

Counseling Program
• Sample Sign-up Sheet

• Peer Counselor Tools

• Peer Counseling Roadmap

• Starters for Open Questions and Reflections

• Values Sheet

• Importance and Confidence Ruler

• Self-Assessment Form

BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 8

Appendix
Sample Sign-Up Sheet 

Are you looking for ways to improve your health? Do you want to eat more fruits and vegetables, but you 

aren’t sure how to get started? 

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables every day may be one of the easiest ways to help improve your health.

A Peer Counselor may be able to help you find a way that works for you. Sign-up below to get a call from 

a Peer Counselor.

Name:___________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Phone number:___________________________________________________________________________________ 

Best time of day to call:___________________________________________________________________________ 

Today’s date:_____________________________________________________________________________________ 

BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 9
Use the roadmap as a guide to the main points of the Peer Counseling conversation. Each conversation will take

its own path, so you may not follow the roadmap exactly. For example, you might talk about values, importance,

and confidence in a different order.

Make Contact/Arrange Meeting

• Introduce yourself as a Peer Counselor from your church. 

• Say that you understand the person has signed up to talk with a Peer Counselor. 

• Ask if the person still wants to talk. If so, set a time and place for the meeting or call. 

Talk about Fruits and Vegetables 

• Ask why the person signed up for Peer Counseling. 

• Listen and reflect.

• Ask about how many fruits and vegetables the person eats every day.

• Ask them what they like (or dislike) about fruits and vegetables.

• Ask if the person knows the amount of fruits and vegetables he/she should eat. If not, ask if the person 

would like to know the recommendation.

• Listen and reflect.

Talk about Values

• Explain that making a lifestyle change is easier if the change is tied to one’s values.

• Ask what the person’s top 3 values are and what they mean to the person.

• Listen and reflect.

• Ask what connection, if any, the person sees between these values and eating more fruits and vegetables.

• Reflect on the connection or lack of connection.

Rate Importance and Confidence

• Ask the person to rate the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables on a scale of 0 to 10.

• Ask why the person chose ________ and not a lower number, like a 1 or a 2. 

• Listen and reflect.

• Ask what it would take to move this number a little higher.

• Listen and reflect.

• Ask similar questions about confidence. Listen and reflect.

Create Action Plan/Summarize/Close

• Ask if the person has some ideas for ways to eat more fruits and vegetables.

• Listen and reflect.

• If not, with permission, suggest some ideas and ways to get more information.

• Ask if any of these ideas might work for them.

• Listen and reflect.

• Summarize the key parts of the conversation.

• Ask if it would be okay to call the person in about 2 weeks.

• End the conversation.

Peer Counseling Roadmap

BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 10
BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 11

Refer to this sheet whenever you need ideas for how to start open questions and reflections.

OPEN QUESTIONS

Tell me about ... ?

To what extent ... ?

What else ... ?

Help me understand ... ?

What, if any ... ?

How did you ... ?

Starters for Open Questions and Reflections

REFLECTIONS

It sounds like ...

It has been hard for you ...

You’re feeling ...

You’re not sure ...

You have mixed feelings about ...

You’re thinking about ...
Look at the values below. Mark the 3 that you feel are most important 

to you in guiding the decisions you make in your life.

Spirituality, to grow and mature spiritually. 

Family, to have a happy, loving family.

God’s will, to follow God’s plan for me.

Good Christian, to follow the teachings of the Bible.

Health, to be physically well. 

Responsible, to do what I said I would do.

Disciplined, to do what is right.

Independent, to be able to meet my own needs.

Considerate, to be thoughtful of others.

Honesty, to be truthful in all areas of my life.

Inner peace, to feel a sense of quiet/calmness within me.

Friendship, to be a good friend and have close, supportive friends.

Helpfulness, to reach out to others. 

Loving, to give and receive love. 

Hopeful, to remain positive in my view of the world.

Other__________________________________________________.

BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 12

Values Sheet
BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 13

Importance and Confidence Ruler

Use these rulers to help the people you counsel rate their motivation.

Importance

How important is it to you to eat more fruits and vegetables? On a scale of 0 to 10, with 

0 being not important at all, and 10 being very important, where would you place yourself?

Confidence

How confident are you that you could eat more fruits and vegetables if you decided to? 

On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being not confident at all, and 10 being very confident, 

where would you place yourself?

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

NOT SOME VERY

AT ALL WHAT

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

NOT SOME VERY

AT ALL WHAT
BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 14

This form will help you identify skills that you should practice.

Instructions

To use this self-assessment: 

• Tape yourself while practicing the Peer Counselor conversation with another Peer Counselor. 

• Listen to the tape. As you listen, place checkmarks in the boxes below. 

Place a checkmark in the box every time you:

Scoring

Give yourself 1 point for every checkmark in boxes 1 and 3. Take away 1 point for every checkmark in boxes 

2, 4, and 5. 

Self-Assessment

1. You should ask more open questions than closed ones.

2. You should be asking very few closed questions. If you asked closed questions, how could you have 

made them open?

3. Reflect with confidence. You should have more reflections than questions. If you asked many 

questions, go back and look for places where you could have reflected. Did you reflect deeper feelings 

and emotions? Look for places where your reflections could have gone deeper.

4. If you reflected with an upturn, practice making statements, not asking questions.

5. Avoid offering unsolicited advice, telling people how you would handle a situation, or giving your opinion. 

If you offered advice, what could you have done differently?

1. Ask an open question

2. Ask a closed question

3. Make a reflection

4. Reflect with an upturn

5. Offer unsolicited advice

Notes:

Self-Assessment Form
Acknowledgements

The Peer Counseling Coordinator’s Guide was 

developed to support Body & Soul: A Celebration of

Healthy Eating & Living. 

Special thanks to Dr. Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D.,

Director of NCI; Dr. Mark Clanton, M.D., Deputy

Director of NCI; Ed Maibach, Ph.D., Director of the

NCI Center for Strategic Dissemination; and Robert T.

Croyle, Ph.D., Director of the NCI Division of Cancer

Control and Population Sciences for their leadership

and support.

The guide was developed at the University of North

Carolina-Chapel Hill by:

• Marci Kramish Campbell, Ph.D., Associate Professor,

Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health and

the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

• Carol Carr, MA, Project Manager, UNC Lineberger

Comprehensive Cancer Center

With:

• Ken Resnicow, Ph.D., University of Michigan

Comprehensive Cancer Center and School of Public

Health

• Lorelei DiSogra, Ed.D., R.D., Director, 5 A Day

Program, National Cancer Institute

• Alexis Williams, M.P.H., Health Education Specialist,

National Cancer Institute

NCI would like to acknowledge the contributions of:

• Porter Novelli, Washington, D.C.

• Riffenburgh and Associates, Albuquerque, NM

Suggested citation: Body & Soul Peer Counselor

Training. National Cancer Institute (2005). Bethesda, MD

BODY & SOUL: PEER COUNSELING COORDINATOR’S GUIDE 15