CASA organizes training for collaborators.

“Pay attention, the body movements and gestures of the client all provide useful information that helps the counselor assess their psychological state and respond appropriately. If their arms are extended or clasped together, it means the student is tense; don't rush to give advice because they can't hear you at that moment. Help them regain their balance and overcome that moment… When the person opposite leans back towards the counselor, that's when they are very attentive and want to listen…” – this is just one of many interesting insights shared by Professor Tran Thi Minh Duc (Faculty of Psychology) at the counseling skills training course for CASA's collaborating lecturers on September 22nd.Not only were theoretical knowledge systematically presented, but numerous lively case studies and practical exercises were proposed and solved on the spot, creating a fun atmosphere and making the acquired knowledge easy to understand. According to Professor Tran Thi Minh Duc, the content of the training session was designed to help lecturers grasp some basic counseling skills for students, such as: empathy skills, questioning skills, information provision skills, and career counseling skills. In addition, lecturers also participated in practical exercises to improve their counseling abilities through real-life situations related to students' issues such as psychology, emotions, career, and academics. The training session not only provided lecturers with useful knowledge but also helped them better understand their responsibilities in their future counseling work. After the training session, many lecturers gave positive feedback. Dr. Nguyen Tuan Cuong (Department of Han Nom Studies) shared: "Previously, I mainly relied on experience to advise and share experiences with students. Now I realize that experience alone is not enough. When equipped with additional methods and skills, the consulting activities become much more effective." Ms. Nguyen Anh Thu (Faculty of Management Science) commented: "The training session was very useful because it helped us acquire basic knowledge about consulting skills, not only in theory but also in practice. The volunteers had the opportunity to test and compare theory with the actual consulting activities they had done, to identify what they had done correctly and continue to develop and expand it, and to immediately correct any limitations or mistakes. The training session also helped learners 'harvest' many ideas and experiences related to the activities of volunteers in the future." Ms. Nguyen Anh Thu suggested that, in addition to skills, teachers need to expand and update their knowledge about careers and the labor market to provide accurate advice. The school needs to standardize learning and research methods for students to create a certain level of consistency in providing information and advice. Mr. Dinh Viet Hai (Training Department) proposed that clearly identifying CASA's collaborators as part-time academic advisors is necessary. Furthermore, a SWOT analysis should be conducted for part-time academic advisors so that each individual understands their strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and challenges. CASA also needs to continue training its collaborators in counseling skills and ethics to ensure they are capable of fulfilling their assigned duties.