Erasmus + – Life for Youth – Online Professional Training – Târgu-Mureș | Romania
Life for Youth
2022-3-RO01-KA210-YOU-000098044
Life Coaching for Young People
Online Professional Training
Târgu-Mureș, Romania
19. 10. 2023 – 04. 12. 2023
Summary
The in-person professional training held in Târgu Mureș from September 14-19, 2023, was followed by six additional online sessions, each lasting five hours. These sessions aimed to offer further support in the practical application of the acquired knowledge, addressing questions that arose during the testing phase, and providing answers to challenges encountered when using the methods. Participants also shared and worked through case studies together.
The first virtual training session, held on October 19, 2023, focused on Supporting Self-Awareness in Brief Therapy Programs and was led by clinical psychologist Éva Bartha. She emphasized how the support for self-awareness has evolved in the context of brief therapy programs over the past 30 years, especially in identifying substance and behavioral dependencies in users and their families. The session introduced and discussed competencies that could be applied in prevention activities, such as the Johari Window model, the “self and others” perspective, recognizing introverted and extroverted dimensions of one’s personality, gaining insights into family relationship patterns, raising awareness about relapse, and developing problem-solving competencies.
The second training, held on November 3, 2023, was led by Dr. Levente Horváth and addressed Life Coaching for Young People. Life coaching for youth is a form of counseling that supports young people in navigating the challenges of adolescence and the transitions between different stages of life. Life coaches collaborate with clients to set goals, boost self-confidence, discover life purpose, enhance decision-making skills, and establish a clear sense of direction. Life coaching is an important tool in drug prevention. This session covered areas such as building resilience, setting positive goals, improving decision-making, strengthening self-esteem, developing communication skills, identifying triggers and underlying issues, as well as enhancing responsibility and support. Elements of contextual family therapy were introduced as well, which can be effectively integrated into life coaching, including identifying family patterns, improving communication, managing family conflicts, fostering supportive environments, strengthening parents, identifying triggers and stressors, involving the family, and offering preventive education.
The third session, held on November 14, 2023, was conducted by clinical psychologist and supervisor Éva Bartha. She discussed Correcting Family Relationships, with a special focus on preventing online addictions. The session explored factors contributing to online addiction and discussed various digital device use-related disorders, such as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), JOMO (Joy of Missing Out), FOBO (Fear of Being Offline), Nomophobia (No Mobile Phone Phobia), Phantom Vibration Syndrome, and Sharenting (Sharing and Parenting). The impact of these issues was discussed, as well as providing practical tips for parents and teachers, and introducing reasonable limitations regarding digital media use. Participants had the opportunity to develop their empathy and sensitivity towards parents, as well as their ability to offer emotional guidance. The participants were eager to absorb and process new information and discuss how topics related to digital media could be integrated into rehabilitation programs, such as through workshops or seminars. The professionals actively contributed by sharing their own experiences and discussing the topics raised.
On November 17, 2023, Dr. Levente Horváth began his session by defining Spiritual Guidance and comparing it to life coaching, highlighting their similarities and differences. He then introduced Motivational Interviewing (MI) as a counseling approach, particularly useful in prevention. The key characteristics of MI include empathy, close collaboration, highlighting contradictions (ambivalence), strengthening self-efficacy, reinforcing information to trigger “change talk,” de-escalating “resistance talk,” reflective listening, and asking evocative questions. MI helps therapists connect with clients, build commitment, uncover internal ambivalence, increase motivation, assess willingness to change, set realistic goals, improve problem-solving and decision-making skills, support autonomy, provide feedback, and reinforce positive changes. This session focused on enhancing social skills, spirituality, and communication competencies.
The fifth training, held on November 29, 2023, was led by Éva Bartha and focused on Improving Interpersonal Relationships. For helping professionals, the creation of a therapeutic relationship is crucial, as it models a healthy relationship pattern for young people who are at risk of substance abuse. The session discussed fundamental needs for healthy adulthood, such as self-awareness, the ability to build intimate, quality relationships, and the creation of motivating goals, cultivating a “I can do this” mindset. The session developed participants’ active listening skills and presented prevention tools, such as the importance of mutual evaluation and acceptance, the role of close friendships and romantic relationships, effective communication, and conflict management techniques. Participants were open to discussing the topic, sharing their personal experiences, and exploring new professional questions related to substance abuse.
The sixth and final training, held on December 4, 2023, focused on Problem-Solving, Conflict Management, and Self-Control in Lifestyle. During this session, Éva Bartha identified behavior patterns related to competitiveness, problem-solving, avoidance, adaptation, and compromise-seeking attitudes. Recognizing these attitudes helps in problem-solving and managing conflicts. The session covered coping strategies and explored self-restraint through practical exercises. This workshop aimed to develop participants’ communication skills, problem recognition, problem-solving capabilities, and self-awareness in managing conflicts. During the session, participants requested a discussion about the differences and overlaps between the roles of mentors, therapeutic workers, and psychologists. Additionally, the group discussed practicing Motivational Interviewing and the possibility of future collaboration through joint projects.
