“Anybody there?”: A Comparison of Writing-Center Coaching and Crisis Counseling
My minor is in psychology, so I found this article interesting. Maybe some people would not see the similarities between crisis counseling and Writing Center tutoring, but Virginia Poon of Virginia Tech does. She knows that bonding and empathy are very important in both situations. Like the therapist and client relationship, the tutor/tutee relationship mirrors many of the aspects of a psychotherapy session. In terms of human development, students who come to the writing center realize their limitations, and are seeking support and betterment and growth as a writer. A tutor has the ability to use their own interpersonal skills toward building trust, then using their expertise and experience to "demystify the assignment and implement steps for improvement." I see it as behavior therapy for the writer. We give them tools (resources, ideas, show and tell), and they use their new found knowledge to become a better writer. Ultimately, Poon states, the most important similarity between the role of tutor and counselor is "the art of allowing clients and callers to think for themselves." That's what we try to teach our students at the MSU-Denver Writing Center.
.http://emil.uwc.utexas.edu/praxis/?q=node/338
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