Through the HereNOW Academy, we train our peer counselors to listen with empathy and share their personal experience with mental illness, addiction, or adverse life events. From this, clients draw strength and support. Peer counselors are certified through a program designed by the mental health academics and practitioners on our team, with the goal of giving HereNOW Peers the tools to begin helping others quickly, effectively and with minimal investment.

• Serve your community and get paid

• Work as little or as much as you like

• Accept appointments that work for you

• Manage your schedule at a glance

Through the HereNOW Academy, our online proprietary training site, we train and certify peer counselors to use the skills of Listening with Empathy and Sharing Experience. Key features include:

• Initial online training to equip counselors with the key skills

• Little or no training cost

• Optional advanced training and resources to enhance skills

• Training in how to use our app to screen and accept appointments, manage schedules, receive payments and view client ratings

The HereNOW Help Peer Counselor Approach

Our peer counselors use two simple but powerful skills to help their clients:

• They listen with empathy

• They share their personal experience with mental illness, addiction or adverse life events

They are not therapists. They do not diagnose or treat problems. They do not give advice, educate or advocate for their clients. They do not take case histories, store data or share it with other peer counselors or therapists. They simply listen and share their personal story with their client, just as a good friend might do. From this, clients draw strength and hope.

Researchers have found that peer counseling increases clients’ self-esteem, improves their integration with their community, provides greater hope and motivation and broadens their social networks..