A: No, co-counselling does not train you to take responsibility for another person's work, only your own.  It is a set of tools for use by peers/equals, (i.e. not where one person is the counsellor all the time).  In one-way counselling, the client does not have to have any skills or awareness.

The word "counselling" in co-counselling only refers to the fact that during sessions one person is listening while the other talks or does whatever they find helps them.  Many co-counsellors refer to the the person listening as the "co-worker" or "listener".

Despite these differences, co-counselling can give useful expertise and enable you to be a much better one-way counsellor, but it offers no formal qualifications or credentials.  It helps people to respond to emotions in relaxed and supportive ways.

Co-counselling in particular is very effective in helping people develop core abilities for a good counsellor or psychotherapist:
- Self awareness
- Self confidence
- Emotional competence

Indeed, it is arguable that all the best counsellors and psychotherapist use co-counselling for their own personal development.

Co counselling also offers valuable support for people whose work involves dealing with other people, e.g. counsellors, managers, leaders or teachers.  It gives an opportunity to off-load with supportive confidentiality, and the space to work on issues