How can a peer coach best promote self-efficacy?

Promoting self-efficacy is about helping individuals believe in their abilities to achieve their goals and face challenges. Encouraging personal responsibility and choice plays a critical role in this process. When a peer coach empowers someone to take ownership of their decisions, it fosters a sense of autonomy and control over their own life. This sense of responsibility helps build confidence and reinforces the belief that they can successfully navigate their recovery journey and achieve their desired outcomes.

By facilitating personal choice, peer coaches not only support the development of decision-making skills but also demonstrate trust in the individual’s capability to make informed choices. This positive reinforcement is central to enhancing self-efficacy, as individuals see that their actions can lead to positive results and milestones in their recovery.

In contrast, minimizing achievements, making decisions for the peer, or focusing solely on negative feedback can undermine self-efficacy. These approaches can diminish the individual’s sense of capability and hinder their progress by preventing them from engaging fully with their recovery process and developing the skills necessary for future challenges.