Peer counselling is a counselling session in a self-directed group with people of equal hierarchical status. The group counsels one member of the group at a time according to a defined procedure. The aim of counselling is to develop solutions to a question or problem from everyday working life or to help those seeking advice to overcome difficult professional situations.

The method was developed from various forms of peer counselling, such as the Balint groups for doctors. In the 1970s, collegial counselling was increasingly used with teachers. In the 1980s, a simple counselling structure was developed that allowed the group to discuss cases without the help of a psychologist. This gave rise to various forms of collegial counselling, which have become known as “Reflecting Team”, “Collegial Counselling and Supervision”, “Interversion”, “Collegial Supervision”, “Collegial Team Coaching”, “Cooperative Counselling” or “Leadership Group Coaching”. Tietz, Kim-Oliver: Kollegiale Beratung, Problemlösungen gemeinsam entwickeln, Rowohlt, 2003 provides a detailed description of collegial counselling.