Re: Workshop on Basic counseling skills

[Guest guest]

Dear Moderator,

I saw the mail from Chennai's Center for Counselling (CFC) on the forum offering

16 hours of counselling training ( " Workshop on Basic Counselling skills " ) and

suggesting that after the training the individual will be skilled in working as

a counsellor.

People with 16 hours training can only be effective as peer support and not

counsellors. A clients' need for counselling can very rapidly outstrip the

capacity of such a counsellor and then the person either refers the client or

provides advice that is totally inadequate. If referral is done then it is good,

but if advice that is inadequate is given then it is damaging both to the client

and the programme.

In some ways I would equate inadequate counsel with lack of ART adherence, the

lack of it causing resistance and damaging the person and the programme as a

whole.

It would be far better if people with minimal training are designated

appropriately as counselling support rather than counsellor and that they are

aware of their limitations as much as they are of their counselling abilities.

Regards

Sasi Kumar

e-mail: <sasiontheweb@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Mr Sasi Kumar,

Re: /message/10328

I did not mean to suggest that this is the only training that one

should get as a counsellor.

We are offering a 4 day basic training with 16 hours of actual role play

sessions etc. We usually take people who are already working in the field as

counsellors. Being a professional counsellor myself, I know this is absolutely

not enough most of us train for years leave alone all that we learn " hands on " .

We usually have a discussion with people who are coming for the

training before we train them.

Thank you for helping me clarify.

Magdalene

--------

Magdalene Jeyarathnam

Director - Center For Counselling

18 Radhakrishnan Salai, 9th Street,

3rd Floor, Mylapore, Chennai 600 004

www.centerforcounselling.org

email- magdalene@...

telephone - 044- 42080810, mobile - 9884100135

[Guest guest]

Dear Moderator

Re: /message/10328

I completely agree with Sasi Kumar. Counselling skills cannot be acquired in 16

hours even basic skills. In the organisation in which I work (CINI ASHA

Kolkata) we call such training " Care and Support " training and this is provided

to all those working at the grassroot level with vulnerable women and children.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing and more damage can be done by

unskilled counselling than by no counselling!

Regards

Veena Lakhumalani

Kolkata

e-mail: <veenalakhumalani@...>