Picture:SIVENATHI GOSA
Masithethe Counselling Services held a Personal Growth and Counselling Skills Course for 43 community workers last week Friday.
The course focused on personal development, self-understanding and the building of meaningful relationships.
Masithethe director Jackie Orsmond said this included learning to build the course focused more on building trust, creativity, observation skills, personal values, relaxation techniques, self-awareness, stress management, communication skills and listening skills and relationships.
“The course is geared to developing and enhancing these qualities in its participants.
“To develop the qualities and skills of a counsellor requires a degree of self-awareness and self-acceptance, and an ability to relate freely and warmly to others,” she said.
“Before we can understand and help others, we need to understand and come to terms with ourselves, to know who we are and have a strong sense of where we are going.
“The first stage then, in our training as counsellors, is growth towards greater self-awareness and self-discovery.”
The advanced counselling skills course focused on rape, trauma counselling, HIV/Aids, trauma counselling, gender abuse, self care, child abuse, suicide, depression, play therapy and alcohol and drug abuse.
The community workers were then awarded with a certificate.
