Integrate culture in counselling, says Rakhudu

CHANDAPIWA BAPUTAKI
Staff Writer | Wednesday August 18, 2010 00:00

Rakhudu was officiating at the first international congress of the association held at the Gaborone International Convention Centre on Monday.  Rakhudu said the counsellors must take cognizance that the world has become a small globe, as such they need to be consciously aware that they will meet on a daily basis people of varied cultural backgrounds seeking their services. He said to reach the heart of an individual is to respect who they are and their cultural origins.

He explained that as counsellors working with indigenous people, they need to integrate cultural aspects of their clients. 'This is one way which can help develop the clout of the counselling profession in Botswana, which is struggling for recognition nationally,' he said.

'We cannot ignore that counselling is a new and alien service, whose principles are drawn from Western cultures.As such, if these principles are not handled with care they may deter the average citizen from using this service, if the service appears to be inclined to western values and away from what is familiar to them. Thus a multicultural approach is a necessity,' Rakhudu said.

He lauded the Botswana Counselling Association for rendering their services during a time when there are high incidences of suicide, homicide, divorce, deaths from road traffic accidents and the resultant trauma and hurt that children and adults affected go through.

He said there is also a general and rising trend in this century of a fast life, which is fraught with challenges to everybody, but most importantly the younger age groups, the marginalised and disadvantaged populations. He stated that strategies and means need to be devised to provide life skills to help these developing minds withstand the pressures of life, in their varied forms, and to empower especially, the marginalised groups. He said this is the mandate of the providers of the mental health services. He commended and expressed appreciation for the association's efforts in the enhancement of the lives of Batswana and the world at large, making it a better habitable place.   'There is no doubt that counselling has a major role in the fight against HIV/AIDS, poverty alleviation and many other challenges that people continue to struggle with in the 21st century,' he said adding that the skills and knowledge imparted through counselling service delivery and counsellor training will go a long way in the development of strong nations and responsible citizens that each country aspires for.

The newly formed association does not only admit professionally prepared persons, but all those who work in the area of assisting people to deal with personal and developmental issues such as in schools, churches, community agencies, associations, the HIV/AIDS testing centres. 'This is an ideal approach to a young service organisation that strives for recognition and acceptance by user communities. We may want to be reminded of the inception of counselling at the time that HIV/AIDS was highly stigmatised, hence counselling has inherited the stigma,' Rakhudu said. The conference which is held under the theme 'Counselling in Botswana: Mandate, Practice, Challenges and Opportunities for growth,' will end tomorrow.