Only a small number of South Africans battling with common mental health conditions like depression and anxiety actually receive professional treatment, but the South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP) hopes a new postgraduate qualification will now help close the gap, reports TimesLIVE.
The institution recently launched its postgraduate diploma in psychological counselling, which will replace its BSocSci (Hons) in psychology (BPsych Equivalent) as the qualification that prepares students to become registered counsellors.
A national study has suggested that just 16% of South African adults with mental disorders receive any formal treatment.
SACAP said registered counsellors play an important role in providing psychological support to people in communities, often becoming the first point of contact for those experiencing emotional distress.
Dr Vikki Botes, head of the faculty for Applied Psychology, said the new qualification builds on the institution’s experience in training mental health professionals.
“The new postgraduate programme draws on SACAP’s years of experience in applied psychology education, and provides an opportunity for graduates with an appropriate NQF level 7 qualification majoring in psychology to prepare for the next steps towards registration as a registered counsellor, including the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) board examination, subject to meeting all HPCSA requirements,” she told TimesLIVE.
The 18-month, full-time programme includes classroom learning; work-integrated learning; and a six-month, 720-hour practicum in a community-based setting.
Botes said students would be trained in:
• psychological screening;
• selected psychological assessments;
• counselling interventions; and
• psycho-educational programmes that promote mental health.
The qualification could also open the door to further postgraduate studies, including Master’s degrees in psychology, social sciences and related fields, she added.
The qualification will be offered at SACAP’s campuses in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.
TimesLIVE article – New counselling diploma to help tackle mental health crisis (Restricted access)
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