Short Course

EIST and KCC holds Innovative Counseling Skills Short Course for ‘counselors’

The Department of Educational Innovations in Science and Technology (EIST) in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Counseling Centre (KCC) has organised a five-day Innovative Counseling Short Course for private counselors, teachers, religious leaders and bankers at the KNUST Opoku Ware II Museum from 26th to 30th April, 2021. 
The workshop is aimed at equipping counselors with relevant basic knowledge and skills to help provide effective counselling services to people in every aspect of life. 
The Head of EIST, Dr. Eric Appau Asante in his welcome address stated that the workshop seeks to educate counselors in providing an emotionally safe, confidential, compassionate and responsive environment that fosters development in the well-being of clients. According to him, the initiative for organizing the short course was borne out of the trend of cases in the country which begs for innovative counselling approaches.  
He encouraged the participants to embrace the opportunity of gaining skills from professional counselors and put them into profitable use.
Presenting on counselling process/techniques, the head of KCC, Mrs. Victoria DeGraft Agyei took participants through the mirror concept, what counselling is/not, counselling techniques/skills and qualities for effective counselling. 
According to her, counselling is aimed at equipping an individual to develop the skills to help one’s self and bring about change in behaviour. As a counselor, she stressed the need to know the different skills in counseling and apply them for the desired outcomes.  She further urged counselors to understand the diversity in clients and understand that there are no fixed standard meanings to behaviour. 
On the qualities of a counselor, she advised that a good counselor should possess   the skill of being knowledgeable, resourceful, humorous, sensitive to other people’s view, warm, trustworthy, attentive and appreciative.   
Professional counselors of the University taught participants common mental disorder and mental health first aid; ethical issues in counseling, religious counseling, theory versus practical practice of counseling.