Opleiding van opvoedkundige sielkundiges vir die bevordering van geestesgesondheid in Suid-Afrika

The diversity of the South African population requires counsellors who are able to promote the mental health of all persons who express a need for this service. The newly introduced registration category of registered counsellors aims to provide mental health services on a primary level; yet the professional identity of registered counsellors is not well established. This is reflected in the lack of an integrated and standardised national training policy for the BPsych programme as well as a disregard by potential employers of graduates of this programme, as seen in the limited number of appropriate job advertisements and placements in the media. In this study we explore the development of counsellor identity by means of the visual presentations participants produced regarding their development. The social constructionist notion of the self as being composed of different selves is used as the theoretical background for this qualitative investigation. An analysis of the visual presentations revealed that counsellors developed a capacity for experiences of uncertainty, increased self-knowledge and ability to reflect on themselves. They experienced personal growth as part of their identity development-in-process. Visual material as a form of expression makes it possible to challenge some of the limitations of verbal text to construct knowledge and facilitates thinking about those elements of the social world which cannot be expressed in talk.

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confidence: 99%

The Development of Counsellor Identity — A Visual Expression

Preez

Roos

2008

“…It is clear from the literature that there is concern, both nationally and internationally, that the professional training of psychologists does not meet the demands of practice (Fouche, 1996;Frank, 1986;Kriegler, 1988). Although psychologists in practice largely continue to perform the same functions and strive to achieve the same aims as 120 years ago when the profession officially came into being, the profession has also been subject to considerable change.…”

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confidence: 99%

An Evaluation of the Training of Psychologists at the University of the Free State

Viljoen

Beukes

Louw

1999

Research on the training of psychologists in South Africa has remained in abeyance for a long time. In view of the diversity of demands made on them by the South African practice, psychologists are concerned that training for the profession may no longer be adequate or relevant. Questionnaires were sent to 61 psychologists who had completed their professional training at the University of the Free State during the period 1990 to 1996 in order to determine how successfully such training had prepared them for practice. Other aspects such as training methods and training in research are also discussed. Although several aspects of the professional training of psychologists at the University of the Free State were rated as very good, there were some aspects of training participants felt that should receive more attention. The article concludes with recommendations on how to improve the professional training of psychologists.

“…Donald, 1991;Kriegler, 1988Kriegler, , 1993. Some research on local issues has also been reported (e.g.…”

Section: The Perceived Role Of Educational Psycholgists In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While the suggestions made by Donald and Kriegler are important, and demand consideration in the ongoing professional debate, they emanate from somewhat different perspectives to those introduced and emphasized in this article. Kriegler (1988) sees the educational psychologist of the future as 'a key member of the mental health team of tomorrow' (p. 84). In her later paper (Kriegler, 1993), she grounds her arguments for a changed practice of psychology in schools on a concern with the extension of primary health facilities in South Africa -she sees the possibility of the integration of educational and health structures and services: 'Using the school as a locus for delivery for primary health, child care, preschool and parent education, recreation, and family counselling, as well as for traditional educational activities, will promote parent involvement, school climate, and community support of education.…”

Section: The Perceived Role Of Educational Psycholgists In South Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Educational Psychology Alive and Well in the New South Africa?

Sharratt

1995

Educational psychology in South Africa has been defined in the past as an interventional and helping profession, mainly focused on the alleviation of educational problems such as learning disability or emotional issues that interfere with the educational process. Educational psychologists, apparently by predeliction, have had little to do with the general processes of learning and schooling, nor have they been concerned with educational policy issues. This may be partly to do with the fact that the training of educational psychologists in South Africa is generally light in the theory of cognitive development, instructional psychology and school psychology. This article invites discussion about the nature of the future roles for educational psychologists in the new South Africa, suggesting that their involvement in ordinary processes of schooling, and in assisting in the planning of educational systems will be primary. Appropriate changes in the nature of the training of educational psychologists require broad consultation. The need for change follows from the facts that: (1) paucity of future financial resources will necessitate the work of professional psychologists becoming more advisory, instructional and research oriented, rather than being indiVidually focused; (2) the nature of the problems to be faced in social reconstruction will demand a more research-oriented approach than in the past; and (3) the present disarray of educational services requires the re-thinking of the most basic principles on which the formal education of children rests.Opvoedkundige sielkunde is in the verlede in Suid-Afrika gedefinieer as 'n intervensie-en hulpverleningsprofessie, wat hoofsaaklik ingestel is op die verligting van opvoedkundige probleme soos leergestremdhede of emosionele kwessies wat die opvoedkundige proses bemoei. Opvoedkundige sielkundiges het min te doen gehad met die algemene leer-en onderrigprosesse, en is ook nie in die verlede met algemene opvoedkundige beleidkwessies betrokke nie. Dit mag gedeeltelik as gevolg wees van die feit dat in die opleiding van opvoedkundige sielkundiges in Suid-Afrika daar 'n onderbeklemtoning is van die teorie van kognitiewe ontwikkeling, onderrigsielkunde en skoolsielkunde. Die doel van hierdie artikel is om bespreking te stimuleer oor die aard van toekomstige rolle vir opvoedkundige sielkundiges in the nuwe Suid-Afrika, en om voor te stel dat hulle primer betrokke sou wees in die hoofstroom van die onderwys, en sou ook hulpsaarn wees met die beplanning van opvoedkundige stelsels. Toepaslike veranderinge in die aard van die opleiding van opvoedkundige sielkundiges sal breedvoerige konsultasis vereis. Die behoefte aan verandering volg uit die volgende feite: (1) dat 'n tekort aan toekomstige finansisle bronne dit sal noodsaak dat die werk van professionele sielkundiges meer raadgewend, instruksioneel en navorsings-georienteerd sal moet word, eerder as om individueel gerig te wees: (2) die aard van die probleme wat aangespreek moet word met die oog op sosiale herkonstruksie, sal 'n ...