It is a requirement that all participants who wish to train in Basic Counselling skills have first completed the LifeLine/ChildLine Personal Growth Course and been selected by the facilitators to as suitable candidates to be trained as counsellors.
In this module the emphasis is on skills based training. The inward focus on the self in Personal Growth changes to the outward focus on the other. The theoretical underpinning of LifeLine’s approach to counselling is based on the Rogerian, non-directive, client-centred involvement, interwoven with problem management methods in the helping process. Our philosophy revolves around articulating feelings and how they affect the way people behave and handle their problems. We try to help by caring, listening and sharing; by trying to be “good news” to people at the point of their pain. We respect the dignity of the client, pledge absolute confidentiality and encourage the client’s self-determination.
The Trainees are introduced to the core skills in counselling and they repeatedly role-play these various skills until the required standard is reached. A range of issue based counselling such as HIV and AIDS, child abuse, domestic violence etc. also feature strongly here.
The third and final stage of training is geared completely to the needs of the individual trainee. Each potential volunteer participates in more role-plays, which allow for constructive feedback. Each probationer must also present individual research to demonstrate understanding of the core counselling skills as well as knowledge on other onward referral organisations. Only when all three stages of training have been successfully completed is it possible for a probationer to become a LifeLine approved counsellor.
A number of the tertiary institutions in Namibia (including UNAM and IUM) encourage their psychology, social work and HIV management students to enrol in this course to acquire practical or broader skills to add to and enrich their course work.