Counsellors’ association eyes new curriculum to meet PNG’s needs

THE Papua New Guinea Counsellors’ Association (PNGCA) has invited a group of expert trainers to develop a course specific to Papua New Guinea.
PNGCA president Susan Setae said in a workshop in Port Moresby on Monday that a counselling course specific to Papua New Guinea would be adapted and applied from the Australian national counselling curriculum donated by the Australian Counselling Association in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors.
Setae said the curriculum adaptation work was challenging and needed detailed analysis and the counsellors who attended would collectively modify it into a practical perspective and in a Papua New Guinea context to suit its cultural diversity.
Setae said the curriculum adaptation workshop was the first of its kind which represented a significant step towards having skilled workers in the country’s workforce.
“This is a perfect example of developing important and sustainable links between Australian training providers and the PNGCA to develop a much needed sector for Papua New Guinean communities,” said Setae.
Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Amie Frewen said  the counsellors invited were picked from tertiary institutions, churches, and non-governmental organisations involved heavily in providing counselling to those who faced
mental and physical issues.
Frewen said that the workshop would run for four days starting on Monday.
It would build a legacy for Papua New Guinea communities and for the counsellors to have a right pathway to expand their knowledge in counselling with the help of the course
that would be modified and adopted, he said.