Twenty-six-years after the inauguration of the Counselling Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, has assented the Bill for its operations.
The Bill, which was sponsored by the Counselling Association of Nigeria, got the presidential nod on July 27. The association got its first Certificate of Registration on April 22, 1996.
A statement signed by theNational President of CASSON, Prof. Elizabeth Omotunde Egbochuku, read that on March 2019, CASSON went for the updating of its Certificate of Registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission.
The statement read that “Counselling has been centrifugally a school-based activity, helping learners to actualize their academic potentials and make appropriate career decisions. These goals remain central to the core professional focus of Counselling Association of Nigeria. However, with the establishment and the passage of CASSON’s Bill, the Counselling Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria is now in a position to offer much more.
“The Counselling Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria Bill seeks to establish the Counselling Practitioners Council of Nigeria for the conduct of qualifying examinations, regulating the counselling profession, and determining standard of knowledge and skill required of persons seeking to become members.
“The Bill was first read on the floor of the Senate on the 1st of March 2018. A professional counsellor is a highly trained individual who is able to use different range of counselling approach with their client to resolve personal, social or psychological issues (problems and difficulties). Counselling profession in the country is a practice that seeks to improve psychological wellbeing and mental health of our contemporary society.
“Professional counsellors are trained to counsel clients in trauma and abuse, addictions, family, and relationships issues, problems and many more. Effective counselling reduces confusion by enabling the client to make informed decisions leading to positive changes in their attitude and or behaviour. The ultimate aim is to assist the client make their own choices, reach their own decisions and act upon them accordingly.”
Founded on November 15, 1975, the association, with 37 chapters across the country, is structured into Icons, Fellows, Associate Fellows, Associate members, Honorary members, Full-time members, and student membership who possesses the necessary requirements as stipulated in the its constitution.
The Trustees of the Counselling association are professors Olu Makinde, CGM Bakare, MP Mall um, Frank Carew and Dr CC Achebe.
