Producing competent counsellors for the nation

IT has been more than two months since the start of the Movement Control Order to curb the spread of Covid-19. In light of this crisis, the Government and multiple nongovernmental organisations have started to reach out to Malaysians to ensure psychological well-being.

In times of uncertainty, many counsellors are called upon to provide support to frontliners and affected individuals. This pandemic has highlighted the vital role of counsellors in times of crisis.

Unfortunately, Malaysia is still facing a shortage of counsellors to cater to the growing population. Presently, the estimated ratio is one counsellor to every 5,000 individuals. This is far short of the target of 11,000 counsellors nationwide, with a targeted ratio of one counsellor to every 2,945 individuals. As such, the Government has issued a call to produce more counsellors to ensure that counselling services can be widely available.

In responding to the demand for more counsellors, International Medical University (IMU) is proud to announce the launch of its Master of Counselling programme, which is designed to fulfil the needs of the country.

The IMU Master of Counselling programme has received provisional accreditation by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency and fulfils required standards established by the Board of Counsellors of Malaysia (Lembaga Kaunselor Malaysia). Therefore, graduates of the IMU Master of Counselling programme will be eligible to become registered, licensed counsellors.

This programme adopts a blended learning method to accommodate a wider range of learning styles and offer individuals the flexibility to obtain a professional qualification while juggling work and family responsibilities.

Full-time students can complete the programme in two years while part-time students can take up to four years. This programme is open to individuals with a degree from any field. In addition, students will learn from licensed counsellors with years of experience in practice, teaching, supervision and research. The highlights of the IMU Master of Counselling programme are:

• Specialty training

• Serving the community

• Multidisciplinary learning

• Platform to practice

The inaugural intake for this programme is in September. If you are interested in this programme, apply online at www.imu.edu. my today.