Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Students offer counselling in lockdown
TAKING care of one’s mental health during stressful times is important.
That is what students of the South African College of Applied Psychology (Sacap) set out to do during the national lockdown.
The student-registered counsellors, appointed at the start of the lockdown, have been assisting people suffering from mental anxieties and ailments through teleconferencing while also working with numerous organisations and groups across the country.
“During the nationwide lockdown, Sacap has responded to the call of assisting in providing mental healthcare services to the diverse South African population by embracing innovative telehealth solutions,” said counselling psychologist and Sacap head of work integrated learning Kim Starkey.
“Our students have continued to provide psychological and preventative interventions through the forms of basic containment, trauma counselling, psycho-educational workshops, discussion groups, public service announcements and contributing to psychosocial support blogs, all in the aid of assisting those in need of mental healthcare during the pandemic response all while observing the necessary social distancing.”
In addition to working on the Sacap campuses in Cape Town, Durban and Joburg, the 43 students were deployed to work with organisations such as the Animation School, Foundation Clinic, the Johannesburg Institute of Social Services, and a local police station.
One of those students is Claire Lang, a fourth-year bachelor of psychology student who has been working as a telecounsellor for Hope House Counselling Centre in Cape Town.
“My daily working procedure has changed quite drastically as a result of this national lockdown,” Lang said.
“I went from working with adolescents at a local high school to working online from my room in a matter of weeks. I was forced outside of my comfort zone and it took a while for me to find my professional feet on the online platform.”
According to Lang, there have been two common issues identified when engaging with clients during the lockdown, the first of which stems from a fear of the unknown.
“The adjustments to a client’s daily living, employment status and the current restrictions cause feelings of isolation and helplessness. Many clients have experienced changes in their emotional and/or financial stability,” she explained.
“Secondly, up until this point, we had all been living a very fast paced lifestyle. We all had a certain perception and understanding of our own productivity. Daily productivity has now shifted as we are expected to stay home and flatten the curve. This has either decreased work productivity or totally isolated people from their work.”