The roles and experiences of registered counsellors working in school settings in Gauteng, South Africa
Abstract
In the past, mental healthcare in South Africa faced a crisis whereby there were not enough psychologists available to service the public and often the services were only available to the limited number of the population who could afford it. The post-apartheid government recognised the need for a psychological service that could serve as screening tool for mental health issues and also offer short-term counselling where appropriate. Thus, the registered counsellor psychological profession was created in the hopes of fulfilling this need. Since the conception of the registration category there have been very few research studies conducted on registered counsellors. Studies that had been conducted focused on the relevance of the category, whether the category served a purpose and where registered counsellors found employment.
Research had found that a number of professionals found employment within the educational setting. There were no known studies focusing on a specific job market, such as education, and exploring the roles and experiences of the registered counsellors working there. The following qualitative research study made use of a qualitative descriptive research design whereby purposive sampling was used to recruit participants to share their roles and experiences of being registered counsellors employed within school settings. There were six participants of whom five were female, and all aged between 28 to 34 years from three schools within the Ekurhuleni North and South Districts in the Gauteng Province, South Africa. The data was gathered by using a demographic questionnaire as well as a semi-structured interview. Conventional content analysis was used to identify the categories for this research study. The categories that were identified were as follows: the registered counsellor journey, which describes how they came to be registered counsellors and working within the school settings; the roles of the registered counsellor within the school context; occupational difficulties that registered counsellors faced; positive experiences from working within school settings and an awareness of the limitations of the scope of practice. This research study was a first of its kind and could therefore also serve as basis for future research. It explored the registered counsellor’s roles and experiences and therefore shed light on some of the possibilities of the profession. The research study revealed that registered counsellors were playing a vital role within the schools where they were employed by affording the learners a chance for mental healthcare intervention to which they otherwise might not have had access. It is recommended that this research study be considered by the Department of Education as well as the Health Professions Council of South Africa when recommendations are made in terms of the role registered counsellors can play in school settings.
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- Health Sciences [2060]