Institute canvasses counselling on social vices

With the spate of rape, suicide, drug abuses and corruption in the country, the Institute of Counselling in Nigeria has called on the government, individuals and corporate bodies to hire professional counsellors and psychotherapists to stem the menace.

Its Provost,  Dr Tolulope Oko-Igaire and other stakeholders stated this at the unveiling of the institute in Lagos.

Reeling out statistics, she said  in 2017, 10,000 girls were sexually assaulted, raped daily in Nigeria.’ She noted that  marital separation rates last year increased by 14 per cent, adding that one in seven persons aged 15-64  had used a drug (other than tobacco and alcohol) in the past years. “Nigerians used to be termed the happiest people on earth, but we are ranked 85th in the world,” she added.

Emphasising the need to seek professionals, Tolulope said: ‘’It can no longer be business as usual. We can’t keep mounting pressures on our spiritual leaders as if they are superhuman. Your pastor is not a sex therapist, your Alfa is not a trained grief and bereavement counsellor, your Mother in Israel is not an addiction counselor, neither is your spiritual father a child and adolescent counsellor.”

She stated that the institute was established to address counselling-related issues as they affect individuals and corporate organisations. “Institute of Counselling was carefully created after noticing these massive vacuum in our society. Every individual wanting to go through the journey of self-discovery needs the institute, companies that need to get the best from their employees need the institute (HR has gone beyond the old norm), churches that want happy and productive members needs the institute and educational organisation that really want to thrive cannot do without the institute. The government, organisations,  parastatals and institutions need the institute to achieve the dream of a greater society,” she explained.

According to her, people don’t need to go aboard to study counseling and psychotherapy because they can do so in the country. “Every individual passionate about humanity can  take a breath of fresh air, as they no longer have to travel overseas to get certified in specialised fields of counselling and psychotherapy,” she explained.

Furthermore, she stated that counselling is the new generational skill for optimal performance and a fulfilling destiny, urging  both the private sector and government to support the institute, pointing that schools, hospitals, prisons, religious centres and others needs it more than ever.

Advisory Board Representative, Lekan Ajisafe said: ‘’A closer look at our society will reveal to you that a lot of Nigerians are suffering from various forms of mental and emotional problems and most of them are not even aware of it because the government and citizens are doing close to nothing to educate the public and proffer reasonable solutions to all these social anomalies.

‘’From the problems of abuse to that of addiction; from bad parenting to domestic violence; from corruption to power abuse; from pedophilia to rape; from depression to suicide; no one needs to be told that something is wrong with our society and we need therapeutic interventions now than ever before.”

Former President of the institute, Ibironke Banjoke Olukoga, urged the government and private sector to work with the institute to solve issues that need counselling to build a better society.