The Counselling arm of the Ministry, known for many years as the Counselling Centre or Counselling Unit, has now been officially renamed as The National Counselling Centre (NCC).
The renaming, which became effective this year, was considered necessary in keeping with the importance of the Centre and the services provided to many persons in the Federation, including youths, individuals, couples, families and public and private sector organizations, explained NCC Deputy Director, Ms. Naeemah Hazelle.
Several updates to the Centre’s operation are also expected to come on stream shortly, with one being the establishment of a fee structure which will become effective in the next couple months, and will apply to most levels of clients, including self-referred clients, corporate referrals and requests for training on psychosocial topics.
While Counselling services have customarily been free, Ms. Hazelle explained, “the new fee structure will be minimal, and will help to normalize the service of counselling, as just like any other service, for example, going to a doctor”, she said, adding “Referrals that originate within the Ministry and the services of Family counsellors will continue to be free.”
In addition to in-person sessions, online sessions via Zoom are already being offered, which provide added sustainability in the event of national lockdowns, and allow clients the option to utilize counselling services at their preferred location. The Centre also expects to facilitate Group Counselling sessions in the near future, and facilitate access to an accredited training course called ‘Darkness to Light’, which advocates for protecting children from sexual exploitation.
For information on psychosocial topics, follow the newly launched social media pages of The National Counselling Centre at:
Facebook: StKitts NationalCounsellingCentreskn
Instagram: nationalcounsellingcentreskn
End of Release April 27th, 2022