CASSON holds Int’l conference in A’Ibom

Stakeholders in the field of counseling have identified useful hints that can stem the tide of misguided career choices, juvenile delinquency, truancy among students, family crisis, among others. They made this known on Tuesday, during the 38th Annual International Conference of the counseling association of Nigeria (CASSON), held in Uyo

While welcoming delegates from the 36 states of the country, the state chairman of CASSON, Dr. Nse Udomisor, expressed delight at the huge turnout of members whom he said have shown undaunted solidarity for the profession. He acknowledge the efforts of the state government, especially in the areas of support for accommodation and other logistics.

Dr. Udomisor, who appreciated the numerous contributions of its founding fathers, said CASSON is one body that seeks the betterment of the society through adequate guidance and counseling services. In view of this role, he advocated for the establishment of a special counseling center in Akwa Ibom State, where the challenges of most youths can be effectively handled. “Our role as counselors cannot be understand, as we are the ones that can reverse most of the anomalies prevailing in our immediate society. Thus, I appeal to the government to establish a special centre of or counseling in the state,” he said.

Similarly, Dr. Ime N. George, while presenting a lead paper on the theme: “counseling for Family Wellbeing” stressed the need for parents to see themselves as key players in child upbringing; not just teachers alone. He noted that, “the quest for family wellbeing has become a global issue especially in this twenty first century with its accompanying antecedents whereby people are more enlightened, informed, sensitive, inquisitive, connected, challenged and problematic”.

He also identified other factors that could affect family wellbeing to include: poor communication, inability to resolve conflicts and disagreements, poor problem solving approach, poor division of labour and sharing of responsibilities, as well as insufficient emotional support. To all these, he posited that a good family should be accommodating and collaborating in all tasks, for the good of the children.

Speaking earlier, the president, counseling association of Nigeria (CASSON), Prof. Alfred Adegoke, identified counseling as a distinct profession which has developed and evolved in a variety of ways in almost forty years of existence in the country.

According to him, “our work as counselors ranges from the development and prevention of serious mental health problems through educational and short-term treatment with emphasis on growth as well as remediation”.

While emphasizing the need to legalize the profession, Adegoke assured that, “the current leadership of the Counseling Association is already working assiduously to legalize the Counseling Profession in this country. It is important that counseling practice is recognized and protected by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is only way we can transform counseling into an encompassing and respectable profession comparable to other well-known professionals”.

Highpoint of the event was the conferment of Grand Patron on Governor Godswill Akpabio and Patron of CASSON on Senator Ita Enang.