Pastoral Care and Counselling Services
We are proud to highlight the invaluable impact of the counselling sessions provided to both patients and staff within the public healthcare system. We rely heavily on our volunteers for these services, including students with an honours degree in psychology, who are volunteering their time at Steve Biko Academic Hospital while gaining valuable experience. Next year we will start with the same student programme at Tygerberg Hospital in the Western Cape.
This year alone, we’ve conducted pastoral care and counselling services free of charge to almost 17 000 individuals, resulting in an estimated value of around R 9 000 000. These sessions not only facilitated emotional well-being and resilience among patients but also nurtured a supportive environment for our hardworking staff. We believe that mental health support is an essential component of comprehensive care, and our efforts to provide these counselling services reflect our unwavering commitment to the holistic well-being of all individuals within our community.
Training
Our short courses did very well this year, and we’ve trained and equipped a total of 232 students who are now empowered to make a difference in the lives of countless people. An additional 11 students have also enrolled in the one-year course: Advanced programme in Clinical Pastoral Counselling.
We’ve added two more courses to the list: Addressing spirituality in palliative care, and Ministering for sick and vulnerable children. From next year, this last course will change to Holistic care and support for sick and vulnerable children. As part of our commitment to excellence, our staff members can attend the training courses for free to ensure that they are also adequately equipped.
We’ve also received a sponsorship for a new training platform this year. Students can now access all the information about the course, additional reading material, as well as the recordings of the sessions – all in one place. It looks very professional and we’re receiving great feedback.
