M.Ed. / The importance of Career Counselling in secondary schools cannot be over-emphasized. In order to achieve the stated objective, our schools will require well trained and well qualified Career Counsellors who will execute this monumental task with great insight, distinction and knowledge. Differentiated education takes into account the fact that people are not the same and therefore their uniqueness will be considered and catered for by exposing them to career counselling. Learners need to be guided in order to make informed choices. This responsibility of guiding and informing learners should be shouldered by educators who are considered to be well-informed and more knowledgeable about the world of work and different courses. There are socio-economic and political changes that are taking place within the borders of our country and globally. Our learners must be multi-skilled or be exposed in order to brace themselves for this eventuality. The traditional way of doing things is rapidly giving way to modern operational techniques. Career Counselling is important in this instance in order to narrow the gap between tradition and the ever-changing world of occupation. For the Career Counselling to be meaningful and helpful to secondary school learners, educators are expected to assist them with the selection o fa major field, self-analysis, methods of career field analysis, establishment of short range career goals, analysis of employment environments, development of long-range career goals and support the learners in the job search campaign (Charles, 1976: 61). In the South African context a distinction is made between Career Counselling outside and within formal education. It seems that Career Counselling, particularly within formal education, experiences many problems, one of which is the inadequate training of Career Counselling educators and the insufficient provision for training such educators...

M.A. (Counselling Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Abstract Keywords: Lay counsellors, training and evaluation. The training of lay counselling is of great significance to the field of Counselling Psychology. Therefore,the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) decided to allow for the registration of lay counsellor training courses. However, the criteria for registration need to be formulated. This study evaluated the Wits Crisis course for volunteer counsellors, via illumination of the perceptions of the trainees and a measurement of their self-efficacy and personal relations before and after the training. The study included qualitative and quantitative methodology. Past trained counsellors and trainees were interviewed and then assessed on Self-Efficacy and Personal Relations before and after training. A Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Signed-Rank significance in self-efficacy or personal relations scores after training. However, the interviews of the participants' perceptions of the course and its impact on them supported the hypotheses. Overall, perceptions were positive. Negative perceptions were highlighted, as this information could add to the knowledge base of the program. / GR 2016

Family Therapy training programmes have recently come to appreciate the importance of addressing the personal growth of the trainee-therapist, in addition to the traditional focus on skill development. Suggestions in the available literature on how this "person-of-the-therapist" issue could best be addressed, represent almost exclusively the ideas of authorities (authors, clinicians and trainers) in the field of systemic therapy. Constructivist thought endorsed by the UNISA training programme, encourages and values different viewpoints. According to this view, students and faculty co-construct the training process. The aim of this study is therefore to present the voice of the trainee. Several training contexts, the essential qualities of the different supervisory relationships and difficulties encountered, are explored from the trainee's perspective. It is hoped that this "inside story" about the author's experiences on her journey toward becoming a psychotherapist, will engender sensitivity for and a deeper understanding of the complexity involved in training the person of the therapist. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Family Therapy training programmes have recently come to appreciate the importance of addressing the personal growth of the trainee-therapist, in addition to the traditional focus on skill development. Suggestions in the available literature on how this "person-of-the-therapist" issue could best be addressed, represent almost exclusively the ideas of authorities (authors, clinicians and trainers) in the field of systemic therapy. Constructivist thought endorsed by the UNISA training programme, encourages and values different viewpoints. According to this view, students and faculty co-construct the training process. The aim of this study is therefore to present the voice of the trainee. Several training contexts, the essential qualities of the different supervisory relationships and difficulties encountered, are explored from the trainee's perspective. It is hoped that this "inside story" about the author's experiences on her journey toward becoming a psychotherapist, will engender sensitivity for and a deeper understanding of the complexity involved in training the person of the therapist. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa is now in its eighteenth year of democracy. However, a major problem that we are facing is the scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic throughout Africa, with the most seriously affected areas being in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite a National Strategic Plan (NSP) for HIV/AIDS, government authorities have been unable to stem the tide of daily HIV infections amongst all people. Education seems to be one of the most powerful weapons to fight this pandemic; hence it is expected of HEIs to respond to this problem in a meaningful manner in order to stem the tide of the HIV/AIDS pandemic on all university campuses. HEAIDS took the initiative to bring all role players in HEIs together to devise plans for how to deal with the pandemic at HEIs. Despite the fact that 22 out of the 23 higher education institutions surveyed by HEAIDS in 2008 were engaged in peer education training programmes, none of them monitored or evaluated these programmes. The aim of this study is to evaluate and establish the influence of a peer education programme amongst students at a selected HEI in the Western Cape. An evaluation research design was employed, using a mixed methods approach to collect data. A Logic Model was developed which assisted me with the evaluation design. I used Bandura's social cognitive theory (SCT) to assist me with the analysis and interpretation of the data. The study attempted to understand the key issues involved in the peer education programme, challenges faced by staff in the implementation of these programmes, how peer educators experienced the training programmes, as well as the experiences of other students who interacted with the peer educators. The quantitative data revealed that more work needs to be done with regard to behaviour change amongst peer educators. However, in this study, the qualitative data showed that peer educators need to develop more skills to empower themselves to facilitate workshops and to enhance their communication skills. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika is tans in sy agtiende jaar van demokrasie. Die probleem wat nog hierdie bedeling in die gesig staar, bly nog steeds die MIV en VIGS pandemie, waarvan die grootste problem in Sub-Sahara Afrika, is. Ten spyte van 'n omvattende nasionale plan teen MIV en VIGS kan die owerhede nog nie hierdie aaklige pandemie stuit nie, en word mense nog op 'n daaglikse basis daardeur geaffekteer. Opvoeding bly nog die grootste wapen waarmee hierdie pandemie beveg kan word, daarom word dit van die opvoedkundige instansies, veral universiteite, verwag om die voortou te neem met die bevegting van hierdie pandemie. "HEAIDS" het die inisiatief geneem om alle rolspelers by hoër opvoedkundige instansies bymekaar te bring om sodoende planne te beraam, hoe om te werk te gaan om die pandemie te bekamp. Ten spyte van die feit dat 22 uit 23 hoër opvoedkundige instansies deel was van die opnames wat in 2008 op hul kampusse, onder sekere portuurgroepe gedoen was, was geen analiese of evaluering gedoen nie. Die doel van hierdie navorsings projek is om portuurgroep opleidings programme te evalueer by n universiteit in die Wes-Kaap en om vas te stel wat die invloed van hierdie programme onder sekere portuurgroepe by hierdie hoër opvoedkundige instansie, het. Daar was van 'n evaluerings navorsing metode gebruik gemaak met gemengde maniere om die data in te vorder. 'n Logiese model was ontwikkel wat my gehelp het met die evaluerings ontwerp. Die Teoretiese raamwerk wat gebruik was om die data te intepreteer was Bandura se Sosiale Kognitiewe Teorie. Die studie het gepoog om die belangrike aspekte wat betrokke is by portuurgroep opleidings programme uit te beeld en om vas te stel watter uitdagings die personeel ondervind het met die implimentering van die opleidings programme. Ek wou ook vasstel hoe die portuurgroepe en die ander studente op kampus, hierdie programme ondervind het. Kwantitatiewe data het bewys dat meer gedoen moet word met betrekking tot die gedragsveranderinge van portuurgroepe. Kwalitatiewe data het bewys dat daar meer opleiding nodig is vir die portuurgroepe ten opsigte van vaardigheidsontwikkeling. Daar moet gefokus word op die ontwikkeling van kommunikasie metodes en die fasilitering van werkswinkels.

Cognisant of the fact that counselling has become an essential aspect of dealing with HIV/AIDS in South Africa, the researcher aimed to explore the stressors experienced by HIV/AIDS counsellors. It was envisioned that the results obtained would both help to improve the counselling services provided at Settlers Hospital, and assist other organisations to do so. The research focused on how the participants dealt with the dual roles of non-directive listening and the more prescriptive advice-giving, the stressors they experienced and the support structures they had, or needed, to assist them in being more effective HIV/AIDS counsellors. The sample consisted of four HIV/AIDS counsellors working at Settlers Hospital, Grahamstown. The co-ordinator of HIV/AIDS at the hospital was interviewed for collateral information. A qualitative, multiple case study was undertaken. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data which were recorded and transcribed and then constructed into coherently organised personal narratives of each participant’s experiences. A composite description of all the results was arrived at through the use of a reading guide which reduced the data into a thematic content analysis. The analysed data served to present an understanding of the counsellors’ experiences and to enable recommendations to be made which could assist them in pursuing their work more effectively. The findings of this study indicate that HIV/AIDS counselling is an emotionally stressful occupation. Contributory factors include the twofold role of promoting prevention and serving as empathic listeners. Other stressors derive from issues of confidentiality and stigma concerning HIV/AIDS, counsellors’ identification with clients’ experiences and the demographics of HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Situational stressors which arise from working as both nurses and counsellors in a public health institution were also identified. Recommendations are made to alleviate the counsellors’ stress in the form of facilitated emotional support groups, professional supervision, managerial support to improve the working environment, and ongoing in-service training.

Twenty four eThekwini HIV/AIDS counsellors based in four different work settings and who received training from five different training providers, shared their HIV/AIDS counsellor training experiences. The qualitative, phenomenological study utilized a multi-methods approach. The purpose of HIV/AIDS counselling lacks uniformity. Participants reflected upon their distinction between training satisfaction and perceived competency to render HIV/AIDS counselling after training. Although they were satisfied and empowered by the useful information gained, many felt inadequate to counsel an HIV positive person on completion of training. Inadequate practical learning opportunities were evident. Participants identified the need for a more balanced theoretical and practical training program incorporating experiential and didactic training methods. Entrance criteria to HIV/AIDS counsellor training courses and eventual assessment procedures in the study were diverse. Participants suggested improvements for training methods and course content and proposed a tiered training model that will result in standardized and certified training modules. / Social Work / MA(SS) (Social Work)

Twenty four eThekwini HIV/AIDS counsellors based in four different work settings and who received training from five different training providers, shared their HIV/AIDS counsellor training experiences. The qualitative, phenomenological study utilized a multi-methods approach. The purpose of HIV/AIDS counselling lacks uniformity. Participants reflected upon their distinction between training satisfaction and perceived competency to render HIV/AIDS counselling after training. Although they were satisfied and empowered by the useful information gained, many felt inadequate to counsel an HIV positive person on completion of training. Inadequate practical learning opportunities were evident. Participants identified the need for a more balanced theoretical and practical training program incorporating experiential and didactic training methods. Entrance criteria to HIV/AIDS counsellor training courses and eventual assessment procedures in the study were diverse. Participants suggested improvements for training methods and course content and proposed a tiered training model that will result in standardized and certified training modules. / Social Work / MA(SS) (Social Work)

This study examines the relationship between adolescent depressive symptomology and substance abuse. From a literature study six hypotheses were developed. A quantitative empirical study, undertaken in a South African high school, investigated the level of adolescent depressiVe symptomology and substance abuse, as well as the relationship between the two. The influence of various moderator variables was also examined. In line with most international studies, the relationship between adolescent depressive symptomotogy and substance abuse was found to be significant. This research has shown that adolescent depressive symptomology is significantly and positively correlated with earlier age at onset of substance abuse as well as frequency of usage. There appear to be gender differences in the way adolescents deal with their depression in terms of substance abuse. In addition, risk factors for depression and substance abuse were confirmed. Recommendations have been made based on these results / Educational Studies / M.Ed.