There is a vast need to regulate the counselling profession nationally to ensure that counsellors "know their scope of practice, behave ethically in a counselling context, conform to minimum standards, know when to refer clients and understand the psychological consequences for clients if counsellors are inadequately trained or overstep their scope of practice." "Scope of Practice" refers to the boundaries within which the counsellor operates without a referral as defined by their own work context.
The ASCHP is home to community or workplace-based counsellors who work in structured and supervised environments including, but not limited to private Wellness/Counselling Centres or government institutions, schools, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) including Faith-Based, Community-Based and Not-for-Profit Organisations, South African Police Service, Counselling Call Centres, Hospitals, Clinics and Support Agencies, Sports Centres, Education and Training facilities, Health and Emergency services and facilities.
A nationally recognised professional body ensures consistency in standards across and within provinces in South Africa and across different counselling contexts. It provides a learning pathway for unqualified counsellors who currently work in a variety of contexts, often in environments where mental health professionals such as psychologists and social workers are not necessarily accessible to the majority of the population. Registration of counsellors with a professional body will provide a consistent basis for evaluating and regulating counselling and will ensure greater access to counselling services.
Counselling enables one or more people to go through the process of finding solutions to their concerns or difficulties. Counselling may take various forms, including with individuals, couples, families or domestic units and groups. The ASCHP has identified accredited training providers to enable counsellors to gain accredited and applicable qualifications. This will allow counsellors to be recognised and will address current national health and social service priorities. Ideally, qualifying learners will operate under supervision.
The ASCHP is the only recognized professional body in the domain of wellbeing that covers the modalities of ethnomedicine (folk and traditional herbalism), counselling, lifestyle management and screening. The value for you as a member to belong to a recognized professional body is set out as follows:
A PB provides: "The recognition of PB will contribute to strengthening social responsiveness and accountability within the professions and promoting pride in association for all professions." Joe Samuels (CEO, SAQA).
Benefits include:
The ASCHP is the only recognized professional body in the domain of wellbeing that covers the modalities of ethnomedicine (folk and traditional herbalism), counselling, lifestyle management and screening. The value for you as a member to belong to a recognized professional body is set out as follows:
A PB provides: "The recognition of PB will contribute to strengthening social responsiveness and accountability within the professions and promoting pride in association for all professions." Joe Samuels (CEO, SAQA).
Benefits include:
The ASCHP is the only recognized professional body in the domain of wellbeing that covers the modalities of ethnomedicine (folk and traditional herbalism), counselling, lifestyle management and screening. The value for you as a member to belong to a recognized professional body is set out as follows:
A PB provides: "The recognition of PB will contribute to strengthening social responsiveness and accountability within the professions and promoting pride in association for all professions." Joe Samuels (CEO, SAQA).
Benefits include:
The ASCHP is the only recognized professional body in the domain of wellbeing that covers the modalities of ethnomedicine (folk and traditional herbalism), counselling, lifestyle management and screening. The value for you as a member to belong to a recognized professional body is set out as follows:
A PB provides: "The recognition of PB will contribute to strengthening social responsiveness and accountability within the professions and promoting pride in association for all professions." Joe Samuels (CEO, SAQA).
Benefits include: