As I recently spoke to a New Zealand colleague about the question of counsellor certification in Aotearoa, I was reminded of something that the famous psychologist Carl Rogers said when addressing the American Psychological Association in 1973:
“In every area – medicine, nursing, teaching, bricklaying, or carpentry – certification has tended to freeze and narrow the profession, has tied it to the past, has discouraged innovation. If we ask ourselves how the American physician acquired the image of being a dollar-seeking reactionary, a member of the tightest union in the country, opposed to all progress and change, and especially opposed to giving health care where it is most needed, there is little doubt that the American Medical Association has slowly, even though unintentionally, built that image in the public mind. Yet the primary initial purpose of the AMA was to certify and license qualified physicians and to protect the public against the quack. It hurts me to see psychology beginning to follow that same path.” (A Way of Being, p 247)
Carl Rogers’ influence on psychology and counselling is only rivaled by that of Sigmund Freud. He wisely saw the negative effects of certification on the mental health industry with which he was involved. Let’s hope that such insight is taken into consideration before any legislation is enacted in NZ that will affect who can be referred to as a “counsellor”.
We are in the process of looking for new office premises for Rekindle Counselling Ltd and will update this page with the physical address of our offices, once we have found a new place for our counselling business. We are looking for a place in Christchurch, preferably in the Port Hills area of Cashmere or Lyttleton.
We also provide online counselling services to clients worldwide, so if you are outside of Christchurch and want telephone, email or Skype counselling, please contact us to see how we can help you.
If you have found yourself down over the colder months and you weren’t sure why, you might want to ask your health care provider about Season Affective Disorder (SAD). While some people can get this mood shift at the change of any season, it is most common to feel depressed during the cold and cloudy winters.
One of the ways to deal with SAD is to have light therapy, which can involve sitting in front of sun lamps, but most simply involves getting out in the sun for awhile (but remember to wear your sunscreen). I was thinking of seasonal affective disorder the other day, as I walked through Hagley Park in Christchurch. I took some photos of the rose garden (two of which you can see on this post), as I walked through the park, thinking to myself what a beautiful city we in Christchurch call home.
If you are experiencing mood shifts that you cannot deal with or that are decreasing your quality of life, please contact us to see how we can help you.
Here’s to a rekindled passion for living!
Jerry
Suicide is a topic that affects most of us, at one point or another in our lives. From worrying about the possibility of those we love committing suicide (or dealing with this reality), to considering suicide as an option when our own lives become overwhelming, this topic is one we have to consider eventually. When we are confronted with suicidal thoughts, there are a number of resources online that we can consult.
For those in New Zealand looking for information about suicide prevention, a good initial resource is found at:
http://www.spinz.org.nz
The Frequently Asked Questions for SPINZ are found at:
http://www.spinz.org.nz/page/45-FAQs
The SPINZ newsletter can be found at:
http://www.spinz.org.nz/page/11-Newsletter
Finally, you can find SPINZ on Twitter at:
http://twitter.com/suicidenz
The website just mentioned is only a starting point for this topic. If you would like to speak to our staff about suicidal thoughts, we are available for in-person and online counselling. Contact us to see how we can help.
Looking for free counselling in New Zealand? Are you hesitant to take your concerns to a counsellor’s office? The free phone and e-mail counselling provided by LifeLine might be a possible avenue for you to find help. LifeLine is found online at:
http://www.lifeline.org.nz/
and their toll free NZ number is:
0800 111 777
This organisation has been in NZ for many years and has provided therapeutic assistance to many Kiwis.
One of the differences between this type of telephone counseling and seeing a therapist in-person is that you may never speak to the same telephone counsellor twice at LifeLine. If you are looking for ongoing assistance, you might want to search online for therapists in your area.
If you want in-person therapy and live in Christchurch, contact us to see how we can help. If you are looking for online or telephone counselling on an ongoing basis, you can use our contact form to schedule an appointment or find out more information about our services.
