Counseling Institute partners CHATROOM on Gender Based Violence
The Institute of Counseling in Nigeria (ICN) says it is partnering with the Producer of CHATROOM to manage its virtual room for survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) to share their story.
The Voice Media Trust (VMT NEWS) reports that CHATROOM is a film depicting the effects of gender-based violence in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of ICN, Dr Tolu Okoigaire, spoke with NAN on the sidelines of the premiere of the CHATROOM in Lagos.
He said that ICN had the mandate to man the virtual room of the film for survivors to access professional counsellors to attend to them to find succor.
According to her, the CHATROOM is a comfort zone where survivors of GBV can come and share their stories with the aim of getting healed of their emotional trauma.
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The executive director noted that abuse was huge, having generational impact.
”When there are necessary helps available to overcome the trauma of GBV, the survival begins the journey to healing,” Okoigaira said.
She also decried the lack of manpower in the area of professional counselling in the country.
On why pastors appeared to be taking the job of professional counsellors, the executive director said that the phenomenon was a huge challenge.
“It is true that the churches are the first responders to survivals of GBV and any mental health issues in the country, but many of them are not trained professional counsellors.
“Are the survivals getting better with pastors?, No,” Okoigaira said.
She noted that mental health issues were on the rise in the country and they are not treated with casting and binding.
“Psychoanalysis is needed to get to the roots of some of the cases of mental health, except when it involves psychotic disorders.
“I don’t think people should practice mental health profession in Africa without psychoanalysis because many of us are fixated in the cause of our childhood development.
“We need therapeutic skills to get to the root cause of these problems.
She also said that although some pastors were not professional counsellors, the ICN was looking at way to partner pastors to build their skills on professional counselling.
“Pastors can still combine professional counselling training with Biblical knowledge,” Okoigaira said.
VMT NEWS reports that CHATROOM is a film produced by Olapeju Ibekwe and it is centered on GBV, among other themes.
