The meaning and challenge of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) for counsellors — report of the Kenya Association of Professional Counsellors (KAPC) conference for sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

A large number of voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) sites are being opened in sub-Saharan Africa. The services provided by these sites are playing an increasingly important role in the prevention of HIV/AIDS. The sites offer many possibilities and it is crucial that they provide the optimum services for clients. Counselling is an integral part of these services, yet it receives little attention. Counsellors need to be consulted if the optimum services are to be provided, but they are rarely consulted for their professional opinion. Accordingly, the Kenya Association of Professional Counsellors (KAPC) organised a 3-day conference in September 2002 to provide counsellors, drawn from the sub-Saharan region, with a forum to identify VCT-related issues and discuss their implications. The main aim of the conference was for counsellors to arrive at a consensual position regarding HIV/AIDS and what improvements they thought could be made for the VCT services to clients. The counsellors identified the issues that they considered important and this paper presents those issues together with recommendations regarding improvements.

Un grand nombre de sites de consultation et de dépistage volontaires (VCT) sont mis en place en Afrique subsaharienne. Les services pourvus dans ces sites jouent un rôle encore plus important dans la prévention du VIH/SIDA. Les sites offrent beaucoup de possibilités et il est crucial qu'ils pourvoient des services les meilleurs aux clients. La consultation psychologique fait partie intégrante de ces services, malgré qu'elle reçoit très peu d'attention. Les conseillers psychologiques doivent être consultés si on veut optimiser les services fournis. Malheureusement, ils sont rarement consultés pour leur opinion professionnelle. En conséquence, l'Association des Conseillers Professionnels du Kenya (KAPC) a organisé une conférence sur 3 jours, en septembre 2002, afin de donner aux conseillers, venus de la région subsaharienne, un forum à l'intérieur duquel ils peuvent identifier les problèmes et discuter leurs implications. Le but principal de cette conférence était de permettre les conseillers à se mettre d'accord sur le VIH/SIDA d'une manière unanime et de proposer une amélioration de services de VCT mis à disposition des clients. Les conseillers ont identifié des problèmes considérés primordiaux. Cette communication présente ces problèmes et les recommandations liées aux améliorations proposées.

Keywords:

• Voluntary counselling and testing (VCT)
• conference report
• sub-Saharan Africa

Mots clés:

• Consultation et dépistage volontaires (VCT)
• rapport de conférence
• Afrique subsaharienne

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cecilia Rachier

Cecilia Rachier (MA) is the Executive Director of KAPC. She teaches on the MA and counsellor supervision courses. She has wide experience in sub-Saharan Africa and has helped to establish professional counselling services in the region.

Elias Gikundi

Elias Gikundi (MA) is the Associate Executive Director of KAPC. He has worked in a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa helping to develop counselling services and the provision of counselling supervision.

Don Balmer

Don Balmer (PhD) has worked in sub-Saharan Africa helping to develop counselling services. He is a director at KAPC and is a Senior Research Fellow of the University of Durham, UK.

Maggie Robson

Maggie Robson (PhD) is Senior Lecturer at the School of Psychology, University of Keele, UK. She teaches counselling on a variety of courses and is also a trained Play Therapist.

Kathryn Hunt

Kathryn Hunt (MA) is a lecturer at the University of Durham UK where she teaches counselling and she is also a trained Play Therapist. She has research interest in bereavement in adults and children.

Nonie Cohen

Nonie Cohen (MA) is a lecturer at the Centre for Studies in Counselling at the University of Durham, UK. She has worked with international postgraduate students of counselling in Hong Kong and the University of Durham. She has taught on the MA in Counselling (HIV/AIDS) in conjunction with KAPC.