Local counsellor an ace at studying behavior
Maphuti Mashiane from Ga-Ramakgaphola in Moletjie has been a registered counsellor for four years
POLOKWANE – With responsibilities such as listening to individuals’ problems and empathising with them, Maphuti Mashiane from Ga-Ramakgaphola in Moletjie says being a registered counsellor for four years allows him to meet and interact with different people who go through different issues daily.
Mshiane says he gets his ultimate satisfaction after completing a session with a client and they leave happy. “Bringing change into people’s lives is what keeps me going as a registered counsellor, I enjoy making people feel better, young and old, when I see them smiling then I know I am doing a great job,” he said.
Some of the roles and responsibilities as outlined by Mashiane include carrying out complex therapeutic assessments on his patients, counselling clients with mental health issues, referring clients to other healthcare professionals when necessary, maintaining clinical records as well as providing verbal and written reports on cases dealt with.
“As a counsellor, I must be able to listen attentively to clients’ problems and come up with solutions. I also need to ensure that I build and establish a trust and bond with my clients so that they can open up and talk to me about their problems in order for me to be able to asses them correctly,” he continued.
Mashiane studied psychology at the University of Venda and did his practical’s at Matashe prison in Venda, which lasted for 6 months. During this time, the 29-year-old says he offered the inmates counselling programmes to deal with various forms of crime including rape and murder.
“The truth is, in life we all go through problems and we deal with them differently, some cope very well with those problems and some cannot cope, which is why some people are referred to registered counsellors and psychologists to help them deal with those issues. As a healthcare provider, I just want to advise those who are going through problems to not be afraid to seek help because it really does not help to suffer in silence,” he concluded.
