Catholic Religious Sisters under the All Africa Conference Sister to Sister (AACSS) program, working under the Association of Women in Religious Institutes of Malawi (AWRIM), recently held training in Basic Counseling Skills aimed at helping people who think about taking their own lives due to stress and emotional difficulties.
Speaking at the closing of the three-day training held at Nsamba Conference Hall in the city of Lilongwe, the Country Coordinator of the All Africa Conference Sister to Sister program, Sister Stivelia Macloud, said the purpose of the training was to teach participants how to recognize a person who is struggling psychologically and how to provide proper counseling.
Sr. Macloud explained that many people end up committing suicide when they are under stress because they lack someone who can guide and counsel them. She said the training will help the Sisters who attended provide counseling and support to such individuals.
She added that the Sisters came from different congregations and are people who live and work closely with communities.
Some of them serve as nurses in hospitals, teachers in schools, trainers for girls preparing to join religious life (novices), and others serve in church ministries.
She urged the Sisters who received the Basic Counseling Skills training to use what they learned to properly counsel people facing emotional challenges so that they can help save the lives of those who may have suicidal thoughts.
Sr. Macloud also noted that many young people are currently taking their own lives due to stress.
She said this is partly because many parents do not spend enough time interacting with their children. Instead, after work, some parents focus on chatting on WhatsApp rather than asking about the challenges their children may be facing.
“We believe these Sisters will help provide counseling in their communities where they come from, because they have learned a lot about counseling and psychology,” she said.
Also speaking on behalf of fellow Participants, Sister Janet John of the Sisters of Our Lady congregation said the Basic Counseling Skills training has helped them in their daily lives and improved their ability to guide people experiencing stress.
Sr. John added that the training will also help them counsel girls studying at Stella Maris Secondary School, as well as girls who are preparing to join the Sisters of Our Lady congregation as novices.
In her remarks, Sister Emma Nazombe of the Daughters of Wisdom congregation noted that the training was very helpful because participants learned that before counseling others, they must first understand themselves and their own thoughts and emotions.
She also said they learned that a counselor must maintain confidentiality, because this helps people feel safe and speak openly about their problems.
Sisters from 13 different Congregations participated in the training. Some of the Congregations represented included SBVM, the Daughters of Wisdom, the Carmelite Sisters, the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of Ottawa, the Teresian Sisters, and the Rosarian Sisters, among others.
