New therapeutic community project offers psychological support
A professional private social worker, the respected Maryn Barkhuizen this week announced the launch of series of training modules focussing on wellness of whole communities.
Outlining the need for such a project, Mrs Barkhuizen said “The vision and purpose of the project is to promote the thought patterns and lifestyle of citizens with the aim of preventing psycho-physical illness, medical expense, absence from work, asocial conduct, disharmony in families and with colleagues, poverty and more.”
The training series is based on the Self Image and Physical Health Group Work Series, a christen-pastoral-therapeutic programme conducted through a number PowerPoint presentations.
“Officials of the Ministry of Health and Social Services’ directorate Social Welfare Services are already aware of this project as well as the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare” she said.
Giving a brief overview of module content, she explained that this community project is designed in such a way that one segment of society may support another segment. Module 1 covers God’s vision and goals for man, perceptions and self-image. Module 2 covers healthy conscious self-management and behaviour associated with self-image. Module 3 moves on to Emotion-immune communications with reference to physical health and Module 4 wraps it up with rational emotive behaviour therapy and practical exercises.
Regarding costs she said the project is self-sustaining through a combination of self-funded and sponsored training. Persons who attend four modules of training they have paid for can each nominate two people who cannot afford the cost of training, who will receive the training free of charge, in order to assist them to better understand the programme content.
Later in the year, two annual follow-up modules are aimed at persons who can afford the cost of these and affords them an opportunity to again take two citizens who cannot afford the cost of training, to attend the four gratis modules.
Mrs Barkhuizen intends to take the programme to a wider audience by preselecting individuals who are social workers, graduates who have obtained a Bachelor of Arts with Double or Single Majors in Psychology and ordained Christian ministers with sufficient therapeutic training skills. Once approved, these trainers can then present the programme to other groups of people in need of therapy.
She said four events where the project will be introduced and the content evaluated are being planned. These sessions will afford a chance for innovative thought from different specialities in the humanities, to produce a well founded product.
Leaders of government ministries, business, medical aid funds, churches, civil organisations and the media in Windhoek are requested to participate and / or allow two to ten of their knowledgeable (management) members to attend the four sessions of the launch. This is inter alia to evaluate the training content to determine its anticipated results to improve work ethics and self-motivation, to foster a positive self image, to promote innovative thought, to foster healthy personal relationships, to promote psycho-spiritual physical health, and to help parents approach their parenting task in a positive manner.
During the first four sessions, the management of Women’s Action for Development will be evaluating the project to determine if they should approach their donors with a proposal for funding of the translation of the material into English and local languages since the body of material is only available in Afrikaans at present.
The first training modules will be presented by Mrs Barkhuizen herself and by the Reverend Dirk Louw, a minister of the Dutch Reformed Church as demonstration that trained ministers with the necessary skills can present these modules.
Maryn Barkhuizen can be called on 081 289 2076 or reached by email at
[email protected]
Bookings
Venue: Auditorium Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk), c/o Goshawk and Barbet St. Windhoek.
Dates: The four modules are scheduled for 11 March; 1, 8 and 15 April 2016.
Time: 8h30 for 9h00 till 11h30.
Registration fee: N$200.00 (N$50.00 per person per module).
Attendance must be booked and paid on or before 29 February 2016.
Members of medical aid funds can approach their medical fund to refund the training since this training falls under the auxiliary service benefits, social worker’s service and group therapy. Group therapy is a Namibian Association of Medical Aid Funds (NAMAF) registered pay service with the code: NAMAF-89011.
