OLIVE COUNSELLING AND TRAINING CENTER.

BACKGROUND

OCTC opened her doors in 2005 having been fully registered as a Counselling and Training Center by the professional regulatory body, the Kenya Counselling and Psychological Association (KCPA).

OCTC enjoys the support of/and works closely with a professional team of medical doctors, social workers, clinical psychologists and pastors.

VISION

Olive Counselling and Training Center envisions a people informed, empowered, living healthy authentic lives and who are able to exploit their full potential.

MISSION STATEMENT

To equip and empower people live quality lives with meaningful inter-personal relationships.

MODE OF OPERATION

One -on -one therapy.
Group/couple and/or family therapy.
Training and outreaches using the experimental model, where everyone participates in the learning process.
Informational/preventive counselling in form of talks and training is offered to corporate clients, institutions, church groups, government agencies as well as NGO’s.

OBJECTIVES

To create awareness within the Meru County and beyond about the need and benefits of counselling and mental healthcare among people’s lives.
To train and empower communities, the church and other institutions with the basic counselling skills for the development of emotional competences.
To inform, equip and mobilize the community to participate in the prevention and intervention of such issues as HIV/AIDS, interpersonal/family conflicts, unwanted pregnancies and abortions, drugs and substance abuse, etc.
To offer motivational programs to the youth, school children, and women groups on areas of choice.
To administer and process psychological and Psychometric assessments for diagnosis and intervention.
Drug and alcohol testing and counselling.
HIV/AIDS testing and counselling.
To carry out mediation for court annexed cases in commercial and family issues.
To offer psychological counselling services on diverse life issues including but not limited to:

Trauma and stress management.

Mental health issues such as mood, anxiety, substance use disorders, behavioral challenges, compulsive behaviors etc.

Retirement/retrenchment preparedness and difficulties.

Psychological first aid and debriefing during crisis and disasters.

Adolescence issues, adulthood issues, effective parenting, premarital counselling, work place difficulties, school related problems.

Counselling for personal growth; vis-self-awareness, low self-esteem, anger management etc.

Pastoral care and counselling.

LOCATION

The Olive Counselling and Training Center (OCTC) is a professional counselling and training center serving the people of Meru and Kenya as a whole.

The center works with individuals, groups, churches, institutions, etc.

It is situated on the outskirts of Meru Town along Meru-Maua Road about 3 km after Meru -Makutano shopping center.

It is 200 meters on the right hand side turn off before KeMU main campus gate.

The Center is housed within Olive Retreat Gardens.

FACILITIES

OCTC has modern facilities with ample space to carry out services to all her wide range of clientele. There are professionally set individual, group and child therapy rooms with good therapeutic environment.

Well-manicured playgrounds used for group or child play therapy are plenty. The overall environment exudes.

COUNSELOR SUPPORT

The OCTC professional team is committed to their own personal/professional growth.

They hold peer supervision and we are open to personal therapies whenever there is need.

This helps the team serve clients with greater competence.

For upcoming counselors and those in training, OCTC offers support services such as:

Internships for counselling/psychology students.
Personal therapies.
Individual and group supervision.
Peer supervision.

Doctor Monica explains counselling and its benefits as follows:

Counselling is a helping relationship in which a person is helped cope with or work through life’s difficult situations.

The difficulties could be in areas such as coping with day-to-day life challenges, conflicted relationships, stressing and traumatic situations, behavioral challenges, substance and alcohol abuse etc.

It could also just be counselling for personal growth and development (self-awareness).

People who work and seek the services of a counselor benefit in many ways.

They acquire more effective and positive behavior for coping with or working through their life issues, develop emotional competencies, positive self concept, develop more rational thoughts etc.

In general effective counselling results in a more confident lifestyle, a higher self-esteem and more competent behavior.