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| Participants of the Training of Trainers on Basic Psycho-social Counseling Skills and Trauma Healing |
The AMECEA Pastoral Department, in collaboration with the Executive Committee of the Inter-Diocesan Peace and Cross-Border Evangelization Initiative held the second phase of the Training of Trainers capacity building in Basic Psycho-Social Counseling Skills and Healing of Trauma from 27th April to 2ndMay 2014, at St. Theresa Pastoral Center in Lodwar, Kenya. The training workshop was attended by 30th delegates from 6 dioceses of AMECEA: Kitale, Nakuru, Lodwar (Kenya), Kotido, Moroto (Uganda), Torit (South Sudan) and it was facilitated by Nancy Nyambura and Oprah from AMANI Counseling Centre and Training Institute from Nairobi.
The first phase of the training took place in November 2013, which looked at self-awareness, attitudes of an effective counselor, introduction to counseling skills and processes, and the contextual issues related to the region where participants are coming from. At the end of the training, participants proposed practical activities for implementation for a period of six month. At the current workshop, participants presented reports concerning the practical activities. Despite the challenges that they faced in the pastoral field, most of the participants appreciated the usefulness of the skills they acquired.
In the second phase of Trainer of Trainers, the facilitators concentrated to practical areas of pastoral concern that were recommended by the participants in the last training. The main areas of training involved the pastoral response to the impact of HIV and AIDS, alcohol and drug abuse, issues other issues affecting family life and community conflicts. In an attempt to propose the pastoral response to the actual situation of the communities, the facilitators helped participants to look at different dynamics of personal or group counseling and other skills that are supportive to effective counseling.
At the end of the training, the participants expressed their commitment to applying the skills in the pastoral ministry so as to help promote effective sustainable cross-border peace and evangelization. The counseling skills will be helpful to also ensure promoting the well being of the individual and community through holistic healing.
The AMECEA Pastoral Coordinator, Fr. Febian Pikiti, thanked the participants for the sacrifices they made to travel from long distance and through very rough roads in order to attend the workshop. He encouraged the participants to apply the counseling skills for an effective pastoral ministry through training of other agents and practical application of the same skills in the pastoral activities within the communities where we are coming from. In this way, we shall contribute to building sustainable peace that comes from the hearts of people who are at peace with themselves and express it fully through amicable social relations with others.
Source: AMECEA Pastoral Department.