Abstract
M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)
The training of psychologists in South Africa is currently under scrutiny. A request
from the South African Association for Psychology as well as the Professional Board
for Psychologists is to broaden the terrain of psychological services. Therefore, new
structures regarding registration have been discussed and will be implemented by
the year 2004 (Professional Board of Psychology, minutes 15 September 1999). In
South Africa the need far outweighs the supply: both in terms of psychologists and
services available in the different communities. The cost to see a professional
psychologist -is far greater than what the ordinary man in the street can afford
(Kriegler, 1993; Richter, Griesel, Durrheim, Wilson, Surendorff and Asafo-Agyei,
1998).
The crime rate in South Africa is one of the highest in the world (Grimbeek, 1998; van
Niekerk, 1996). Millions of people, of whom a great percentage are children of school
going age, have been traumatised by crime, poor housing, poverty and domestic
violence. Unemployment plays an integral part in these problems. People are
struggling to find work as well as to remain employed. Stress which is affecting all of
us is a serious problem, and needs to be addressed by psychologists in all the
realms of life.
If we look at these problems that are currently part of our lives in South Africa, it
becomes clear that more people with trained counselling skills are needed. The
training of therapists and counselors is of great importance if we wish to place
people in our communities to assist the vast number of those who experience
problems in their lives.