Ethiopia

IAC Member Associations & Organizations

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IAC Education Institute Members

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Additional Education Institutes

Addis Ababa University 

• Programme Types:  Undergraduate Degree in Psychology, MA Program in Clinical Psychology, MA Program in Health Psychology, MA Program in Counselling Psychology, MA Program in Developmental Psychology, MA Program in Social Psychology, PhD Program in Applied Developmental Psychology, PhD Program in Social Psychology

Madda Walabu University

• Programme Types: Sports Psychology and Sociology 

Wolaita Sodo University

Jigjiga University

Mekelle University

Positive Psychotherapy Association

IAC Member Centres/Group Practices

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Additional Centres/Group Practices

Sitota Center for Mental Health Care

Aha Psychological Services

Abrhot Specialized Psychotherapy Center 

New Life Rehab Center

The traditional  healing  practises  of priests,  debaters and  other  traditional  healers  have a lot of similarity to Western models of counselling and psychotherapy although not understood or labelled as counselling and psychotherapy in the modern sense (Janetius, Tibebe, & Mini, 2016). These traditional healings involve active listening, empathy, person-centred approach in understanding the problems of the clients which are important components of Western counselling and psychotherapy. 

In the 1960’s counselling was first introduced in Ethiopia as an educational tool instead of a therapy modality. It is to provide the purpose of educational training to enhance a better understanding of pupils, psychological testing, measurement and evaluation were taught in college education. Counselling Psychology was first introduced in Addis Ababa University by Dr David Cox from the University of Utah, USA (Janetius, Tibebe, & Mini, 2016).

Moreover, the Western form of counselling and psychotherapy has not deep rooted in the country although rapid extension in the recent years seen in school counselling and Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) services for HIV patients in the cities and urban centres. However, it is deeply not enforced in rural areas till today.

Currently, there is a promising rise in awareness and effort in promoting the mental health profession and addressing the need for societal mental health in Ethiopia (Lund et al. 2012; Wondie 2014). Such manifestations include the current attempts to integrate mental health in the primary health care system as well as in graduate-level training that have been developed and implemented at different universities in the areas of psychology, social work and psychiatry (Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Health 2012).

Additionally, the role of counselling and psychotherapy in promoting community and individual mental health has been given little attention in the Ethiopian mental health system. As a country experiencing encouraging developments, Ethiopia still has a long journey to go. First, there is a need to produce competent mental health professionals. Second, a system to integrate mental health and well-being needs to be included in current primary health care, education, and social welfare service delivery. Lastly, there is a need to develop a system for research and training in mental health and well-being issues.

The use of counselling as an approach to address individual mental health issues has been practiced in Ethiopia through pastoral counselling, spiritual counselling, and biblical counselling, even though there is no research or documentation that reflects the level of practice (Paul 1996). The use of counselling as an approach to address individual mental health issues has been practiced in Ethiopia through pastoral counselling, spiritual counselling, and biblical counselling, even though there is no research or documentation that reflects the level of practice (Paul 1996).

Due to their strong religious background, people always look for religio magical solutions to their problems. Therefore preparing an indigenous counselling  model by  incorporating  the  existing traditional modalities would be a real challenge to the psychologists and clinicians in Ethiopia. It would be a better enhancement if awareness about mental health issue together with indigenous counselling models will bring the country to a better future purpose.

Another challenging aspect towards this area would be the culture influences the manifestations of mental disorders, as Western culture generally follows the biomedical model of disease while non-Western culture, such as that of Ethiopia, adheres to traditional and religious views to explain the origin of mental illness (Abebe 2011). This attribution style, in turn, influences their choice of treatment. For instance, studies done in Ethiopia several decades ago showed people exclusively held traditional and religious views regarding causes of mental illnesses and their preferred treatment was religious and traditional (Jacobsson and Merdasa 1991; Kortmann1987). More specifically, mental health problems are often attributed to supernatural causes such as spirit possession, bewitchment or evil-eye rather than biomedical or psychosocial causes. Due to such perceptions, the help-seeking behavior of individuals with mental health and well-being problems are mostly directed and limited awareness  to family, friends and local community. 

For a deeper exploration of the counselling profession in the country, interested readers are recommended to read the following journal articles:

• Abebe, T.S. (2011). Studies on psychotic disorders in Rural Ethiopia. Umeå University Medical Dissertations
• Jacobsson, L., & Merdasa, F. (1991). Traditional perception and treatment of mental disorders in western Ethiopia before the 1974 revolution. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 84, 475–481
• Janetius, S., Tibebe, A., & Mini, C. T. (2016). Traditional Worldview And Culture-Specific Psychotherapy In Ethiopia. Abyssinia in the New Millennium, 1-16
• Kortmann, F. (1987). Popular, traditional, and professional mental health care in Ethiopia. Transcultural Psychiatric Research Review, 24, 255–274
  
• Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ministry of Health (2012). The National Mental Health Strategies (2012/13–2015/16), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Lund, C., Tomlinson, M., De Silva, M., Fekadu, A., Shidhaye, R., et al. (2012). PRIME: a programme to reduce the treatment gap for mental disorders in five low-income and middle-income countries. PLoS Medicine, 9,e1001359. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001359.
• Paul, M. B. (1996). An introduction to guidance and counselling in diverse African contexts. DareesSalaam: Dar es Salaam University Press
• Wondie, Y. (2014). Reflection on the development of Psychology in Ethiopia and future direction. International Review of Psychiatry, 26(5), 585–588. https://doi.org/10.3109/09540261.2014.917611
• Yusuf, A., & Bradley, R. (1983). Guidance and counselling in socialist Ethiopia. The Personnel and Guidance Journal, 61,454–456. https://doi.org/10.1111/ j.216 4-491 8.198 3.tb0 0069.x.