Summary
Counselling Associations
All Professional Bodies, National Associations (e.g. Mental Health, School, Guidance, Addiction, Faith-based etc.) and Accrediting Organisations.
National Council for Children
- Website: http://www.ncc.sc
- Organisation Size: 80 members
- Note*: Parents can contact the association for counselling and therapy or simply for advise
Seychelles Occupational Therapy Association
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/SeychellesOTAssociation/
- Organisation Size: N/A
Universities and Other Education and Training Institutes
University of Seychelles
- University Website: https://unisey.ac.sc
- Programme Website: https://unisey.ac.sc/arts-and-social-development/health-and-social-care/courses/
- Programme Name: Arts and Social Development
- Programme Types: Bachelor of Science in Youth and Community Work and Bachelor of Science in Social Work
Counselling Agencies, Services, Group Practices, Counselling Centres
There are no private psychologist centres in Seychelles but psychological services on offer as demand increases.
Background & Context
There is no specific counselling background nor history is reported in Seychelles. There is a very limited proficiency recorded in literature view. However there is one psychiatrist working on the island along with two staff doctors in 1999 (Islam, 1999). The department also includes one clinical psychologist, three occupational therapy assistants and 16 permanent staff nurses with on-the-job psychiatric training. Additionally there is no psychiatric social worker, but the hospital-based on social workers to provide service to the department. The psychiatry department is located in Victoria Hospital and Les Cannelles is a peripheral mental hospital of a high-walled one story building which is about 23 km from the main hospital that treats patient that suffers from chronic schizophrenia or have severe learning disabilities (Islam, 1999).
Current Regulatory Status / Level of Recognition:
An officially approved mental health policy does not exist and mental health is not specifically mentioned in the general health policy.
Practice Settings
The only counselling practise is only available at the National Council for Children which is associated by an non-profit organisation.
Challenges & Trends
Before the year 2000, professional and academic isolation was quite a pressing issue, there were three practising psychiatric in the island but then it was reduced to only one. This is often the case since the service depends on expatriates. Moreover the island has a very small population.
Additional Information & References
For a deeper exploration of the counselling profession in the country, interested readers are recommended to read the following journal articles:
Islam, R. (1999). Mental health services in the Seychelles. Psychiatric Bulletin, 23(9), 565-567. doi:10.1192/pb.23.9.565
http://www.nation.sc/articles/573/a-chat-with-marina-shamova-a-clinical-psychologist-offering-private-services-here (more information on personal reflection of a clinical psychologist who worked at Seychelles in the year of 2016).
Seychelles