Summary
Counselling Associations
All Professional Bodies, National Associations (e.g. Mental Health, School, Guidance, Addiction, Faith-based etc.) and Accrediting Organisations.
South Sudan Psychological Association (SSPA)
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/South-Sudan-Psychological-Association-SSPA-1643539839260067/
- Organization Size: N/A
Center for Counselling and Legal Aid South Sudan
- Website: https://www.ss-cclass.org
- Organization Size: N/A
Piantok Counselling Association
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/Piantok-Counseling-Association-PCA-1798464233770533/
- Organization Size: 200 members and 20 counsellors
Universities and Other Education and Training Institutes
The Bridge University, Juba
- University Website: No official website
- Programme Types: Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration
International Trauma Center
Counselling Agencies, Services, Group Practices, Counselling Centres
There is no counselling services provided in the capital city.
Background & Context
There is no official counselling history recorded in South Sudan but there is the use of biblical pastoral care and counselling to create hope and heal those who have traumatic wounds to the people of South Sudan despite of the horrific war that have occurred to them for years.
Current Regulatory Status / Level of Recognition:
There is limited information on the counselling service that has been given in the research aspect. Moreover, there are neither prescriptive of the status of mental health throughout the country, nor fully reliable. Many of them are based on self-reporting questionnaires, or other forms of methodology, which could be contested because of a lack of cross-cultural validity.
According to the government facilities/services there are a total of nine psychologists and 15 trainee psychologists attached to the Psychiatry Department of the Juba Teaching Hospital (JTH) and only two South Sudanese psychiatrists in country one is practising currently and is in charge of psychiatry at the JTH, whereas the other is based at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Juba. For a population of more than 11 million, there are minimal outpatient facilities available, and only 12 inpatient beds in Juba. Two other facilities, Malakal and Wau Teaching Hospitals in Upper Nile Counties and Western Bahr el Ghazal, respectively, provide outpatient care; serious cases are admitted to a general inpatient ward in the hospitals. In the non-governmental services there are nine private clinics with varying degrees of mental healthcare available in Juba (Mental Health Platform South Sudan, 2015).
Practice Settings
There are practice settings from NGO and Association.
Challenges & Trends
In many areas of South Sudan it is believed that mental health issues stem from witchcraft and the curses of spear masters who have the power to inflict suffering on individuals. These spear masters are, in turn, the only ones who can provide treatment; they do so for a fee, which families can pay in cash or in-kind with chickens, cows, and goats (Goldsmith & Cockcroft‐Mckay, 2019).
Additional Information & References
For a deeper exploration of the counselling profession in the country, interested readers are recommended to read the following journal articles:
Goldsmith, A., & Cockcroft‐Mckay, C. (2019). Mental health in South Sudan: A case
for community‐based support. Disasters, 43(3), 534-554.
doi:10.1111/disa.12373Mental Health Platform South Sudan (2015) Assessment of MHPSS Services in South
Sudan. Mental Health Platform South Sudan, Juba.
South Sudan