Zimbabwe

IAC Member Associations & Organizations

Interested in your association becoming an IAC member? Find more information here.

Additional Counselling Associations & Organizations

Zimbabwe Association of Family Therapists and Professional Counsellor

IAC Education Institute Members

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Additional Education Institutes

University of Zimbabwe

• Programme Types: Bachelor of Science Honours in Organisational and Industrial Psychology, Bachelor of Science Honours in Child Development and Psychology, Bachelor of Science Honours in Developmental Psychology, Bachelor of Science Honours in Forensic Psychology and Criminology, Bachelor of Science Honours in Social Work Master of Science in Sport Psychology, Master of Science in Clinical Psychology, Master of Science in Industrial and Organisational Psychology, Master of Science in Clinical Forensic Psychology and Victimology, Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work, Master of Science in Social Work, Master of Science in Clinical Social Work, Master of Social Work and Social Policy

African University Zimbabwe

• Programme Types: Bachelor of Social Science Honours in Psychology

Great Zimbabwe University

• Programme Types: Bachelor of Science Honours in Psychology, Bachelor of Science Honours in Counselling, Bachelor of Science Special Honours in Psychology, Master of Science Degree in Counselling Psychology and Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Psychology

Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University

• Programme Types: Bachelor of Arts in Social Work

Manicaland State University

• Programme Types: Psychology course is given but study levels are not stated clearly 

Midlands State University

• Programme Types: Certificate in Social Work Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Master of Science in Community Psychology, Bachelor of Science Social Work, Postgraduate Diploma in Social Work, Master of Science in Social Work, Clinical track or Developmental track 

Bindura University of Science Education

• Programme Types: Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Social Work 

Women’s University in Africa

• Programme Types: Diploma in Social Work, Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Social Work, Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work

Reformed Church University

• Programme Types: Bachelor of Science in Social Degree

IAC Member Centres/Group Practices

Interested in your centre/group practice becoming an IAC member? Find more information here.

Additional Centres/Group Practices

Solutions Counselling

The Marriage Centre

Counselling Services Unit

Colonial Period
Counselling was practised in Zimbabwe because of the British colonization. During the Colonia era White settlers brough their rendering of counselling psychology to the University of Rhodesia which is known as the University of Zimbabwe in today’s generation. Then, gradually the psychology department was established (Richards, Zivave, Govere, Mphande, & Dupwa, 2012).
In 1970s a counselling organization for school teachers known as the National Guidance and Counselling Association (NGCA) was consisted of individuals who were responsible for student career activities (Richards, Zivave, Govere, Mphande, & Dupwa, 2012). 

Post-Colonial Period
The NGCA between the year 1980-1990 continued to exist after Zimbabwe gained their independence. However, in the mid-1990s a lack of vision among the leadership and a decline in membership hampered the performance of the organization. Later on a new counselling organization, the South African Counselling Association (SACA) was established in 1994. The organization created counsellor board certificate, counsellors in the health professions council, advocate of professional counsellors and made connections with international counselling organisation. Sooner, the chairperson of SACA left Zimbabwe just as (NGCA) because of the lack of leadership (Richards, Zivave, Govere, Mphande, & Dupwa, 2012). 

Non-profit organization, counselling career in schools/universities for students and private settings.

• Currently, Zimbabwe has no doctoral degree programs in counselling. This is due, in part, to the “brain drain” Zimbabwe is experiencing that has resulted in the handful of Zimbabweans with doctoral degrees in counselling to reside outside the country. Hence, no one is available to teach doctoral classes.
• A significant professional concern and ethical dilemma for providers of counselling services is that supervision and support services are usually limited or not available.
• Paraprofessional counsellors and community caregivers are particularly vulnerable. Their clients come to them with issues that even experienced professional counsellors may struggle with, including rape, domestic violence, orphanhood, alcoholism, child-headed families, grief, suicide, and death (Richards, Pennymon, & Govere, 2004).

• There are high levels of stigma to those who are mentally ill and are not accepted in the culture or in their own family belongings such as also against their families and those who are working in the mental health services. Many patients are disowned by their families. Most long-stay patients in Chainama Hospital have not contact with their family members due to this stigma (Ngungu & Beezhold, 2009).
• Zambia needs more capacity for psychiatrist to help build such services. There is also a need of psychologist, mental health professionals and including occupational therapist. Training people from overseas, as has been proved over the years, but it is not effective option. The establishment of training facilities will be expensive or uncertain.
• Inadequate funding, lack of prioritisation at the policy level, few human resources (specialists) led to a shortage of mental health services at primary care level (Munakampe, 2020).
• The lack of provision of community mental health services from the health sector left little room for awareness and knowledge of mental health and mental health conditions in the community (Munakampe, 2020).

For more information about the counselling profession in the state, interested readers are encouraged to read the following journal and website articles:

• Richards, K. A., Zivave, A. T., Govere, S. M., Mphande, J., & Dupwa, B. (2012). Counseling in Zimbabwe: History, Current Status, and Future Trends. Journal of Counseling & Development, 90(1), 102-106. doi:10.1111/j.1556-6676.2012.00014.x

• Richards, K. A., Pennymon, W., & Govere, A. (2004, November). Combating the spread of HIV in Zimbabwe through improved counselor practice, supervision, and support. Conference proceedings from the meeting of the World Heath Organization’s Eighth Global Forum for Health Research, Mexico City, Mexico.