A group of professionals in the area of counselling and psychology has formed a Professional Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Service (PCPS) in the Berbice area. The organization, Professional Counselling and Psychotherapeutic Services which will be located in Sheet Anchor, East Canje will provide pertinent counselling services to Berbicians at a minimal cost.
Services will include anger management, conflict resolution, healthy boundaries, coping skills, family roles and relationships and peer relationships.
The group was launched over the weekend at the Guyana Teachers’ Union Hall in New Amsterdam with a simple ceremony. One of the members, Pandit Dinesh Jaiprashad, Schools’ Welfare Officer, noted that the team has looked across Berbice and “observed that the services we will be providing will be second to none”. He noted that there are many persons who have the need to such services and the team has come together to render assistance.
“We will do all forms of counselling and guidance and we will implement, manage and monitor group therapy programmes throughout the year”, he said.
“As a group, we will render service so that we will have an inclusive society and there are individuals affected by stress, conflicts, alcohol and domestic abuse.
“We will try our utmost to facilitate positive changes among them.” Ms Lewis noted that the initiative was formed due to the many societal ills that pervade the country, especially in Berbice.
“We want to be reachable not only through our locations, so we will provide our cell phone numbers and distribute cards, and what we want to do is to provide an alternative to suicide, drugs, violence; we want to be that alternative and this is our main focus”.
She added that the Physiotherapy staff members intend to visit persons in their homes especially shut- ins. “We want to take the services to the people”.
The American University of Peace Studies will also be running programmes such as psychology through PCPS. Some services provided by the team will have some costs attached, “but we are hoping that we can get community involvement and they can step in and assist”.
PCPS was founded by six patriotic professionals determined to motivate change in Berbice by providing the means to effectively manage behaviour primarily in individual and group setting.
The individuals are Yvette Kertzious, Social Worker and HIV/AIDS counselor attached to the Ministry of Health; Dineshwar Jaiprashad; Steven Bactawar, Social Worker; Mellena Lewis, Social Worker; Lennox Adams, Physiotherapist and Triciea Persaud, a Clinical Psychologist. All of the members have their First Degrees in Social Work from accredited institutions of learning.