The Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, from Monday 9th October to Friday 14th October, 2023, hosted the 5th Annual Mental Health and Psycho-Social Trauma Lay Counsellor Training organised by the Nigerian IDP Diaspora Support Group (NIDSG).
Having competence, community, and communication as its goals, the training is organised yearly by the NIDSG with the support of Lux Terra Leadership Foundation, Scib, and NNPC Retail.
This intensive, week-long training programme is meant to empower and mobilise lay counsellors to be able to handle the needs of Nigerians who require their attention. It equips them with requisite skills to help – through the provision of first aid mental health services such as counselling and talk therapy – the survivors of traumatic events. These include women, children, persons with disabilities, and those who have been displaced from their ordinary lives and distressed by sudden negative events.
Some of the facilitators included Dr Wale Lagundoye, Dr Zainab Imam, Dr Chris Piwuna, Dr Femi Adebajo, Ms Lorette Dye, Mr Kenneth Obi and Ms Judy Nkechukwu who discussed topics such as Counselling Structure, Symptoms and Signs in Mental Health, Psychological First Aid, Psychiatric Disorders, Art Therapy, Dramatherapy, among others, with participants.
Participants were certified as lay counsellors at the end of the training, and they were charged to go forth and make good use of the knowledge and skills they have received to benefit those who are in dire need of such in the society.