STUDENTS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
COUNSELLING SERVICES SECTION
Name: Mercy N. Njue
Designation: Assistant Students Counsellor
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Mercy N. Njue is the Assistant Students Counsellor at Bomet University College. She is currently pursuing a Master of Education (Guidance & Counselling) at Laikipia University and holds a Bachelor of Education (Guidance & Counselling) from Moi University.She is a Professional Counsellor with over Six Years of experience in Adolescents and Youth Counselling. She has practiced counselling in various Institutions of Higher Learning. Ms. Njue is a member of Kenya Counselling and Psychological Association (KCPA) and Kenya Universities Professional Counsellors Association (KUPCA)
Among her major areas of expertise includes:
Mental Health Counselling, Adolescent Counselling, Career Guidance, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselling, Loss and Grief Counselling, Youth Empowerment through Mentorship, Life Skills Training among other areas.
She is passionate about Youths and delights in contributing to their Emotional, Mental and Social wellbeing through Individual and Group Counseling as well as mentoring them to have a positive outlook on life as they navigate through life challenges in pursuit of their Academic, Career and Life goals.
Interests
Engaging Youths in Mentorship Forums
Participating in Youth Economic Empowerment Programs
Writing Inspirational articles on emerging issues affecting youth in the society
COUNSELLING SERVICES SECTION
While University education provides a great platform for growth in academic, social and career aspects of life it comes with its fair share of challenges as students try to adjust to a new life different from Secondary School life. The transition stage can be stressful and overwhelming to students. Students in the University hail from different social-economic and ethnic backgrounds. They face many challenges ranging from financial, social issues, emotional distress emanating from their upbringing and various changes happening in their lives, adjustment issues among other issues.
As students try to adjust to their new environment and find ways of utilizing their newly found freedom, sometimes they get into wrong company due to peer pressure which leads them into such vices as drug addiction, irresponsible sexual behaviour, toxic relationships, among other issues.
Counselling services play a key role in helping students deal with these challenges. This has prompted establishment of various productive measures to help open up new perspectives and approaches to deal with these challenges so as to promote a conducive learning environment for students and significant others in line with the mission and vision of Bomet University College.
COUNSELLING SERVICES AVAILABLE AT BUC
• Individual counselling
Among issues handled through individual counselling include:
Loss and grief, trauma, relationship issues, depression, low self-esteem, anger management issues, anxiety, substance abuse, relationships, adjustment issues, sexual assault, academic challenges among other issues
• Group Counselling
Group Counselling involves meeting up with group of people who share similar concerns in a safe and comfortable place with an aim of discussing issues, sharing experiences, interacting and exploring issues so as to come up with lasting solutions.
Group counselling is effective when addressing issues like:
• Drugs and substance abuse,
• Loss and grief
• Relationship issues.
• Awareness creation and Sensitization forums
These forums play a key role in educating students on emerging issues and advocating for appropriate strategies and mechanisms for effective and efficient ways of dealing with maladaptive behaviour and unhealthy relationships. These forums are also geared towards promoting awareness on availability of counselling services in the University College, services offered and importance of seeking these services. This is achieved through organizing such events as:
• Counselling Services Awareness Day
• Drugs and substance abuse, HIV & Aids sensitization
• Mental health Awareness
• Disability Awareness
• Peer Counsellors’ Open Day
• Psychosocial Education and Training
Psychosocial Education and Training forums aims at enlightening students on wide range of issues in our society that affect them and provide a deeper understanding of the same.
Through these educative forums, life skills training and personal development training, students are able to acquire social skills and other coping skills which are necessary for academic, career growth, social, emotional and psychological competency skills. Among the topics addressed are:
• Promoting Positive Mental Health
• Drugs and substance Abuse
• Sexual Reproductive Health
• Good nutrition
• Career growth and Development
• Time management
• Emotional Intelligence
• Decision Making
• Attitude
• Resilience building
• Assertiveness
• Interpersonal Skills
• Peaceful coexistence
• Anger Management
• Self-concept/Self-Awareness
• Communication skills
• Dealing with rejection
• Online Counselling
Student Counselling Services provides counselling services through internet for instance via Live Chats, Video Conferencing, Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram which enhance consumption of counselling services by a larger population of students.
• Partnership and Networking
Counselling Services Section encourages collaborations with other stakeholders to be able to provide better services to students and enhance identification and referral of students who need individual counselling. These partners play a key role in mentoring students under various mentorship programmes.
Student counselling services works in liaison with
• Non-teaching staff
• Faculties
• Medical center staff
• Hostels Owners,
• ICL Africa and other relevant stake holders
• Chaplaincy
• Career Services Office
• Weekly/Daily Articles and weekly edition
Counselling Services section produces daily/weekly articles dubbed “Counsellor’s Perspective” for sharing with students and staff. These articles and events coverage for the month forms an edition that should be shared online and posted on the University website for easier access to BUC fraternity.
These articles contain carefully selected content that touches on our day to day lives. The aim of writing and posting the articles is to enlighten, educate, inspire, motivate, encourage both staff and students to look at life challenges more positively and strive to be better people every day.
• Mentorship Forums and other Supportive Services
The following mentorship forums provide a great platform for students to connect, share and learn from each other.
• BUC Families Mentorship - at least 10 students are allocated one staff member who mentors them as they pursue their academic goals.
• Straight talk (for both men and women)
• Woman to Woman Talk
• Man to Man Talk
• Coffee hours
The forums are conducted in an informal setup to allow participants hold a candid conversation and interactions on issues affecting them and come up with best ways of addressing those issues.
• Young Mothers Mentorship
Counselling Services Section seeks to identify all student mothers with an aim of empowering them to be self-reliant, confident and be able to deal with stigma associated with being a student mother. This programme is geared towards alleviating student mothers suffering due to such issues as financial constraints, balancing school work and parenthood as well as dealing with rejection from their boyfriends and sometimes from parents.
• Door to Door Visitations
Door to door visitation is an initiative that entails reaching out to the students in their respective areas of residence in liaison with the hostel owners. This initiative is aimed at engaging students to be able to understand various difficulties they could be facing. At the same time it will form a great platform for Student Counsellor to form a rapport with the students thus encouraging them to seek counselling services and refer their fellow students who could be suffering alone in their hostels.
The initiative helps in identifying pertinent issues affecting students like drugs and substance abuse, abortions, abuse of e-pills by the ladies among other issues so as to come up with intervention plan to address those issues.
• Outreach activities & Community Services
Students’ participation in outreach activities helps cultivate a sense of responsibility. It also helps them to utilize their free time in a more productive manner. It teaches them to be humble and kind to the less fortunate in the society. It also motivates them to work hard to assume leadership positions that will enable them advocate for the right of the voiceless in the society. This is also a way of giving back to the community which is line with the Vision and Mission of the University. These activities may include:
• Visit to children homes
• Prison
• Primary and Secondary Schools
• Churches
• Training of ECDE teachers on relevant topics among other activities.
Community service on the other hand is work done voluntarily for social benefits of other people which may include:
• Tree planting,
• Cleaning up of the environment,
• Helping very students through mobilization of material and financial aid,
• Preparing a community garden,
• Blood donation,
• Volunteering during University events
• PEER COUNSELLING
Peer Counsellors are students who are trained to act as para-professionals in assisting their peers deal with psychological, emotional and social issues. They are carefully selected through a competitive process and trained for at least one week to equip them with necessary skills and knowledge needed to perform their duties as peer counsellors.
The group plays a key role in identifying and referring complicated counselling cases such as suicidal tendencies, depression, psychological disorders among other issues that require urgent attention from the Students Counsellor.
Among issues handled in Counselling
• Adjusting to the University life
• Self-esteem issues
• Stress and anxiety
• Loneliness
• Depression and suicidal tendencies
• Addictions (drugs, gambling, sex)
• Relationship issues
• Academic issues
• Rape and Sexual assault
• Trauma, Loss and Grief
Confidentiality and Circumstances of breach
Clients’ revelations during counselling are held with a high level of confidentiality to cultivate a trusting relationship between the client and the counsellor. Their records too are kept confidential. All clients are assured of confidentiality. However there are potential limitations to confidentiality that all students should be aware of which include:
• When a client pose a danger to others or themselves for instance suicidal clients, homicidal clients
• When the counselor believes that the client under the age of 18 is the victim of incest, rape, child abuse, negligence
• When the therapist determines that the client needs hospitalization or medical attention for instance HIV positive clients
• When information is made an issue in a court action
• When the client gives consent for information to be released to themselves or third party
How to reach us
BUC Counselling services are open to all students. These services are free of charge for all BUC students.
Opening hours Mon-Fri 8.00 am-5.00pm
Students may also interact with us through email. Please remember to leave your contacts so that we can get back.
Phone Number- 0100829642
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Prepared by: Mercy N. Njue
Assistant Students Counsellor – Bomet University College
