MA. COUNSELLING PRACTICUM ORIENTATION
CFAS held the MA Counselling Practicum Orientation on 8th May 2026 at the K. Folson Building, coordinated by Dr. Delali Dovie, to prepare MA Counselling students for the supervised, real-world practice component of their training. The session covered the policies, placement contexts, and ethical frameworks students would need before entering the field.
Dr. Joana Larry-Afutu opened with an overview of practicum policies and procedures, reminding students that once placed, they represent both CFAS and the University. Mrs. Juliana Essuman and Ms. Sandra Samba then walked through two distinct placement settings — university counselling centres and senior high schools — highlighting differences in client populations, supervisory structures, and safeguarding responsibilities, particularly with adolescents. Ms. Rachel Akosua Martey Adanki outlined the core competencies students would be expected to demonstrate, framing them as developmental benchmarks rather than pass/fail criteria.
A panel session on ethics, featuring Mrs. Sandra Samba, Ms. Vannessa Brock, and Mrs. Juliana Essuman, tackled confidentiality, informed consent, dual relationships, and mandatory reporting, with panellists stressing that ethical practice is a disposition built over time rather than a fixed rulebook. Dr. Larry-Afutu returned to address self-care, speaking candidly about compassion fatigue and burnout, and offering practical strategies such as supervision, journaling, and maintaining boundaries.
In his director's address, Rev. Prof. Joseph Osafo Adu framed the practicum as a formative professional milestone, encouraging students to embrace early discomfort as part of genuine growth, and affirmed the Centre's confidence in and support for them. The event closed with an interactive session led by Dr. Dovie, which clarified logistics and left students engaged and well-prepared, followed by refreshments and informal networking.
Overall, the orientation combined practical guidance with ethical and emotional preparation, equipping students for a demanding but formative phase of their training.