WITH the approval of the RA 11036 also known as the Mental Health Act on June 20, 2018 by President Rodrigo Duterte, the Davao Association of Guidance Counselors, Inc. (DAGCO-PGCA) responded by conducting a seminar-workshop last February 16, 2019 at the Ateneo de Davao University Junior High School’s Mini-Theater.
The seminar was entitled “Psychological First Aid for Peer Facilitators” given by Dr. Sheila Marie Hocson, RGC, RP. The young and dynamic speaker is the current Guidance and Counseling Director of the Far Eastern University in Manila and formerly the President of PGCA - the national organization of Guidance Counselors.
The seminar was attended by the Peer Facilitators/ Consultants/ Advocates of the different schools from Davao City and nearby provinces. These helpers were given brief training on how to conduct Psychological First Aid (PFA).
During the seminar, Hocson shared to the participants “in providing PFA, one should not be discriminating but inclusive and that the facilitator should know himself or herself and the client’s background to provide interventions”. She also added that anybody cannot help others to heal when they are not healing themselves. Therefore, it is important that a facilitator should have healthy relationships and must possess “creative flow”.
Moreover, since the DAGCO-PGCA will be celebrating its Golden Anniversary this year, a wide array of activities has been planned and shall be implemented culminating this August, the month when the organization will be turning 50.
These activities will respond to the needs not only of the counselors but of the time as well, making schools more child-friendly schools.
In addition, DAGCO-PGCA will be conducting this summer a Training-Workshop series which will provide an in-depth understanding of the different counseling theories necessary for a counselor to create one’s own counseling philosophy that would guide him/her in identifying the problem as well as the management of the problem/case. The association also intends to bring to Davao City the Certificate program for Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (Level 1) within the year.
While, this August 21, DAGCO-PGCA will be holding its annual convention at the Waterfront Insular Hotel with the theme “DAGCO @50: Recalibrating the Helping Professionals’ Toolkit.”
The conference-workshop aims to enhance the repertoire of skills of counselors and other mental health professionals aiding them to become better equipped as they respond to the challenges of the times. The association has lined up internationally renowned experts who will share with us novel and evidenced-based practices in the field of counseling and therapy.
For more information, you can visit their FB page at Dagco Moderators, or e-mail them at dagcopgcadavao@gmail.com.