KUALA LUMPUR: UCSI University (UCSI) recently hosted its 2nd National Counselling Conference in Hotel Armada, Petaling Jaya, from June 28 – 29, 2013, to promote lifelong learning among counselling professionals and to provide the ideal platform for them to discuss the latest trends and ethical issues in the field. 

Themed ‘Contemporary Counselling towards Innovative Practice’, the two-day conference was graced by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Lee Lam Thye, who highlighted that the counselling landscape in Malaysia has grown significantly. 

“This is evidenced by the number of registered counsellors with the Board of Counsellors Malaysia, with more than 2000 in total currently as compared to 362 counsellors in 2005,” he said. 

“(In addition to that), there are also now more counsellor education programmes and counselling-related workshops, seminars and conferences.” 

“This conference, I believe, provides an opportunity for counsellors to exchange views and ideas on how to strengthen and promote counselling as a significant approach to deal with family issues and their impact on nation building.” 

UCSI Group Founder and Chairman Yg Bhg Dato’ (Dr) Peter T.S. Ng, who was also present at the event, added that it is important to upskill counselling professionals on the local front. 

“In today’s competitive world, both youths and adults alike face many challenges in life; from study stress to feeling left out at the workplace, from being bullied to being abused.” 

“As such, the suicide rate in Malaysia is on the rise while on the international front, one of the foremost concerns in the United States is gun violence,” he explained. 

“Hence, it is imperative for a counsellor to be familiar with different counselling theories and to continuously keep abreast of new counselling approaches in the field. This event provides a platform for them to do so.” 

Universiti Sains Malaysia deputy vice-chancellor (Division of Industry & Community Network) and keynote speaker Prof Dato’ Dr Susie See Ching Mey and a line-up of distinguished speakers from the United States, Singapore and Malaysia were also in attendance. 

Notably, the speakers conducted workshops for the participants and addressed a range of topics at the conference. 

These include contemporary counselling practices in Malaysia; current psychosocial issues faced by the Millenial Generation; and a comparison between contemporary counselling approaches, practices and conventional methods, to name a few.