Counselling Needs of the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus, African Province

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study is to assess the counselling needs 0 r the Sisters of the Holy CI Jesus, African Province. Filly-four SIIC.I professed sisters of European, American and African origins, living and working in Chad. Ghana and Nigeria. within the African province, made the population and the study sample. The study data were collected by r means of a structured questionnaire designed along a five-point-liken scale. The findings revealed that the sisters I some counselling needs, problems and concerns ranging from various parts where needs co: arise namely» Perception of counselling and its present status; counselling needs to embrace areas likc··persoilal/psyche-social: physical/health/medical: financial; spiritual/religious/ moral.and educational/apostolic/Iuturc/ generally, however, it was bscTved that the degree the sisters' needs, problems, concerns, expressed in this study, was at a very minimum compared with the intensity of the problems other people had around them"} _ This showed that on a general note the sisters' situation was quite normal and hopeful.r l ~ though still much could clone to improve upon. The analysis or the tested hypotheses which; 11 had to do with perception Counselling/present status and the counsel] ing needs 0 I' the S I-I C _J sis t e rs in relation to t different age groups, profession status and leader/member status ~ further indicated that the were differences at the YYO level of significance in the following an~as 0 f" counselling needs: I. Financial; spiritual/ religious/moral; and educational/general by different age groups. 2. Personal! psychosocial and financial needs as regards til. e sisters 'who were temporary professed and those finally professed. 3. Personal/psychosocial and family needs as regards the sisters " .• .rho vv ere leaders and tho who '''' CIT members. The other findings revealed that there were some provisions 1"1.1. ad e to attend to the site counselling need is. One of the methods used was counselling. ~ the sisters also agreed that counselling was relatively a new idea in religious settings. and as Sl.lch t l r-e r-e was needed for more awareness and understanding. It was also strongly agreed plus sisters needed to be allowed 1 voluntarily seek counselling; though they recognized the need f(__~I- counselling to be arranged for some sisters if need be. Following these findings. it was recommended that more workshops be run to educate the sisters more on what counselling ·is. A standardised routine way may b worked out for assessment of the needs and problems of the S I --l CJ sisters. It was also recommended that regular evaluation of the methods uses to assist the sisters should be done Lastly, it was suggested that further research be carried out in m.aj or areas that constitute need problems, and concerns to the sisters