Dear Saints,

Module Title: Grief and Crisis Counselling

Module Description:
People are most likely to ask for help, and possibly need it the most when they are undergoing a crisis. Such crises may include the death of a loved one, being told that you have a terminal disease, being fired from a job or the announcement of a divorce. How can the helper effectively deal with individuals who have experienced loss or who are set with a crises where the only solution they see is to end their life? This course focuses on the theory and practice of crisis and grief counselling. Emphasis is on dealing with developmental and situational crises through various brief therapy interventions.
Students will learn the basics of coping with suicidal individuals, those who are going through trauma and those in various stages of grief. As part of the course, students will be encouraged to consider the reality of their own mortality and come to grips with this reality.

Course instructors: Ms Jeannie Koh, MA and Mr. Joachim Lee, MSocSc
Ms Jeannie Koh received her MA in Community Counselling from Eastern Michigan University, Michigan, in 1993, where she also received a professional counselling license (State of Michigan). She was also certified with the National Board of Certified Counsellors (U.S.). Her specialisation is in grief and loss, crisis and trauma, and transitions. She has since led and revamped a counselling service where she initiated and spearheaded mental health crisis frameworks for a large educational institution; served as a child, adolescent and family therapist for a multi-national organisation; worked in a residential community for developmentally disabled adults (Toronto, Canada); provided crisis counselling for a crisis centre (Detroit, Michigan); and was a counsellor with a hospice (Ann Arbor, Michigan). She also serves as consultant, trainer and mentor to various organisations regionally including churches and Christian organizations.
Joachim has a Bachelor of Theology from Melbourne School of Theology and a Masters in Counselling from University of South Australia. He has pursued additional training and certification in Solution Oriented therapy, Yungian therapy and Gambling and Addictions counselling. Joachim had many years of counselling students at the NUS counselling centre where he was Senior Counsellor He was also responsible for both counselling services and ensures the ongoing training of the counsellors at the centre. Recently, he has been supervising and counselling at the Tampines Family Service Centre as a Director of the centre. Joachim is a Certified Clinical Supervisor.

Module Title: Psychopathology

Module Description: This course deals with all of the major categories of adult psychopathology, including anxiety disorders, mood disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, substance use disorders and schizophrenia. The course aims at providing students a working knowledge of how to identify individuals who potentially have underlying psychopathology and how to work in collaboration with other mental health professionals in the care of the mentally distressed. Special attention will be given on the use of psychological techniques in the treatment of anxiety and mood disorders.

Course Instructor: Wilson Phang, MSW, MA
Wilson Phang received his BA in Psychology from Biola University, California, his MSW(Clinical Practice) from San Francisco State University, his MA(Family Studies) at Mutnomah Biblical Seminary and candidated for the PhD in psychology at Rosemead Graduate School of Psychology. He holds certification as a mental health specialist, a child mental health specialist anda developmental disabilities mental health specialist by the State Board of Washington. For 13 years he worked in a in-patient mental health institution as a psychiatric therapist. Wilson moved from the US to practice in Singapore and has held various teaching positions, including lecturer at East Asia School of Theology and adjunct lecturer in the MA(Applied Psychology - Counselling) program at Nanyang Technological University. Wilson is in demand both locally and in the region to provide both counselling care and training. Currently he spends most of his time attending to emergency situations in the region where mental health care is required.

Commencement Dates:

Crisis and Grief Counselling - Starting on 28 February 2007 for 13 weeks on Wednesday evenings from 7 - 10 pm.
Psychopathology - Starting on 3 March 2007 with intensive first week of classes on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Subsequent classes will be held regularly on Saturday mornings 9:30-12:30pm. All classes on weekday evenings are from 7-10 pm.

Venue: Alive Community Network, Training Room, #02-12 Oriental Plaza, 291 New Bridge Road (opposite Pearl Centre, 5 mins walk from Outram MRT Station).

Course Fees: $550 per course payable in 3 monthly installments.

Note: Staff and volunteers from NCSS Member VWOs are eligible for the 50% NCSS Pre-approved Training Grant for both the diploma programmes. Church staff and leaders involved in counselling can apply for special subsidies up to 40% of the course fees from Alive Community Network.

God bless,

Mei Cheng