JOURNAL 15: counselling awareness

Assalamualaikum =)

‘Did the counselling is the good course to study? Isn’t it based on the Western theory only? We have religion so counselling is useless.’ –this is what my friends asked.

Due to it’s a sudden question, I can’t answer it well and part of my heart almost believe what they said. Yes, most of the counselling theory is based on Western perspective. Then, we study it and apply it to the client.

We take the courses that can help us to help client in the way that they are in, but the thing is quite subjective due to there is no absolute syllabus that we, the student, can refer if there is any problems that is related with client.

‘Why there is no book regarding with counselling that is for Malaysian or Muslim even we know the Western counselling book is quite bias based on their value and culture?’ –I wondered.

In class, we also learn the subject based on the Western books. Even there is book from Muslim scholar, the syllabus mostly from the Western book just small part of t on the Muslim scholar book. Regarding with this issue, I would like to suggest that the lecturer should ask the student to refer on the Muslim scholar book rather than Western book, so that the student could master the Islamic counselling very well.

There are few books written by Malaysian psychology or counseling student in the market, however, the books only translate a Western book not giving new information to student especially about the different practice that the Malay counsellor should practice while helping their client.

While going through with the syllabus in this class, cross-cultural counselling, I do feel like for every country, we must have our own textbook, counselling intervention, counselling theory, etc if we want to be success in this filed. It is not the big problem if we referred to the Western counselling books, but we must produce our own counselling guideline to be a good helper and to make others believe on us.

‘We are waiting for your generation to produce our own counseling books, belong to Muslim.’ –my lecturer said.

We feel highly motivated. InshaAllah, one day we will come up with our own standard of counselling that is suitable with Muslim as well as Malaysian. Too many works to do, to many reading and research need to be done. May Allah help us to accomplish this. Aminn.

Thank you for reading =)