Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck signs the MOU at RENEW conference hall

Bhutan Board for Certified Counselors to be established

The Royal Civil Service Commission, Royal University of Bhutan, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labour and Human Resources, Gross Nation-al Happiness Commission, Bhutan Narcotics Control Agency, Royal Bhutan Police, National Commission for

Women and Children and RE-NEW endorsed the proposal to establish Bhutan Board for Certified Counselor (BBCC) in Bhutan On the 9th August 2013. To this effect a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed to establish the BBCC in support of Her Majesty Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck’s noble initiative to develop a cadre of Mental Health professionals providing counseling services in different areas such as career, violence, child protection issues, trauma, abuse, suicide, rape, substance abuse, family, school, HIV, Depression, anxiety, natural disasters and emergencies to name some.

The board will develop professional standards and procedures for certification of counseling professionals to practice in Bhutan. In such a profession a National Board to maintain the check and balances of the counseling service providers like psychologist, social workers, psychiatrists, counselors in the Country will highly contribute to the most desirable impact of the profession in the mental wellbeing and productive behavior of all the concerned.

Therefore the purpose of the BBCC would be protection of the profession and clients, standardizing the profession in the country, monitoring and supervision, maintain the National Net-work of Counseling professionals, facilitate continuing education, award certificates, facilitate the award of license to practice, liaison with other concerned agencies to support the profession and configuration with the inter-national standards and practices.

During the signing of the MOU at the RENEW conference hall, Her Majesty stated, “Counseling is an emergent, evolving and dynamic profession currently experiencing rapid growth, generally bringing positive behavior changes. Having certification is giving due recognition to counseling since it involves working with complex and

sensitive issues that makes the work of counseling professionals very difficult. There-fore, it is pertinent that we work towards upholding the profession with dignity and respect”. Her Majesty commended the support and commitment by the stakeholders because of which tremendous progress have been made.

In the Year 1996, A Royal Decree was issued by His Majesty the Fourth King to establish a systematic Youth Guidance and Counseling Program to address the increasing youth issues in the Country. Thereafter, Her Majesty Gyalyum San-gay Choden Wangchuck has also continuously reiterated the importance of counseling in the community to promote positive mental health in the community to improve the wellbeing of the Bhutanese people in order to promote Gross National Happiness.

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