Psychological counselors visit schools, libraries, youth centers, companies, etc. for individual and group counseling
Proactive psychological support for healthy lives of Seoul citizens, counseling also available at family centers in 25 districts
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 26th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it will conduct “visiting counseling” directly at places where citizens gather, such as schools, libraries, youth counseling welfare centers, childcare support centers, and workplaces, through family centers.
Since 2007, the Seoul Family Centers have been providing family counseling services through family centers in 25 districts. In 2021 alone, 65,107 citizens received help from professional counselors to find solutions by discussing mental difficulties such as concerns about family relationships, child-rearing worries, workplace stress, and depression caused by COVID-19.
This year, as part of the plan to expand family center counseling services, psychological counseling, which had been conducted only within the centers, is planned to be offered as visiting counseling at places where citizens gather. According to a demand survey conducted by the Seoul Family Centers targeting the 25 district centers, this year the service was carried out in Geumcheon-gu, Dongdaemun-gu, and Seocho-gu.
The family centers in Geumcheon-gu, Dongdaemun-gu, and Seocho-gu prepared projects with distinctive directions in terms of counseling locations, target groups, and content. Individual or group counseling will be conducted face-to-face at external locations outside the family centers while complying with quarantine guidelines.
The Geumcheon-gu Family Center plans to provide visiting counseling at schools or libraries and is recruiting schools by sending official letters to schools in the district. Due to the high number of multicultural families, multicultural students and families can also receive the service. Group counseling visiting day care centers for the elderly is also being prepared.
The Dongdaemun-gu Family Center plans for counselors to visit youth counseling welfare centers and local libraries, making it easier for youth and parents to receive counseling. Parents who wish to improve parent-child relationships can also receive group counseling services. The Seocho-gu Family Center will have counselors visit the Seocho-gu Childcare Support Center to comfort parents exhausted from caring for infants and young children. Additionally, counseling for office workers will be conducted by visiting companies or public institutions, with locations selected through a public contest.
Even in districts that do not conduct visiting psychological counseling, citizens can inquire at nearby district family centers to receive psychological counseling services. Psychological counseling services are representative projects of the family centers in the 25 districts. Citizens can apply online or by phone to the family centers and receive face-to-face counseling, telephone counseling, or video counseling, with a basic six sessions provided free of charge.
The Seoul Family Centers serve as base institutions for family centers in the 25 autonomous districts. Each district family center provides ▲ family counseling and individual counseling ▲ Seoul Family School couple education and parent education ▲ Korean language education, home visit education for children, and employment support for multicultural families ▲ family-friendly programs and care services.
Kim Seon-soon, Director of the Seoul Women and Family Policy Office, said, “We expect that the visiting counseling service, which improves accessibility to face-to-face counseling, will greatly help Seoul citizens overcome psychological difficulties and restore relationships,” and added, “We will continue to promote services that come closer to citizens for the healthy lives of Seoul citizens and Seoul families.”
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