Oheneba-Dornyo University holds 10th graduation
The Oheneba-Dornyo University of Counselling Psychology (ODUCCP) has trained over 1,200 counsellors since 2014, the President of the institution, Rev. Professor Samuel Oheneba-Dornyo, has said.
They include ministers of the Gospel, medical doctors, engineers, lawyers, university lecturers, psychologists, headteachers, military and police officers and business executives.
The rest are media professionals, pastors’ wives, social workers, chaplains, nurses, traditional leaders and Islamic clerics, drawn from across the country, Africa, Europe, North America and the Middle East.
“You, our graduates, are part of this expanding global impact – carrying the healing light of counselling into boardrooms, classrooms, pulpits, clinics, courtrooms and communities around the world,” Rev. Prof. Oheneba-Dornyo said at the 10th graduation ceremony of the institution in Accra last Friday.
Graduation
The event, which saw the graduation of 145 students, was on the theme: “The Art of Healing the Soul, Restoring Hope, Renewing Lives”.
Rev. Prof. Oheneba-Dornyo said the mission of the institution had never changed – training professional counsellors who would heal a hurting world, adding that through both in-person and virtual platforms, access to over 5,000 academic e-resources and supervised practicum experiences, “We equip our students with competence, character and compassion”.
He said the story of the institution began in 1998 as the International Theological Seminary with a passion for training ministers and Christian counsellors, with the seeds that were planted grown to make an institutional impact.
He told the graduates that counselling was sacred, demanding ongoing learning, spiritual discernment and ethical commitment.
“Let your work be your worship and let your compassion guide your conduct,” Rev. Prof. Oheneba-Dornyo said.
He told the graduates that per Act 857 (2013) of the Ghana Psychology Council, “You are not yet licensed as independent professionals.
You are akin to nursing assistants – competent, and valued, but practising under supervision.
Please, do not misrepresent your status.
Walk in integrity. Refer cases beyond your scope. Uphold the ethics of this noble calling.”
Pillars
In an address read on his behalf, the Deputy Minister of Education, Dr Clement Apaak, urged the graduates to anchor their lives and practice on three pillars: restore hope, renew lives and model wholeness.
“Many who will sit before you are not just seeking answers, they are seeking hope.
Your presence, your words and your faith in their capacity to heal will often be the bridge between despair and recovery. Be messengers of possibility.
“Healing is not the end transformation. Empower your clients to reconnect with identity, purpose and God. Let your counselling spaces be places of resurrection, where people rise again,” he said.
In her address read on her behalf, the acting Registrar, Ghana Psychology Council, Anna Plange, said counselling was not just a profession but a sacred calling.
She charged the graduates to apply for a licence from the council since it was not only a legal requirement but a mark of professionalism and ethical accountability.
