The co-construction of a preferred therapist self of the educational psychology student

M.Ed. (Psychology of Education)The training of psychologists in South Africa is currently under scrutiny. A request from the South African Association for Psychology as well as the Professional Board for Psychologists is to broaden the terrain of psychological services. Therefore, new structures regarding registration have been discussed and will be implemented by the year 2004 (Professional Board of Psychology, minutes 15 September 1999). In South Africa the need far outweighs the supply: both in terms of psychologists and services available in the different communities. The cost to see a professional psychologist -is far greater than what the ordinary man in the street can afford (Kriegler, 1993; Richter, Griesel, Durrheim, Wilson, Surendorff and Asafo-Agyei, 1998). The crime rate in South Africa is one of the highest in the world (Grimbeek, 1998; van Niekerk, 1996). Millions of people, of whom a great percentage are children of school going age, have been traumatised by crime, poor housing, poverty and domestic violence. Unemployment plays an integral part in these problems. People are struggling to find work as well as to remain employed. Stress which is affecting all of us is a serious problem, and needs to be addressed by psychologists in all the realms of life. If we look at these problems that are currently part of our lives in South Africa, it becomes clear that more people with trained counselling skills are needed. The training of therapists and counselors is of great importance if we wish to place people in our communities to assist the vast number of those who experience problems in their lives