The month of April has been a time for reflection and looking to the future for the Island's counsellors.

For under the banner, `Our Past, Present and Future', the Bermuda Counsellors Association (BCA) has been celebrating its fifth anniversary this month.

"We will have a luncheon at Riddells Bay on April 30 from 1 to 4 p.m.,'' said Saadia Bean, current BCA president. "The guest speaker will be psychologist Dr. Janet Kemp.'' The event will bring to a close Counsellor Awareness Month, 30 days in which the BCA has been trying to rally public support behind the Island's counsellors.

"We are trying to encourage the public to celebrate counsellors, particularly those in the school system,'' said former BCA president Marilynn Smith.

With the aim of providing counsellors with one, unified voice in the community and establishing professional accountability, the BCA held its first meeting on May 11, 1995.

Twenty-five counsellors, representing the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), Bermuda College, and Ashton Associations, attended that first meeting with hope of providing support for each other as professionals in a stressful field.

By 1997, the BCA was a registered charity with its own constitution and by 1998 it had organised its first fund-raising initiative -- their Annual Walk-A-Thon. This year's walk-a-thon was held on Saturday in Dockyard.

Last year the BCA started holding free counselling sessions in the Centre on Angle Street in a bid to provide guidance to families with problems.

As the Association has grown, so has the stature of counsellors within the community.

"I believe people are much more open than they use to be,'' noted Ms Bean, "I don't find here to be a huge stigma.'' And it is not just adults who have developed faith in the Island's counsellors, children are building solid foundations with school counsellors.

"Children are not so inhibited, they see counselling as something positive,'' said Ms Smith. "We do preventative activities with children, so we get to set the tone. If they have a good relationship with a counsellor in preschool, then it will continue as they get older and hopefully flourish. When they become adults, they will be more open to counselling.'' And she said that the business world had also helped to improve the image of counselling.

"Businesses are encouraging staff to seek counselling for their problems and the EAP programme has also helped to make real strides,'' she pointed out.

"People are becoming enlightened about how important the role of a counsellor is in the community.

"Counselling is now received in a positive light.'' With that mission firmly achieved, the BCA has moved on to their other goals like trying to enlighten the public about what it is that they do.

"Counselling is definitely not always crisis work,'' Ms Smith pointed out.

Ms Bean added: "Counselling is about relationship building. You don't have to be in crisis to want to build your relationships.

"And we're not talking about just husband, wives and kids, we're talking about the people we come in contact with each day and how we perceive each other,'' Ms Smith interjected. "We need try to encourage people to care more for each other and be more supportive of each other. Relationship building is a way to give back to each other.'' Ms Bean added: "But you also need to know yourself if you want to have relationships with each other.'' The pair also said that the association would like to increase their membership and become affiliated with international organisations.

"We would like for more counsellors to join the BCA,'' Ms Bean said. "It's a wonderful networking opportunity and a chance to enjoy professional development via the monthly guest speakers.'' "We would also like to see the association become affiliated with the American Counselling Association,'' added Ms Smith. "That international recognition will help validate the importance and need for our local professional organisation.'' And the pair said anyone contemplating a career in counselling should pursue their dream and get training since there is always a need for more counsellors. "There will always be a need for more trained counsellors because its a high burn-out profession,'' Ms Smith pointed out. "Counselling is not just something anyone can do, you have to be trained for it.'' One voice: Five years since its inception, The Bermuda Counsellors Association is continuing to strive to be `one voice' in the community. Pictured here are current BCA president Saadia Bean and former president Marilynn Smith.