Counselling of HIV Positive/AIDS Victims: The 'Worried Well' and the Bereaved

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Periodical article

Title:	Counselling of HIV Positive/AIDS Victims: The 'Worried Well' and the Bereaved
Author:	Munyoki, S.
Year:	1991
Periodical:	African Urban Quarterly (ISSN 0747-6108)
Volume:	6
Issue:	1-2
Period:	February-May
Pages:	74-81
Language:	English
Notes:	biblio. refs.
Geographic terms:	Kenya East Africa Africa
Subjects:	psychotherapy AIDS Health and Nutrition Medicine, Nutrition, Public Health AIDS (Disease) Counseling psychology
Abstract:	This paper discusses the issue of counselling in general and compares and contrasts the Western concept of counselling with the African concept of counselling. Since the theme of the paper is counselling of AIDS victims and since AIDS is a terminal illness that leads to certain death, the issue of death is treated briefly as well. The paper also explores the connection between AIDS as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and urban lifestyles, especially sexual behavioural patterns in Africa's urban centres. The paper provides a practical and rather commonsense approach to counselling HIV positive/AIDS victims in general and youth as (potential) AIDS victims in particular. The paper then discusses counselling of the 'worried well', i.e. those who are not HIV positive and do not have AIDS but who constantly worry that they may catch the disease at any time, as well as counselling of the bereaved. Finally, the paper concludes by offering suggestions that may help counsellors provide effective counselling services for their clients. Ref., sum.