Shaping the Future of Professional Counselling in Srilanka

Empowewring minds, Inspiring hope, and fostering mental well- being through accredited professional guidance and excellence

History of Counselling Movement in srilanka

In 1968, Prof. D.S. Ranawaka has started counselling service with a small group of interested young people. While he is practicing, he has understood the requirement of training more people for this counselling moment.න

Those days no advertisements at all for this purpose. Yet, Prof. D.S. Ranawaka has developed a syllabus to train new members. Thus, he trains members in a small scale. Only known and interested people entered to learn counselling.

At this moment Prof. Ranawaka joined with Dr. Ratnin Devaraja to practice counselling. Dr. Devaraja lived in Japan and worked as a lecturer of “Tsukuba University”. He was a first-degree psychology graduate of London Polytechnical Institute.

Thus, first counselling center in Sri Lanka was established by Prof. Ranawaka and Dr. Devaraja at Mount Lavenia. Dr. Devaraja used his ancestral house for this center. At this moment Prof. Diyanath Samarasinghe had joined to handle the clients who has psychotic symptoms.

Gradually this counselling service was so popular. Then Dr. Devaraja and Prof. Ranawaka had developed a new curriculum to provide better and deep training to the students. Prof. Diyanath also joined to deliver lectures.

As a team, Dr. Devaraja, Prof. Diyanath and Prof. Ranawaka had conducted many seminars in various parts of the country to emphasize “Need of psychology and counselling for the public”

This effort was highly appreciated by Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe who was the minister of education and youth affairs at that time. He deployed a team of government officials to discuss with this professional team to develop a programme in the field of counselling. This was a golden opportunity for the public as well as youth counsellors.

As a result of these discussions, this professional team had planned to execute a workshop to develop guidance and counselling programmes for the young generation of the country.

From 31st May 1982 to 4th June 1982 conducted 5 days workshop by National Youth Services Council at SLFI (Sri Lanka Foundation Institute). Here, Prof. Ranawaka delivered a main lecture on the subject. (Full report of this workshop has been published and archived at the library of SLNIPC) Mr. Charitha Rathwatte was the head of the workshop by representing MOE Mr. Ranil Wickramasinghe. All state departments, NGOs and universities represented at this workshop for five days. Food and refreshments were provided by SLFI.

1) To establish a unit in the youth council and ministry of education

2) To train more and more counsellors

3) To establish counselling centers island wide

4) To establish a psychotherapy clinic

5) To draft a code of ethics for counsellors

Youth council implemented above proposal by assigning an assistant director to the project. Prof. Ranawaka had named the new service as “Youn Mithuro” and NYSC has agreed to his name. NYSC also had assigned Prof. Ranawaka as the project consultant and visiting psychologist and Prof. Diyanah as a visiting psychiatric for this project.

Under this project Prof. Diyanath and Prof. Ranawaka had started activities with two counsellors. Thus, it was possible to expand up to 34 counselling centers island wide within 10 years, with the support of the minister of education.

On 28th April 1986, the first professional counselling association established in the education faculty of the university of Colombo. Chaired by Prof. Ranawaka. There, Pro. Ranawaka had appointed as the first president of the SLNIPC.

In 1990, Prof. Ranawaka started one-year proper training for the youth. It is conducted in establishing a new institute called “Institute of Psychological Studies” (IPS). After he could extend the service by establishing new for centers in Kandy, Kurunegala, Galle and Matara as four branches of IPS. Programmes were conducted in both English and Sinhalese languages.

Under this project Pro. Ranawaka could train more than 1000 members and made them as professional counsellors. Also, they became members of SLNIPC simultaneously. Prof. Ranawaka held entire accountability of IPS, as the Programme Director and Course Coordinator by creating and regulating curriculum and administrative functions up to 2020.

Due to the serious illness faced by him in 2020, he appointed new programme director and course coordinator to IPS from 2020 onwards. Later in 2023, SLNIPC was compelled to discontinue the affiliation with IPS due to administrative guidelines and curriculum structure of IPS was not on par with the standard guidelines of the professional association-SLNIPC. Thus, SLNIPC was not in a position to issue memberships to IPS students from 2023 onwards.

In 2023, SLNIPC established another institute to continue professional training and teaching to the members. This was named as “Center for psychotherapeutic Studies” -“CPS”. This is totally conducted under the guidance of Prof. Ranawaka and SLNIPC. There he takes entire accountability as the Programme Director and Academic Coordinator.

In 2023, IMBS Campus requested affiliation from the SLNIPC. After several discussions within the executive committee, forwarding SLNIPC standard guidelines and having several understandings with the management of IMBS campus, in the end SLNIPC conferred affiliation to IMBS campus going through a constructive MOU.

This note is placed parallel to the 23rd Biennial General Meeting on 7th April 2024

References

1) Workshop report published by National Youth Services Council, 1982.

2) SLNIPC Publication “Sri Lanka upadeshana sewawe ithihasaya”.

The Pioneers of Counseling in Sri Lanka

As the cradle of professional counseling with a proud 56-year history, SLNIPC is the pioneer association that introduced counseling to Sri Lanka. Today, our rich legacy is led by Professor D. S. Ranawaka, bringing world-class clinical expertise directly to our students.

Professor D. S. Ranawaka

Founder of Sri Lanka National Institute of Professional Counselorsන

Born in 20 th January 1944 in the southern province of Sri Lanka. He passed from university entrance exam and entered to Sri Jayawardanapura University in 1966. (Those days it was named as Vidyodaya University) Professor D. S. Ranawaka performed his M. Phil under the tutelage of a “Fullbrite Professor” called Gruganhime. He chose the topic of “anxiety disorders among university students” for his research. He was conferred the Professorship in 2004

Clinical traits

Professor D. S. Ranawaka did his clinical practices while providing his services in ward 59 psychiatry ward in the general hospital Colombo. Doctor Rathnin Dewaraja also accompanied with Professor Ranawaka to provide this service. Here, team therapy, clinical hypnotic therapy and behaviour therapy practiced to improve the patients. This training was carried out under the guidance of Psychiatry Specialist Professor Nalaka Mendis.

Intending to obtain further clinical practices, Prof. Ranawaka went to Queensland University in Australia. He worked under the guidance of Professor Theon at the psychology center in the university

He was also trained in “Green Vally Anxiety Disorder Clinic” in Australia. There, he performed several sessions to the clients. He performed relaxation therapy and team therapy for agoraphobia clients.

He was able to perform clinical practices in Brisbane hospital and Alexandra hospital along with Professor Robert Swetzhere Professor D. S. Ranawaka was respectfully invited to be present for the workshop conducted by the medical faculty of Copenhagen University in Denmark. This was organized for rehabilitating torture victims. He could provide a great service to this vulnerable group in Denmark. This programme was named as “Training for treatment of torcher victims” Also, Professor Ranawaka took part in the post graduate research symposium held at London University in England.

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Diploma in Counselling & Psychotherapy

A practical, one-year grounding in psychotherapy, psychology and counselling practice — the recognised route into professional counselling in Sri Lanka.

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Vision

Making a consolatory world with full of mentally healthy people.

Mission

We strive to reinforce psychotherapy and counselling context in Sri Lanka by providing professional assistance through affiliations of the institutions which are conducting psychology and counselling courses. And also imparting our practical and professional knowledge among the suitable people to uplift the counselling movement in Sri Lanka.

Objective

■ To establish a set of procedures, ethics and disciplines in the counselling industry in Sri Lanka.
■ To create more and more counsellors to the country for the sake of enhance the peaceful environment.
■ To carry the noble message of spirituality among the people.

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Discover our premium psychology book collection written by Prof. D.S. Ranawaka. From core psychological concepts to fascinating behavioral insights, these books are essential reading for students and avid learners alike. Browse through our publications and add these masterpieces to your collection now!