A Professor of Counselling Psychology at the National Open University of Nigeria, Fidel Onjefu Okopi, has said that psychological counseling must not be confined to schools and offices but is a serious requirement in our everyday life.
Okopi, a staff of the NOUN's Faculty of Education, stated this in the NOUN's 37th Inaugural Lecture delivered by him, which held at the university's conference centre on Thursday, September 25, 2025.
In the lecture, titled, "From Heart to Heart: Integrating Psychosocial Counselling into Daily Life to Build A Harmonious Nigeria," Okopi stated that psychosocial counselling matters in our everyday life because it is shaped by emotions, relationships, and life contexts.
According to him, it promotes self-awareness, resilience, adaptability, and meaningful connections, helping one to heal, grow, and live with purpose in everyday life.
He said the power of counselling without a counsellor is very important.
He explained that counselling is often seen as something reserved for clinics, offices, or professionals but its true essence lies in human connection.
"Counselling is not limited to clinics or professionals; it is the practice of human connection through listening, empathy, reflection, and support-skills anyone can learn," Okopi said.
Elaborating, he said, "You do not need to be a therapist to listen deeply to someone's pain, help a child to manage emotions, guide a young person in making good decisions, resolve conflict with empathy, encourage resilience during tough times or creating safe spaces where people feel heard, respected, and supported."
The professor advised that counselling should begin at home, adding, "Home is our first place of learning, care, and belonging. It can either nurture wellbeing or breed tension.
"Counselling is not only for professionals, it can be lived out daily in homes, schools, and communities through simple acts like attentive listening, kindness, reflection, and validation.
"Core counselling tools, empathy, active listening, supportive conversation, can be practised by anyone with a willingness to learn."
Regarding family and community wellbeing, Okopi said when psychosocial counselling skills and values enter family and community life, they transform relationships. He said conflicts no longer divide; they become opportunities for respect and mutual understanding.
He said: "Trust and safety flourish when principles such as confidentiality and unconditional positive regard are lived out in homes, classrooms, and communities.
"Even without a counsellor, the beauty of these skills is that they are not reserved for professional counsellors alone. Parents, teachers, peers, and community leaders can all become first-line helpers."
The lecturer explained that counselling values respect, confidentiality, compassion, cultural sensitivity, and integrity should extend beyond therapy into families, schools, and communities.
"When practised daily, they foster psychological safety, allowing people to speak, feel and grow without fear or shame."
In his remarks on the lecture, the Vice-Chancellor of the NOUN, Professor Olufemi A. Peters, revealed that NOUN has the largest number of counsellors in any university in Nigeria because of the high regard the institution has for counsellors.
He thanked Professor Okopi for "making us to be aware that we all can be counsellors in our everyday life, making us to understand that we do not have to be professional counsellors to help out in our society."
The well-attended event was graced by the principal officers and other staffers of the NOUN, invited guests, and the inaugural lecturer's family members.
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