TRADITIONAL COUNSELING

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TRADITIONAL COUNSELING
Ojuolape Mumud Olabode
ojuolapeolabode8@gmail.com

INTRODUCTION
Traditional counseling services are time tested and evidenced based approaches to
helping people work through a variety of life’s challenges. Traditional counseling techniques to
help my clients in their personal growth. Traditional therapy can take a variety of forms
including behavioral therapies, family and couples counseling, cognitive therapies, or some mix
of those therapies which is often referred to as an “eclectic” approach. Many people worldwide
practice some forms of traditional counselling based on their sociocultural context and the nature
of presenting problems (McLeod, 2003). Unlike in the European world, the African traditional
ways of doing things is based extensively on oral tradition, that is, traditional systems of
knowledge and social competences pertaining to some critical issues, custom, or practice are
handed down from one successive generation to another orally (Giles 2006).
Traditional counselling involves a broad perspective that enhances learning for
transformation and social integration of traditional values, customs, and practices that are
peculiar to each human society; and it involves the help given to people who are experiencing
problems or are in need of help or are in bereavement using methods that are familiar to them
and which they understand better, especially based on their traditional values, beliefs, and norms.
It involves advice and guidance given on some problem situations or social issues so that the
person counselled gains knowledge on how to maintain the marriage, live peacefully, overcome
any problem or conditionality or eventuality; the application of interventions aimed at sharing
information and experiences, providing instruction, guidance and mentorship; and achieving life
goals (Grayshield 2010).
Traditional counseling typically takes the form of talk therapy and offers a proven way to
treat and provide support for emotional distress including Trauma, Depression and Anxiety.
Traditional counseling is very effective in the treatment of a variety of conditions including, but
not limited to:
1. Anxiety and Depression
2. Trauma Recovery
3. Depression

4. Marriage Counseling
5. Family Counseling
6. Personal Growth
7. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
8. Crisis intervention
9. Psychotic disorders
10. Personality disorders
11. Mood disorders
12. Domestic violence / abuse
13. Anger Management
EFFECTIVENESS OF INDIGENOUS PRACTICE
Traditional guidance and counselling is the aboriginal ways (putting into consideration
the beliefs and customs) in which a person or persons of authority in the society consciously
and/or unconsciously steer individuals towards a path for developing potentials, fulfilling
societal demands and modifying undesirable behaviours. The words “conscious” and
“unconscious” come into play here because, these practices occur sometimes without any special
intent. In the like manner, most of the guidance offered to individuals is unnoticed because they
are deeply embedded in daily activities.
Like most other African countries, guidance began in Nigeria as advice giving (Taylor
and Buku 2006). Guidance and counselling are ideas that have existed for a very long time in the
Nigeria society. From time immemorial, people have sought self-understanding and the
understanding of other people in many ways and especially in the Nigeria society where people,
mostly the younger generation, have always had other people (usually elderly people) direct
them in all of their endeavours. In other words, the elderly people in one
way or another steer or counsel the younger people so that they continue to live useful and

fulfilling lives. Most things a child does either advertently or inadvertently is as a result of some
form of received Guidance and counselling through his or her nuclear and extended family, and
the society at large. From cradle to grave, everyone needs guidance (Bedu-Addo, 2014) and
counselling on one’s life.
Some people help others find ways of dealing with, solving, or transcending problems
and the people who often offer this sort of guidance and counselling were authorities in the
traditional societies. For instance, in the Yoruba communities, there are authorities like “Ifa”
(gods) and other minor gods who offered guidance through “Babalawo” (traditional priests and
priestesses/prophets and prophetesses), chiefs, elders of the society, or (head of the clan) like
grandparents, parents, uncles and aunties, elder siblings and cousins and the elderly members of
the society.
The age long system of counselling in Africa with its thought-provoking verses and lyrics
can not be set aside as unscientific and unorthodox as long as it works. In fact, any attempts to
impose cultural imperatives from Western culture or to transplant wholesale other peoples'
beliefs and ideals into our communities have been fraught with hazards and failure. In the
incidence of isolation, poor adjustment, sleeplessness, nervous disorders, excessive worries and
suicide, traditional counselling has worked.
COMPONENTS/TOOLS OF TRADITIONAL GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING
A tool in this sense refers to the medium through which traditional guidance and
counselling is offered in a particular ethnic group to ensure an optimum functioning of the
individual in society. The tools employed for the offering of traditional Guidance and
counselling are:
Advice giving
Advice giving has been and still is the commonest way of providing help to people
among the African. The advice given is considered helpful for people to consider their future.
Among the Africans, the extended family is the main source of advice for girls and boys. There
is usually no lack of people willing to share their wisdom. For example, among the Yoruba’s
when the elderly observe that a child is developing bad attitude, they call him/her and advise
him/her against that attitude; the advice usually takes the form of proverbs. Usually, after giving

advice, the elderly/advisor encourages the individual to depend on the advice given. Awoonor,
(1990) also admitted that advice giving was the major constituent of traditional guidance and
counselling. For him, traditional leaders resolve conflicts and misunderstandings through advice
giving. He further explained that because tradition did not permit traditional leaders to be always
seen outside and as such they take advantage of occasions such as festivals and funerals to advice
the general public about issues.
Prophesies
Prophesies have always been the most effective form of Guidance among the African
people. People dared not disobey the “Babalawo, Alfa and Pastor ” (prophets or prophetesses)
because the African believed they were the messengers of God. For instance, when an African
people are facing some misfortunes, they (usually led by the Babalawos, Alfa and Pastor going
through fasting, praying, sacrifice and incantations. The Yoruba Babalawo is able to help his
client awaken to consciousness with the use of esoteric devices, incantations, and wonder-
working words. Knowing fully well that certain sounds are linked up with creative principles of
nature, he learns and uses these sounds and words effectively.
Prescriptions
Prescription is when someone gives an instruction of what someone else must do.
Prescriptions are given by professionals. For example, in most contemporary societies, doctors
give prescriptions. Among the African people, prescriptions are given as a form of direction to
help individuals to understand themselves better and to follow a procedure or live in a certain
way that will yield healthy or good life (Bedu-Addo, (2014). The authority that usually directs
the African people through prescription is the herbalist or a priest or priestess of a particular
shrine then but now the pastor and Alfa. Individuals visit herbalists or shrines when they are
encountering problematic situations with the hope that they would get a better interpretation of
what they are facing or going through and a solution to their problems. Many people often start
seeking advice from the elderly in the society when they are facing certain difficult situations.
However, if the elderly realize that they would not be to prescribe any solution to them, they
refer them to people who have the professional training and skill to deal with such situations.

Re-enforcements
Re-enforcement is probably the commonest constituent of traditional guidance and
counselling that passes unnoticed. Re-enforcements have been used from time immemorial by
most traditional societies in Nigeria to encourage desired behaviours and discourage undesired
behaviours in the society. Re-enforcement as properly explained in operant conditioning theory
which was opined by B.F Skinner vividly explains human behaviour in relation to anticipation of
a stimulus (Ntim 2010). Operant conditioning occurs because of what happens after a certain
quality of behaviour has been exhibited (Hanson, 1986 cited in Kankam and Onivehu, 2000).
The operant conditioning theory has it that the behaviour of an individual is shaped by the
consequences of the environmental activities that follow it. In the Nigeria society, positive re-
enforcements are used to encourage a desired behaviour and increase its occurrences. Ntim 2010,
gave a vivid example of positive re-enforcement after revealing a scenario; when a child
obediently fetches water for an elderly person, a simple praise or reward may encourage that
behaviour.
PROBLEMS FACED IN TRADITIONAL COUNSELING/DISADVANTAGES
1. The greatest setback of traditional counselling is the lack of documentation which has
created a vacuum of available scholarly material on traditional forms of counseling
2. Lack confidentiality most times unlike the western method of counseling. By swearing an
oath to the gods is only means of confidentiality in traditional counselling.
3. Traditional guidance and counseling promotes client dependence on the counsellor
because, instead of helping clients to understand the sources and dynamics of their
problems, traditional counsellors often present solutions to clients’ problems in
mysterious or metaphysical terms. In other words, since the counselling given was in the
form of advice giving and sharing of wisdom it did not offer adequate help necessary to
promote development of the individual.
4. The people who assume the role of counsellors in the traditional setting have no
specialized training in the principles and practice of guidance and counselling.

APPLICATION TO NIGERIA SETTINGS
1) Invitation. Because the traditional African practitioners have the correct concept of illness and
problems, they know when to invite. Modern counsellors can no longer wait in their offices for
clients with problems. They too can go out and fetch them.
2) Knowledge. The traditional practitioners are rich in the knowledge of their clients' history and
background through intimacy and so approach their problems with understanding. They spend
longer hours with them. They do not reckon on specific hours and minutes as modern counsellors
are likely to do.
3) Use of local language. The words, the proverbs, the lyrics and aphorisms in the local setting
employed by them help to release tension and bring clients home to their origin. We should learn
these, memorise them, and use them too.
4) Non-verbal communication. The traditional practitioners are very fast at interpreting non-
verbal communication exhibited by their clients. Modern counsellors should learn these tricks in
addition to their practicum.
5) Interaction. The traditional practitioners are not interested in long discussions about what
happened to you, but in why it happened and how to get you out of it. Their training centres on
the study of human behaviour and how to prevent or cure nervous breakdown, not in the
application of therapeutic theories.
6) Social skills. As much as Western education has affected the mind and the social pattern of the
Yoruba and Igala, it has not been successful in severing him or her from many of the roots which
secure him or her to the stable framework of customary behaviour in the village or rural area
(Fadipe, 1944).

CONCLUSION
Traditional guidance and counselling as practised among the African people constituted
advice giving, prophesies, prescriptions and reinforcements. Advice giving was the most
commonly used practice since it was a conscious effort of practitioners to effect behavioural
change. Advices are given by any elderly persons in the community since they lived together as
one family. Also, reinforcement is one of the commonest forms of traditional guidance and
counselling that were done most often than not, unconsciously but was very effective practice
that shaped behaviours. Positive reinforcements regarded to strengthen good behavior and
increase the likelihood of repeating such behavior while negative reinforcement/punishment
decreased the likelihood of repeating an undesirable behavior. The practitioners of traditional
guidance and counselling ensured confidentiality by swearing an oath to the gods. They also
ensured confidentiality by telling third persons to be secretive about what has been discussed.

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