New Programs | Psychological & Vocational Counseling

Bicycle repair is a profitable occupation	Child laborers are everywhere	Most Nepalis survive by subsistence farming

Ankur Counseling Center
A Pioneer in Psychological Therapy for Disadvantaged Children in Nepal
Nepal is in its infancy as far as psychological counseling is concerned. However, many children suffer from emotional trauma as a result of the insurgency which raged through country for ten years and was only recently resolved. Furthermore, disabled children, orphans, and homeless youth suffer from oppression and discrimination, and they, too, are in need of counseling.

To meet this need, NYOF established the Ankur Counseling Center in 2006. Ankur’s counselors, who have Masters degrees in clinical psychology, provide therapy to underprivileged children. This counseling is enabling children who have endured unimaginable hardships at very young ages, many of whom depend on scholarships from NYOF, to fulfill their potential.

Ankur is the first center in Nepal to use sand play therapy, a form of therapy which transcends language and is therefore particularly suitable to the needs of children. Barbara Jones, NYOF’s loyal volunteer, has donated two valuable sand play collections for this purpose and has trained Ankur's counselors to utilize this type of therapy.

Ankur complements its counseling with a wide range of trainings for people who work with children. The participants, who come from throughout Nepal to attend the trainings, include not only counselors and other child care professionals but also Buddhist monks and women’s groups. Additionally, Ankur offers internships to college students who are pursuing degrees in social work. The interns actively participate in many of the activities at the center and gain a greater understanding of the importance of psychosocial care.

Watch a Video about the Ankur Counseling Center!    (5 minutes)

The Vocational Education and Career Counseling center (VECC) has sponsored children in training programs for 20 different careers, such as electrician, lab technician, cook, and midwife, and the number continues to grow. The decision for a child to pursue job training rather than higher education is reached by the child and staff together, after several discussions and a number of assessments and tests. NYOF has conducted extensive research into vocational schools throughout Nepal. VECC staff identifies the best training program for the child's chosen field, pays for the cost of training, and helps them to find employment following the completion of their course.

In addition to vocational training, VECC provides career counseling to needy children. Many of the children supported by NYOF, particularly those at J and K House, are orphans or were abandoned by their families. Not only do they lack the family connections that are necessary for getting many jobs in Nepal, they don’t know how to go about finding jobs, and many feel insecure about this. VECC teaches these kids general life skills such as compromise and negotiation, as well as specific skills for searching for employment. Furthermore, many children aren’t gifted academically but have other abilities which they can use to get jobs, if only they knew how. VECC helps children explore their strengths and interests in order to identify careers where they can excel.

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