AN EPISTOLARY MODEL FOR DELIVERING COUNSELLING TO STUDENTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN AFRICA: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Authors

  • Augustine Nwoye Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Fulbright Scholar, Discipline of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Keywords:

Students counselling, Epistolary method, Letter to undergraduates, Freshman orientation, Tertiary Education in Africa.

Abstract

Objective(s): In 1988, Mariama Ba, the Senegalese woman novelist, of extraordinary disntinction, won the Noma award for publishing in Africa on the basis of her impressive and now classic epistolary novel, titled: So Long a Letter. Design:  Drawing inspiration from Mariama Ba’s novel, this paper argues that the same epistolary method could be used with good effect in promoting student counselling at tertiary institutions in Africa and the wider world. Result and Conclusion: An example of how this can be done is offered and discussed in this article.  The paper is considered significant in that it opens fresh vistas in the context of how to present counselling to university students using the epistolary model to complement the better known conventional oral counselling delivery systems.

 

References

Adderholdt-Elliott, M. & Eller. S. H. (1989). Counselling students who are gifted through bibliotherapy. Teaching Exceptional Children, Vol. 22 No.1, pp. 26-31.

Atieno Okech, & Kimemia, (2012). Professional Counseling in Kenya: History, Current Status, and Future Trends. Journal of Counselling & Development, Vol. 90, Issue, p.107.

Cornett, C. & Cornett, C. (1980). Bibliotherapy: The right book at the right time. Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.

Epston, D. (1994). Extending the conversation. Family Therapy Networker, Vol. 18, pp.30-37.

Halstead, J. (1991). Guiding gifted readers. Hawker Brownlow Education.

Hérbert, T. P. & Furner, J. M. (1997). Helping high ability students overcome math anxiety through bibliotherapy. The Journal of Secondary Gifted Education, Vol. 8, pp.164-178.

Hebert, T. P., & Kent, R. (2000). Nurturing social and emotional development in gifted teenagers through young adult literature. Roeper Review, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp.167-172. doi:10.1080/02783190009554027

Jalongo, M. (1983). Bibliotherapy: Literature to Promote Socioemotional growth. The Reading Teacher, Vol. 36, pp.796-802.

Kesteloot L. (1996). Turning point in the Francophone/African novel: The 80s to the 90s. In Jones ED, Jones M (eds), New Trends and Generations in African Literature Today, 20 (pp 4-13). James Currey and Africa World Press.

Kindsvatter, A., Desmond, K. J. Yanikoski, A., Stahl, S. (2013). The use of therapeutic Letters in addressing parent-child attachment problems. The Family Journal, Vol. 21 No.1, pp.74-79.

Lenkowsky, R. S. (1987). Bibliotherapy: A review and analysis of the literature. The

Journal of Special Education, Vol. 21, pp.123-132.

Miller, D. F. (2009). Positive child guidance (6th ed.). Florence, KY: Wadsworth

Nwoye, A., & Khumalo, T. (2025). New directions in psychotherapeutic practice in contemporary Africa: The rise of the Cybertherapy/Telepsychology.International Journal Advances in Social Science and Humanities, Vol. 13 No.6, pp. 1-18. https://www.ijassh.com/index.php/IJASSH/article/view/439

Pardeck, J.T. & Pardeck, J.A. (1993). Bibliotherapy: A clinical approach for helping children. Gordon & Breach Science.

Published

2026-07-29

How to Cite

Augustine Nwoye. “AN EPISTOLARY MODEL FOR DELIVERING COUNSELLING TO STUDENTS IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN AFRICA: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE”. International Journal of Advances in Social Science and Humanities, July 2026, p. , https://ijassh.com/index.php/IJASSH/article/view/474.

Issue

Section

Review Articles