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When Ms. Dhaarsheini Thevarasoo was in high school, she witnessed the positive impact a school counselor had on students who were facing issues related to their emotional, behavioral, or mental well-being.
“This piqued my interest in working with young people facing various challenges. I wanted to be part of the support system to guide and empower them so they can overcome their situations and better integrate into the community, ”says the mother of a 30-year-old.
Ms. Dhaarsheini was so committed to better understanding the minds of troubled youth that she went on to pursue a Bachelor of Psychology at James Cook University (JCU) in 2011, followed by a part-time Master of Guidance and Counseling in 2016. That That same year, he landed his dream job as a probation officer in the Community Probation and Rehabilitation Service of the Ministry of Social and Family Development.
Probation is a community-based sentencing option for eligible offenders who may otherwise be institutionalized in a juvenile rehabilitation center or incarcerated. These youth must remain under the supervision of a probation officer for a period of between six months and three years.
Beyond supervising juvenile offenders to comply with their parole orders, Ms. Dhaarsheini’s responsibilities also include guiding them to make positive changes. This forces her to foster relationships with them based on trust, care and mutual respect.
Ms. Dhaarsheini is more than up to the task due to the “hands-on” training she received in her JCU programs, which improved her listening and observation skills.
“This helps me do better by involving these young people and their families. I also developed a greater sense of empathy, which allowed me to delve into the underlying issues these young people face. This knowledge, in turn, helps me to overcome her different circumstances and play a more important role in her rehabilitation, ”he adds.
Undergo in-depth training
Dhaarsheini, who is married with a two-month-old baby, says she chose JCU for her psychology studies because of its global ranking and international recognition as an academic institute.
JCU’s undergraduate psychology programs are also accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). In Singapore, JCU is the first organization with EduTrust Star, indicating a high level of quality assurance.
In addition, JCU also offers the Inter-Campus Mobility Program, which gave Ms. Dhaarsheini the flexibility to consider whether she wanted to take part of her program on the university campus in Queensland, Australia.
Another major deciding factor was JCU’s quarter system. With this system in place, Ms. Dhaarsheini was able to complete her respective qualifications at a faster rate.
Along the way, Ms. Dhaarsheini also met many inspiring speakers who were role models. One of them is the psychotherapist and director of the counseling center, Hema Gurnani, who taught her two modules during her master’s degree at JCU.
Says Ms. Dhaarsheini: “Ms. Hema brought a multitude of real cases and scenarios to the conferences. This allowed us to learn from real life experiences and be prepared to handle similar situations. Ms. Hema was not only inspiring, she was encouraging and passionate in training us to be counselors. “
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