News
Counsellors, therapists need professional body: Acting mental health director
View(s):The absence of a statutory professional body for counsellors and therapists is a major drawback in addressing mental-health issues, the Health Ministry’s Mental Health Directorate Acting Director Dr. Lakmini Magodaratna said.
She told the Sunday Times that unlike psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, many counsellors and therapists practise without verified training or accountability due to the absence of a monitoring body.
“This contributes to inconsistent or poor-quality care and increased levels of distress, leaving vulnerable individuals without adequate support. This may increase the risk of suicide,” Dr. Magodaratna said.
She revealed that the Health Ministry had compiled a list of qualified counsellors, while teachers were being trained as counsellors to strengthen the support system.
In collaboration with the National Dangerous Drugs Control Board, programmes on handling calls on the National Mental Health Helpline—1926—were conducted recently. The acting director said Rs. 250 million had been allocated for mental health in the 2025 budget.
“The funds can be used through collaboration between government and non-government sectors. The Mental Health Policy 2020–2030 highlights that there is a need to strengthen multidisciplinary teams to address the growing socioeconomic challenges in this field,” she said.
Dr. Magodaratna added that psychiatrists had stressed that stigma remained a barrier to suicide prevention. She lamented that often parents sought help when their children were close to being suicidal.
“Although stigma persists, interventions such as counselling, mental health promotion, parenting skills and other initiatives have saved many lives,” she said.
The best way to say that you found the home of your dreams is by finding it on Hitad.lk. We have listings for apartments for sale or rent in Sri Lanka, no matter what locale you're looking for! Whether you live in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Matara, Jaffna and more - we've got them all!