Marriage Guidance Workers Sought

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31071, 28 May 1966, Page 18

Marriage Guidance Workers Sought

The Christchurch Marriage Guidance Council needed more voluntary counsellors to meet the increased demand for its services, said the chairman (Mr N. M. Buchanan) yesterday. The present team of 11 counsellors was working to “top capacity,” he said, and further volunteers would be welcome.

“There is a careful selection process which is carried out in Wellington and supervised by the Justice Department. The main needs are personal qualities—tolerance and understanding.” A normal requirement was that counsellors be happily married themselves. The usual age was between 30 and 50. In his report to the council’s annual meeting, Mr Buchanan said the number of interviews conducted in the year ended March 31 had increased from 1247 to 1567. There were 296 new cases handled, compared with 276 in the previous 12 months. “People who have marriage difficulties are turning more and more to the council, and professional men now have enough confidence in its work to commend it to their patients or clients,” he said. But it needed members, money, the interest of “intelligent and concerned men and women from all spheres of life and all kinds of work” and the enthusiasm of young happily married people. “The community takes for granted that, by dialling a telephone number, help is always available help for which no payment is demanded.”

There were five courses with engaged couples during the year, Mr Buchanan said. The average attendance at these was about 40.

“There is a wider range of work to be done, and marriage guidance councils throughout New Zealand have been thinking hard about expanding their educational work.

“We have continued our efforts to organise a lecture as a preliminary to more ‘ intensive training," he said. Lecturers had been secured and plans were well advanced

Officers elected were: President, the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt. Rev. A. K. Warren): committee, the Rev. H. I. Hopkins, Dr. M. H. Aiken, Dr. K. Wilson, Mesdames J. M. Humard, A. G. Long B. Zeff, Messrs N. H. Buchan (chairman), W. F. Brown, D. J. Kelleher, C. C. Maddren, J. Morrison: secretary, Mrs D. S. Anderson.