KEYNOTE PAPER

Counselling Psychology as a Transformative Tool for Driving Sustainable Development across Education, Health, and Organizations in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper explores the role of counselling psychology in driving sustainable development across various sectors in Nigeria, including education, healthcare, and organizations. Nigeria faces challenges in these areas, and counselling psychology offers a transformative tool to address them. This study discusses sustainable development in Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of balancing economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. In the context of education, counselling psychology contributes to student well-being, academic performance, inclusive education, resilience, and coping skills. In healthcare, it provides vital mental health support, empowers patients, addresses healthcare disparities, promotes holistic well-being, and integrates into healthcare systems. In organizations, counselling psychology enhances employee well-being, resolves conflicts, develops leadership, manages change, fosters team collaboration, shapes workplace culture, facilitates training, motivates employees, guides ethical decision-making, promotes diversity and inclusion, and contributes to talent retention and community engagement. The paper concludes that counselling psychology is valuable for achieving sustainable development in Nigeria across these sectors. This paper emphasizes the importance of policy advocacy and interdisciplinary collaboration for effectively integrating counselling psychology. By prioritizing the mental and emotional well-being of individuals, counselling psychology plays a pivotal role in advancing sustainable development in Nigeria.