![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/counselors.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
file photo <\/p>\n
Empower Pacific has stated that it has learned a difficult lesson after losing all five of its professionally trained alcohol and other drug counselors to recruitment by other organizations overseas.<\/p>\n
According to Chief Executive Patrick Morgam, the counselors, who had been trained through the Australian Institute of Professional Counselling, left the organization, creating a vacuum in the delivery of crucial services.<\/p>\n
In response, Morgam says that Empower Pacific has invested in capacity-building efforts to bridge the gaps.<\/p>\n
Article continues after advertisement<\/p>\n
He says they are investing in staff so that they can provide targeted counseling services.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019m glad to say that through DFET we are spending $30,000 this year just to train our counselors and this would be online training from Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morgam adds that with support from the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, they are including online training programs to upskill their counselors<\/p>\n
\u201cSo it\u2019s an investment on our team of counselors and social workers. I\u2019m glad to say that all of them have now registered on Psych wire Australia undertaking a 30 hours training to do a DBD therapy. That\u2019s a new therapy for drugs and alcohol.\u201d<\/p>\n
The counseling organization says that its focus is on offering confidential, judgment-free counseling to people struggling with substance abuse, grounded in values of compassion, respect, and empowerment.<\/p>\n