Upon leaving school, Zikho Mkosana had a strong idea that she wanted to work in a field where she could help others. But she wasn’t 100% sure what shape or form this would take. Her mother encouraged her to do SACAP’s 1-year Advanced Certificate as a form of a career “gap” year. The aim was to find out if psychology and counselling was a good fit. It was, and Zikho hasn’t looked back since.
Zikho Mkosana expands, “I immediately loved SACAP’s intimate and relaxed learning environment. I also love the flexibility of their timetable – especially for those who need to work part time or have other commitments.”
Through the practical components of her course, Zikho has found that her particular area of interest lies in learning more about different cultures and the stigma that is so often attached to mental health. “There has always been a need for some kind of emotional support,” she says. “And it seems that people are increasingly recognising the role that psychology and counselling has to play in healing and helping communities. That said, there is still a feeling out there that therapy is only for crazies and that is something I want to change.”
Zikho hopes to move on to complete her degree and take her learnings to share with another country one day. And the best part of all? “I really love helping others and learning about myself in the process.”