A professor of Counselling Psychology at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Fidel Onjefu Okopi, has said psychological counseling should not be confined to schools and offices alone but should be seen as a requirement in everyday life.

Okopi stated this during NOUN’s 37th Inaugural Lecture he delivered Thursday at the university’s conference centre in Lagos.

In the lecture titled, “From Heart to Heart: Integrating Psychosocial Counselling into Daily Life to Build a Harmonious Nigeria”, Okopi stated that psychosocial counselling matters in everyday life because it is shaped by emotions, relationships and life contexts. 

According to him, it promotes self-awareness, resilience, adaptability and meaningful connections by helping one to heal, grow and live with purpose in everyday life.

He questioned the understanding that counselling is reserved only for clinics, offices, saying its true essence lies in human connection. 

“Counselling is not limited to clinics or professionals; it is the practice of human connection through listening, empathy, reflection and support-skills anyone can learn,” Okopi said.

He also said, “You do not need to be a therapist to listen deeply to someone’s pain, help a child to manage emotions, guide a young person in making good decisions, resolve conflict with empathy, encourage resilience during tough times or create safe spaces where people feel heard, respected, and supported.

“The home is our first place of learning, care and belonging. It can either nurture well-being or breed tension. 

“Counselling is not only for professionals: it can be lived out daily in homes, schools, and communities through simple acts like attentive listening, kindness, reflection and validation.” 

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Olufemi Peters, thanked Okopi for creating the awareness that counsellors are needed in everyday life, as according to him, NOUN has the highest number of counsellors in any university in Nigeria.