MARRIAGE care service Accord is appealing for new counsellors to help meet the demand for its services in Belfast.
The Catholic organisation is holding an information evening next week for anyone who might be interested in helping deliver its marriage preparation courses or its counselling and facilitation services.
Anne Rogan, who chairs Accord's Belfast group, said it was a "part-voluntary organisation that aims to promote a deeper understanding of Christian marriage, and to offer couples the means to safeguard and nourish their marriage and family relationships".
The service offers help in three main areas: marriage and relationship counselling; fertility and well-being; and marriage preparation. All counsellors and facilitators are fully trained.
"Accord offers a safe, professional and confidential process, helping couples and individuals to explore, reflect upon and resolve difficulties in their marriage and relationship," explained Mrs Rogan.
"We offer safe and professional advice on natural family planning.
"For marriage prepartion, Accord considers marriage to be a major commitment and provides courses for engaged couples.
"The courses provide an opportunity for couples to reflect on various aspects of their relationship and life after the 'big day' as a married couple."
In order to keep meeting the demand for these services, Accord is seeking to recruit new counsellors and facilitators for the Belfast centre.
"Training is provided by Accord for all those successfully selected for both counselling and marriage preparation," said Mrs Rogan.
"We are having an information evening in the Belfast centre next Tuesday and would warmly welcome all those who are interested in either areas of our work, counselling or facilitation.
"There will be an opportunity to speak directly to the people currently working in the centre, to ask questions and to get a real insight into the work being done, the commitment required and the satisfaction achieved."
The evening would be an opportunity to ask questions in an informal setting, and "get all the information you require and decide if this is work you would like to do".
"We would love to see both men and women who have themselves completed a pre-marriage course in the last few years and who feel they would like to join our facilitation team, and counsellors who have already completed their training and who would like to work in couple/relationship counselling," said Mrs Rogan.
- The Accord Belfast centre is in the Twin Spires Complex on Northumberland Street. More information can is available by telephoning 028 9033 9944.
- The information session will run on Tuesday May 2 from 7-9pm at the Accord Belfast centre.
