Despite her marriage and coupled with numerous domestic roles as well as professional services to her clients, Ruth Gbenro emerged victorious as the best graduating Master of Education student of the Department of Guidance and Counselling of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), for the 2022/2023 session. The mother of three graduated in child/adolescent counselling, and marriage/family counseling with a CGPA of 4.84. She is the founder of Better Days Counselling Services (BDCS). She opens up to The Naija News about her academic feat, her work, guidance/counseling practice in Nigeria, among others.
Could you please introduce yourself? What do you do for a living?
I am Mrs Ruth Gbenro, a Guidance Counsellor with speciality in Child/Adolescent Counselling and marriage/family counselling. I am also the Lead Counsellor with Better Days Counselling Services which is a counselling outfit into child/adolescent counselling, school guidance and counselling consultation, pre-marital counselling, post marital counselling, career counselling. Our aim at BDCS is to provide guidance and counselling services which will assist behavior change, enhance coping skills, promote decision making, improve relationships and to facilitate users’ potential. We achieve this with the help of our multi-disciplinary team of skilled and experienced counsellors who provide professional counselling to deal with issues that affects relationships, studies, work, and life.
I run an academy (Better days teens academy) for Pre-teens (8-12years) and Teens (ages 13-19 years) where we raise wholesome teenagers/young adult who will not only stand out in their academics but socially, emotionally, and mentally. We discuss and treat issues ranging from goal setting, body image, self-esteem, time management, anger management, bullying etc. I also run an online bookstore where one could get motivational, marriage, parenting, and personal development books. In the next 5years God willing, I would have bagged my Doctorate degree in Counselling, making more impact in the lives of families around the world.
National Open University programmes are a bit difficult for many young students. How did you manage to excel in your master’s degree?
I have a good support system in my family, chief amongst which is my husband. Focus, clarity of purpose, time management, goal setting skills were my strength. God was also involved in all of these without Him there is no me.
What motivated you to go for the programme? And why NOUN?
My story dates to my teenage hood and choices I had to battle with especially when it had to do with my career, looking around you will see many teenagers and adolescent like sheep without shepherd, they need help in form of mentoring and counselling in navigating life. A perfect contract will be my hubby who had a mentor from his early teen years. NOUN was very convenient; it allowed me to work and study at the same time. All I had to do was read, attend online classes and prepared for my tests and examinations.
Have you any role model? How has the person influenced your academic life?
My hubby is my role model. He loves reading, he recently finished his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Houston and bagged a distinction too. So, when I see the work load he does and that he could balance it with family and school. I literally had no choice
For married women like you who see the children as encumbrances to further their education, what advice do you have for them?
Children are a gift of God as a caretaker our job is to guide in finding their own part. As you carryout this role, you should not jettison your dreams. Most times what happens is after these children are all grown and leaves the house, frustration, depression sets in as literally what most married women do was to pause their lives/career ambition and even lose their identity in the process. Excuses will always be there, I mean genuine ones but when your “Why” is bigger, then there will be no barrier stopping you. So, find your Why?
What were the challenges you battled before you achieved the excellent grade?
Getting to sleep late due to late night reading and having to wake up early for work while to balancing the home front.
Could explain an ugly incidence that occurred during one of your counselling sessions?
There is always a debriefing session where the clients are exposed to what is expected of them during the intervention or counselling. There is also a goal for each session which we both work towards. I have never had an ugly session.
Recently, a final-year student at OAU was beaten to death over an allegation that he stole a phone. As a counsellor, how do think such an incident could be prevented in a school?
It so unfortunate that jungle justice is still in our institution today. This reminds me of the Aluu four boys. All institutions should have disciplinary committee when it comes to offences made and of course consequences are melted out accordingly after due investigations. The security officers in the schools, staff and students should also be informed as it should be in the school code of conduct that is handed to every student. During Orientation Day, it should be well explained, all students would know what to do and who to report to in such cases, taking laws into our hands is not a good practice and that should be highly discouraged. All offenders are also to get counselling sessions to evaluate the underlying reasons and develop a treatment plan to help them become better individuals.
