Abstract:

Malaysia is also affected by the COVID19- pandemic that hit the world. As we all know, this pandemic has had an impact on the mental health of the world’s population. This is because this pandemic has caused various lifestyle changes that demand a change in the way society behaves and acts. Problems arose when many were retrenched, schools and educational institutions were closed and work from home methods were introduced as a result of the movement control order (MCO) that was introduced by the government to curb the soaring number of Covid-19 cases. Stress, anxiety, emotional disorders, family problems as well as problems involving mental illness disorders that require psychiatric treatment are often reported in the local press. In fact, some suicidal cases were reported in the media. Issues arise in the handling of counseling-related cases because counselors in Malaysia are still not exposed to crisis-related counseling. However, various parties have succeeded in providing various support services to the affected communities in issues related to mental health. Psychological support or mental health helplines have been established by various government agencies, schools, institutions of higher learning, and non-government agencies (NGOs). This paper also discusses ethical issues and understandings of ethics in counseling among counselors while conducting psychological support sessions. The Board of Counselors (Malaysia) has issued guidelines for face-to-face counseling during this pandemic. In providing psychological support services, many assume that counselors have conducted online counseling. However, there are still no specific guidelines related to online counseling in Malaysia at this moment. The COVID-19 pandemics provide the opportunity for the Board to provide some guidelines for the implementation of online counseling services. Issues related to continuous professional development, multicultural issues, counselors’ registration, and volunteerism will be discussed in this paper.

Keywords:

Malaysia, COVID-19, Counseling services, Psychological support, Mental health.