Do You Help People Heal From Traumatic Events? Part 2

Posted by: Lisa Shouldice on May 29, 2015 12:33 pm

How To Set Up The First Sandtray Session

In my last blog I wrote about Sandtray Therapy (http://www.ccpa-accp.ca/blog/?p=4171) and how I find it is such a wonderful therapeutic technique to help heal traumatic events and related mental health issues. I sometimes hear therapists that are new to using Sandtray say that clients look at a tray of sand and tiny figures and feel the idea of playing in the sand is “weird” or childish. So I wanted to outline what a Sandtray session looks like and present tips on how to present it to clients.

For those of you who know little about Sandtray Therapy, Picture it…you walk into a room that has two comfortable chairs and a small table between them. On that small table is a tray or large bowl with sand in it. On a nearby table or placed on shelves are hundreds of tiny figures. These figures are a combination of everyday items that are miniscule ex. A house, chairs, animals…these figures also include mythical ones ex. mermaids and unicorns…and small sculptures that are more abstract. Some of these figures will fascinate you and some will feel odd or meaningless.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Adult Bullying: The Aftermath

Posted by: Jonathan Delisle on May 29, 2015 8:19 am

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Living under the influence of a bully is no walk in the park, as we’ve seen in my last post. To add insult to injury, the battle doesn’t end with the realization of what’s happening or the desire to put an end to the abusive influence. There are consequences to deal with in the aftermath of the abuse. In her book Le harcèlement moral: la violence perverse au quotidien, Mrs. Hirigoyen lists four steps to the aftermath of bullying.

Shock: There is a crucial turning point in abusive relationships when the victim realizes what the bully was doing all this time. While being the first step towards liberation, that moment of enlightenment hits the victim like a tidal wave. From this point on, the victim relives every bullying moment in his/her mind, seeing for the first time the extent of the abusive nature of the relationship. This experience can be quite traumatizing. With it comes turbulence of emotions: hurt, helplessness, humiliation, and eventually anger when the shock wears off. Continue reading →

*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Mental Health in the Workplace

Posted by: Peter Persad on May 28, 2015 12:09 pm

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Following the horrific crash of Germanwings Flight 4U9525 on March 25, 2015, the subject of mental health in the workplace has, once again, become a hot topic. Unfortunately, discussions around mental health seem to happen reactively and as a function of tragedy which, in my opinion, bespeaks the current social mood regarding mental health and discussions about mental health. Namely, we still ‘don’t want to talk about it.’ The stigma associated with mental health issues prevails despite public education campaigns and attempts to renorm social mores regarding living with mental health and talking about mental health. Interestingly enough, as demonstrated by the Germanwings disaster, it is the workplace that is increasingly becoming the crucible for this discussion. Our workplaces have increasingly become the intersection where the rights and responsibilities of society (here represented by the employer) and the individuals that make up that society (the employees) are meeting and ultimately framing our personal and public values regarding mental health.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

What is a Psychologically Healthy Workplace?

Posted by: Denise Hall on May 28, 2015 8:00 am

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“A psychologically safe and healthy workplace is one that actively works to prevent harm to employees’ psychological health and promotes mental well-being. A healthy workplace is not simply attained by individuals practicing a healthy lifestyle and self-care, but also by managers and co-workers supporting one another and fostering the creation of a positive and inclusive work environment.”
~Nick Smith, Project Coordinator, Health Promotion, Workplace Health; published on: 10/2/2014

Current discussion about workplace health is centering around promoting psychologically healthy workplaces. This national movement is really at the beginning of implementing strategies to improve workplaces much like the movement for physically safe workplaces was years ago. The out-of-control costs of worker’s compensation claims, long term disability insurance and absenteeism are the catalyst for focusing on this issue.The conversation is shifting, and rightly so, to organizational solutions. Bill 14 enacted in 2011 on mental stress has changed how WorksafeBC is approaching the issue and one that requires employers to demonstrate that they are implementing prevention strategies in this area.

My 2013 Graduate project and upcoming book In Harm’s Way: Professional Helper’s at Risk focuses on the physical and psychological health of professional helpers from an organizational perspective. The project included a comprehensive literature review of research that examined the occupational health and safety of counsellors and therapists and other health care professionals. It is apparent from the research that there is abundant information focusing on the individual responsibility for health and safety and much less from an organizational focus.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

University Decisions: Quality Versus Reputation

Posted by: Mike Peirce on May 28, 2015 2:00 am

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I recently attended the Ontario Universities “Dialogue” conference at McMaster University and heard many of the same discussions raised…. mark inflation, credit factories, use of additional information forms… and then a counsellor asked a question I hadn’t heard in a long time. It was a relevant question but it took me back a little. “What is the retention rate of 1^st year students going into 2^nd year?” Many of the universities couldn’t answer off hand but for those interested, the information is readily available on the Council of Ontario Universities under the Common University Data page: http://www.cou.on.ca/facts-figures/cudo. There are numerous excellent sources of information about our post-secondary institutions which we need to encourage students and parents to use in their research. The question also reminded me of how often I run into parents and students who are asking the question “Who has the best reputation for….?”

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Mountains, Leaves, and the Breeze of Change

Posted by: Mark Franklin on May 27, 2015 1:16 pm

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Career Buzz Podcast: Are you a mountain or a leaf?

“We often get lost in our head when we’re trying to change things in our lives and communities,” Lodro Rinzler told Career Buzz listeners (April 26, 2015). Author of The Buddha Walks into the Office, Lodro spoke about the importance of meditation to help you “come home to who you are, your true self and innate wisdom.”

“When the breeze of change or uncertainty or fear hits a mountain, it deflects off the mountain,” Lodro said, referring to the “weightiness” of our innate wisdom. On the other hand, those of us “not confident in our innate wisdom, we’re more like a leaf in the wind. We get carried wherever the winds of change take us.”

How the clues apply to you: Be who you want to be. Let Lodro guide you in this brief mandala exercise.

Listen and learn from the whole interview, also featuring Mike Fenton on where a degree in sports marketing and commerce can take you.

*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

How to Deal With Cancellations and No-Shows

Posted by: Andrea Cashman on May 27, 2015 9:14 am

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I knew going into private practice I would have to expect some clients to cancel or reschedule. I certainly did not account for the high amount that did. I had planned for it before opening my practice by adding a cancellation fee to my consent form and by talking to clients about it. I find this to be quite effective in and of itself. However, there are some other tips I can share with you.

First of all, why do clients cancel or reschedule last minute? Is it that life gets in the way via personal illness, personal and family emergencies, a death in the family etc.? Or is there something a bit deeper to these last minute cancellations? Some clients may cancel their first appointment for fear of the unknown; however, this type of cancellation seems, at least in my opinion, to be rare. I find that mental illness itself may impede the client from making their appointment, especially when anxiety and depression come into play. If they can barely meet their activities of daily living, like showering and getting out of bed, how can they make it to your office? Other reasons people may cancel are due to a breach of some kind of the therapeutic alliance perceived by the client, a change of financial situation, having a phobia to come in or having some form of avoidance especially when diving into deep topics etc.,

Having a cancellation policy set up in your consent form, like I mentioned above, is a great first step to avoiding or cutting down on cancellations. Clients will think twice about cancelling last minute because a cancellation fee will apply. You can always give a first time warning as well if you are worried about breaking the therapeutic alliance. I believe that if you set the boundaries early about cancellations, clients will respect that and reschedule/cancel ahead of time to respect both your time and money. It is up to you what you will charge for cancelling last minute and what time frame you set. I tell clients that I prefer a 24 hour notice by email or phone but the fee will be applied if less than 12 hour notice is given. I personally charge half of my actual fee. At first, I wrestled with this notion of charging people for last minute cancellations. Then I began to realize that it is my time and my source of income and it’s a professional courtesy. If you are new to practice and you have a last minute cancellation – you may already have gotten ready for the day and be in the office and that may have been your only client. Can you justify the fee then? Many clients may not be aware that you pay for office rent, supervision, advertising, business supplies, etc., all out of pocket. This is a business decision that you need to decide is right for you. If you do decide to have a cancellation fee, will yours be flexible in certain circumstances?

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Domestic Violence Sensitivities and Reminders

Posted by: Barry D'Souza on May 26, 2015 12:37 pm

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At the moment I don’t have clients victimized by domestic violence in my practice in Paris. So going to the 2^nd Annual International Forum on Domestic Violence recently came out of a longstanding want to better understand one of the worst types of relationship outcomes and life situation traps, that a poor woman and a man (to be pitied until the day comes when he stops all forms of abuse) could possibly encounter. It is true I wanted to learn what a woman in a mixed couple with a Frenchman, the most probable instance here in the Anglophone community, might face in the way of exit challenges. But as a child who knew domestic violence in my own home growing up, I admit to wanting new sensitivities to any dimension of the embodied ‘separation’ pain and reflection, that a woman contemplating leaving the man they had children with and to whom they once may have pledged their lives, including the brutal reality of starting over from scratch, encounters.

This is what I left with in terms of list of vigilance for women here in France :

– realize and connect with « what is going on »
– generate possible responses and choices
– safety plan including organizing the protection for the kids
– log the « proof » with visits to doctors, etc., ensuring the story has ‘punctuation and accumulation’

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Elementary Guidance Counselling: 5 Things to Know

Posted by: Jennifer Morrison on May 26, 2015 8:00 am

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Have you ever considered working as an elementary school counsellor but were not sure how to implement your program? How do I connect to 5 to 11 year old? How do I go about making the biggest impact I can? Here are 5 things to think about if you want to work with younger children in the school setting.

Kids do not always know or understand why they need to see you. Many students get referred to the counsellor by family and/or staff members. Perhaps it is for bullying, friendship issues, disruptive behaviors, or personal issues at home. Whatever the case, not all students will understand and so it becomes your job to work on the specifics, and do not assume anything.

Class lessons work very well for larger school issues. Bullying, friendship, respect, listening are all areas in which students can use a little extra support. Rather than pointing out the few in the class that need attention in this area, it works effectively to implement classroom lessons that all students can participate in. Classmates get to see other children’s points of view and help each other when they see issues arising. Also, class lessons can build into bigger class rules and incentive programs that can be used for everyone.
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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

There’s No Place Like Home

Posted by: Farah Lodi on May 15, 2015 12:27 pm

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In my counselling practice I see a lot of clients who have moved away from their home countries, usually because of job transfers. This means a nuclear family is uprooted from their home, and re-located to a place where they have no family, friends or support network. Many people enjoy the novelty, excitement, and adventure of international relocation, but the clients who walk through my door struggle with that often over-generalized diagnosis: adjustment disorder. It’s a condition that many insurance companies won’t cover, but it accurately describes a lot of my cases.

Relocation can take its toll on a family’s resiliency. For example, one common problem that I see is when children have underlying feelings of resentment: they were not part of the decision to move, it was forced upon them by adults, and they feel a lack of control and heightened helplessness. Youngsters can become depressed after a big move – I’ve seen this manifest in girls as young as 10 years old who develop eating disorders and boys with anger and even raging episodes – triggered by the move. Previously well-adapted adolescents can develop oppositional behaviors, making the adjustment process for the whole family much more complicated. Erik Erickson identified peer approval and group identity as the psycho-social crisis at this age, and relocation to a new country, new school, new neighborhood upsets this already challenging task. Many children describe feeling lonely and unaccepted as they struggle to adjust, whilst pining away for their old life. As they try to deal with their kids, parents can feel frustrated and helpless (missing their support network at home), and also guilty for uprooting and causing their kids distress. They may also feel guilty for leaving aging parents or other responsibilities behind in their home country.

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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA