And So it Begins …

Posted by: Shelley Skelton on May 15, 2015 8:18 am

Private practice is a fairly big step, not to mention a bit intimidating. For me, it is the next logical step after going back to school, changing careers, and finally registering as a psychologist. Logical, however, does not necessarily mean straight-forward.

Do you know that feeling when you’ve worked really hard for something and you don’t want to mess it up? Well if you do then you can understand both my excitement and my apprehension about moving into this unfamiliar territory. If, by chance, you find yourself in a similar predicament, I invite you to join me in the excitement and to be a part of sorting out the ambiguities involved in opening a private practice.

Over the next year, I will blog about my experience of starting a private practice; these are my views and experiences and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA. I have a plan and am sharing it with you to make myself more accountable to my timeline. This spring and summer, I will speak to colleagues in private practice, do some research, and learn about how to be an entrepreneur. Spring and summer are all about making informed decisions. I hope to get my feet wet in the fall by starting my practice small and ironing out at least some of the wrinkles – because there will be some. If all goes well, I should have some momentum by winter and even as I write that, I realize how vague my plan for winter is at this point. By this time next year, I hope to be blogging with you about what my mistakes have taught me and how great it was to go on this adventure together.

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

Do You Help People Heal From Traumatic Events? Part 1

Posted by: Lisa Shouldice on May 14, 2015 8:22 am

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My work as a therapist has included working with clients that are present with abuse histories, and often complex trauma. I find this can take years to heal and is hard emotionally and spiritually on both the client and the psychotherapist. So enter my training in Sandtray therapy!

Sandplay is a wonderful technique that taps into the unconscious to access deep emotions and experiences that can then be healed in a gentle way. What I love about this technique is that the natural healing centre chooses unconsciously what and how deeply a person needs to heal something, sometimes surprising them. It can be used in a single session or every session until a person has met their goals. It is great if a client has expressed feeling “stuck”. It is also a way to connect with the elements and heal without talk as the central modality.

Using figures of a person’s choosing and the arrangement of the sand in the tray, your client becomes the “world builder,” and watches whatever reveals itself. It can be transformational helping to process grief, past hurts or help to identify and process what is causing or maintaining depressive and other mental health symptoms, enabling recovery. It provides the possibility, to set up a world corresponding to the clients’ inner emotional state. Through free, creative play, unconscious processes are made visible in visual form.

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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: Under the Bully’s Influence

Posted by: Jonathan Delisle on May 13, 2015 12:47 pm

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This blog post on bullying has to do with the short-term effects that bullying has on the victims while under the bully’s influence. The points I will be explaining are taken from Marie-France Hirigoyen’s book “Le harcèlement moral: la violence perverse au quotidien”. Although the points are mainly hers, I will be explaining them in my own words. The following points are tell-tale signs that we, counsellors, may have a victim of bullying sitting in front of us.

Standing Down: Victims of bullying generally stand down out of fear of undesired consequences: retaliation, break up, guilt-trip, humiliation, loss, etc. The bully will use this fear as leverage, thus mentally paralyzing his victim.

Confusion: Most of the bullying is passive-aggressive and ambiguous at the onset, which leaves room to doubt the aggressive nature of the actions committed or the words spoken. As a result of the confusion, it is not uncommon over time for the individual to experience poor concentration, frequent loss of train of thought, delayed reactions, reduced ability to perform complex intellectual activities, etc.

Self-doubt: The bully sees to it that the victim think that he is guilty about what happens and yet feel powerless to do anything about it. Self-doubt in the face of the violence suffered creates paralyzing confusion. As the victim becomes defenseless, he also becomes the scapegoat upon whom the aggressor puts all of his own insecurities, faults, flaws, etc…
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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Outlander

Posted by: Bonney Elliott on May 13, 2015 8:28 am

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In 2013, I spend two weeks volunteering in Haiti. A colleague suggests writing a travel blog. Writing is not new to me. I have been an intermittent scribbler of poetry, short stories and personal journaling since childhood. Writing a blog is new to me. Intriguing, but fraught with some trepidation about publishing first-person reflections. Having churned out countless academic essays through university, and carefully crafted client-centered notes as a clinician, the word “I” has been practically obliterated from my written vocabulary. Dare I ramble on-line about what I think, or braver yet, how I feel?

Sharing perceptions of my first foray into a foreign country struggling in the aftermath of disaster with an invisible audience does feel vulnerable. Yet, the Haiti blog evolves into a lifeline to home, a forum for sharing the heightened perceptions of an Outlander visiting a strange and sometimes frightening place. Not speaking the national language renders me essentially mute for much of the trip. Quiet for stretches of unaccustomed time, and untethered from responsibilities, my thoughts turn inward. Mind lapses into daydreaming and reflection. I reconnect with a love of writing, streams of consciousness spilling on the page, soliloquies emerging from the back corners of my psyche. I bring to life with words my intense experience of Haiti, and in so doing begin to process past memories it evokes.
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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

The Map and the Compass: Creating a New Dream

Posted by: Sally Halliday on May 12, 2015 12:20 pm

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“What did you dream about doing when you were a child?” When someone asked you “what do you want to be when you grow up?” what did you say?

As a career counsellor, I often want to ask this question to new clients, as a way to get them telling a story that is easy and fun to tell about themselves. But for those I work with who are mostly in mid-career, who feel frustrated with the status quo yet confused about how to start making positive career shifts, the question might be too much to ask. Here’s the kind of story I usually hear at the beginning of our sessions:

“I used to love my work. Now I’m burned out. What happened?”
“I really just fell into my first job and ten years went by.”
“I used to think this work was creative. Is it me who changed or the job?”
“It used to be a great job. Stable income. Decent work. Now, I wish I’d left years ago. “

It’s a story of being stuck, feeling somewhat helpless, wanting to change but ambivalent about risking any trade-offs. Still, underneath it all, I can sense a deep yearning. Yearning for purpose, passion, motivation and all the other things that a dream promises. So I don’t want to deny anyone their dream. It’s a matter of timing, and building up some confidence to trust themselves that they can locate a dream again, one that matters today.

One of the concepts I work with is the Map and the Compass. It’s a metaphor that came from Steve O’Donahue’s book about navigating change, captured in his own story of crossing the Sahara called Shifting Sands.( http://www.amazon.ca/Shifting-Sands-Guidebook-Crossing-Deserts/dp/1576752801). He offers the image of a desert as a more realistic way of capturing the experience of change and risk taking, rather than the more common image of climbing the mountain. Continue reading →

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

Students in a Supporting Role

Posted by: Mike Peirce on May 11, 2015 1:03 pm

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A number of years ago I conducted a student health and lifestyle survey in my school to consider the effectiveness of our student support resources. What we discovered won’t surprise many but it was still an eye opener. In spite of having access to trained counsellors, health professionals and supportive teachers, our students turned to their peers first when they faced the struggles of adolescence. Thus began my journey in the world of peer support programs. Some may call them peer counsellors, peer mentors or peer advocates but by any name, they added a tremendous resource to our school’s student support structure. They now serve as primary referral agents for our student services. Without trying to be dramatic, I can honestly say they have saved lives.

There are several core components to having a successful peer program in a school setting. The adult facilitators in a school setting need training in order to support an effective training program for students. The administration, faculty and staff at a school need to be educated about the role these students will play. Students are not primary caregivers but receive training to support their peers as they struggle with adolescent issues while understanding when a peer might need a greater level of support. At this stage, they refer on to an appropriate resource.

Student training typically revolves around several fundamental skills, listening being the key focus, followed by questioning, decision-making and values. In my school, students applied for the role and are trained year long. Other than our start-up year, returning peer counsellors select the next group to be trained based on an application, essay and interview. The outcome of the selection process ensures that successful applicants broadly represent the diversity of the school population. For the training, other than the first and last sessions, returning peer counsellors run the sessions with the adult facilitators serving in a supportive role. Students study the importance and meaning of confidentiality and develop a code of ethics for the group. During my more than 20 years in peer programs, I have found the students to take this responsibility extremely seriously and have gone to great lengths to maintain this as the trust other students put on them is dependent on their performance.

There is a great deal of research showing the effectiveness of peer networks in schools and other communities. The Peer Resources Network (www.peer.ca) has been an invaluable tool for me over the years providing training, manuals, research findings, and professional development opportunities for peer trainers. In an age where bullying, mental health issues and social media have all made supporting students more and more complicated, students helping students can be a very effective strategy for any counselling department to consider. The system established in my school has now run for more than 20 years and continues to be a critical part of our student support initiatives.

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

Confessions of a New Private Practitioner

Posted by: Angela Herzog on May 11, 2015 8:48 am

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Full of anticipation and excitement, I clicked the submit button to register my business. It was official. I now was the sole owner of Embodied Healing Counselling Services. It had been quite a journey to get to this point and my whole body felt alive with the passion and confidence to begin private practice.

That was two months ago; now, as I sit reflecting on the last two months, I am noticing a heaviness in my body that was not there at the beginning.

Everyone says that starting a business is hard; a lot of ground work and little payoff at the beginning. It is one thing to be aware of that, another to experience it. I have devoted hours to design, vision, marketing; a whole new world to a therapist. I seemed to take exciting steps forward to only be slammed with another setback. The setbacks weighed on me, the uncertainty stirred up anxiety. The focus soon became the lack of progress, clients and money.

I lost focus of my vision.

And yet, as I sit with this heaviness, I sense an invitation to look at the bigger picture. I am slowing down and I am reminded of all the doors that have opened for me and the valuable connections and opportunities I have had. The list could go on and on of the support from unexpected places, exciting opportunities and a growing web of network with amazing professionals.
And now, I have an embodied understanding of the initial step of building a private practice; to build a solid foundation.

So, in this spring season, as we await the blooms to emerge, I will continue to plant seeds in my community. With a deeper understanding of patience and an embodied vision, I will trust that I am right where I am to be in this season of my private practice. I notice this knowing brings a sense of relief and lightness throughout my body; releasing the heaviness of pressure.

The season of harvest will come.

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

Quality Assurance in Psychotherapy

Posted by: Trudi Wyatt on May 8, 2015 2:00 pm

Perhaps you have noticed the many ads lining Toronto’s TTC subways recently, asking “Do you know a psychotherapist?”? (1)

Indeed, there has been much ado about psychotherapy in Ontario lately, especially related to the province’s new College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), established on April 1, 2015, under two provincial Acts (2). CRPO’s mandate is “to regulate Registered Psychotherapists in the public interest, striving to ensure that practitioners are competent, ethical and accountable” (3).

At this time, over 1,700 practitioners — including many Canadian Certified Counsellors (CCCs) — in Ontario have already become registered with this regulatory College (4).

What do these developments mean for someone seeking psychotherapy or counselling? For one thing, because one of the Regulations under these Acts requires having a Quality Assurance (QA) program (5), if you choose to pursue therapy with a Registered Psychotherapist (RP), you will know that his or her regulatory College requires him or her to participate in the type of rigorous QA program described below (6).

Specifically, CRPO’s QA program encourages “the continuing competence and quality improvement of Members”(7). It includes professional development, and “professional self” assessment for all Members, as well as Peer & Practice Assessments in some cases.

The professional development component of the program requires Members to create a “Learning Plan” (6) with goals for professional development, and to record and describe which acceptable activities were pursued to meet those goals. My understating is that the specific details of these requirements have not yet been finalized, but I imagine that a goal example might be “maintain and sharpen competence in providing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)” and that an acceptable supporting activity example might then be “attend a CBT seminar.”
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*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA

Five Ways to Listen and Learn When You Hear a Career Story

Posted by: Mark Franklin on May 8, 2015 8:10 am

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You can gain so much by hearing other people’s career stories, but you have to listen carefully and in special ways. After interviewing over 300 guests on Career Buzz, and hearing thousands more stories in our CareerCycles practice, I’d like to share these five ways to listen and learn, next time you hear a career story — like on Career Buzz this Wednesday 11 to noon, or by listening to our amazing archive of career stories.

1. Listen for clues and inspired actions. It’s not one thing after another, it’s one thing because of another. Listen for clues that people followed which led them to take action. Clues can be external like a conversation with a friend, or internal, like a thought or feeling about the situation.

2. Notice changes in working identity. As we progress through our careers and lives, we change how we identify ourselves. Identity statements sound like I am a… or I was a… For example, I was an engineer; now I’m a career professional and entrepreneur. Changing working identity doesn’t happen easily, and if you understand how someone else changed their working identity, you’ll have clues about how you can change yours.

3. Understand their lessons learned. I like to ask Career Buzz guests what they learned about making career and life choices from their own lived experience. Listen to their answers because you can gain a lot from others’ hard won self-awareness. It can save you years. If you listen to archived Career Buzz stories, it’s the last question I ask.

4. Borrow relevant language, especially about strengths. After helping thousands of clients, I’ve noticed how hard it can be for people to name their unique strengths, skills and knowledge. That’s why I always ask Career Buzz guests what strengths they draw on to be successful. Their surprising answers can help you name your own strengths.

5. Tune into yourself to integrate what you learned. We live in a fast paced world super-saturated with stories. It’s too easy to hear one and quickly move on to the next. Stop! Listen! Ask yourself: What have I heard that’s relevant to my present situation and will help me in my career and life?

If you need help figuring out what your own story is telling you about next steps, try an exploratory consultation with one of our amazing team of career professionals.

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

Making the Time for Yourself

Posted by: Jennifer Morrison on May 7, 2015 9:07 am

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I am sitting here at my desk thinking about how excited I am about getting the opportunity to write for Counselling Connect. It is something I have wanted to do for some time and only now am I finding the time to get to it. Perhaps finding the time is not the correct term to use. I think I am now allowing myself to make the time to do it. As a school guidance counsellor in a grade 7 to 9 middle school with just under 600 students, time is not something that I have complete control over. Yes I have a planner with scheduled meetings with parents, students and staff, and I do my best to keep to that schedule. However, when a parent walks into my office with their teenage child looking to register for school, or I receive a phone call from DCS regarding a student I counsel, the next hour of my schedule is suddenly pushed up. What happens instead is a long process of filling out paperwork, looking for legal documentation and finding appropriate educational programs for the student so they can start as soon as possible. This is not something that can wait a few days. The longer a student is out of school, the more education they are missing. The point I am trying to make is that school counsellors often must work on the immediate issues in front of them and this immediacy can create stress and anxiety in the workplace.

For years I spent hours of my day preparing for my job, doing my job, and then continuing to do work related duties well after my work day ended. I became tired, and began to dislike the work I was doing. The counselling aspect of my job seemed to take the back burner to the immediate administrative duties. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being a school counsellor, but I no longer felt fulfilled. This changed when I decided to take the active step of taking my scheduled breaks throughout the day and leaving my work in my office. The first time I did that was the beginning of a new journey for me. Suddenly I was able to come to work, do my job and love it again. Yes it is difficult to leave work and not worry about what needs to be done. However, now I am home at a good time, able to make supper and spend time with my family without thinking about the needs of my students. This leaves me plenty of energy to tackle the next day. I now feel less stress and more love for what I do.

So, the point of my very first Counsellor Connect blog is simple:

IF YOU WANT TO LOVE YOUR JOB, MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF!

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