Failure or Opportunity? The Benefits of Shifting Our Views on the Meaning of School

Posted by: Anna Coutts on April 10, 2015 10:44 am

Learn /lərn/: to gain or acquire knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or being taught.

School is supposed be about learning. Unfortunately, it often seems our society is forgetting what learning is all about. In my practice, I’ve worked with increasing numbers of bright, talented and eager-to-learn youth who are unable to “succeed” at school. Many have become so overwhelmed by depression and anxiety about having to excel academically that they’ve ended up in hospital or have simply stopped attending.

For many kids, it isn’t this extreme. However, more and more youth are feeling the pressure to “get the grades.” Ask almost any teenager about what is more important, understanding the material or getting an A, and I guarantee you most would go with the latter. Yet it’s no wonder they feel so overwhelmed: all around them are frantic parents and teachers, instilling fear in youth that not getting the right grades will lead to failure in life. Failing a test, or worse, failing a class or a grade are seen as catastrophes that can destroy a person’s chance at a happy, prosperous life.

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

CCPA Applauds Ontario Government on New CRPO

Posted by: CC PA on April 7, 2015 9:55 am

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The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) congratulates the Ontario Government on the official proclamation made April 1st, 2015 that the Psychotherapy Act, 2007 has come officially into force by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

“Regulation of a profession requires commitment and collaboration amongst the government, the profession and key stakeholders. CCPA is proud to be part of this collaboration and this milestone for the profession”, said Blythe Shepard, CCPA President. “CCPA congratulates the Transitional Council of the College of Registered Psychotherapists on this significant accomplishment. CCPA hopes that the regulation of the profession in Ontario hastens the regulation efforts in other jurisdictions of Canada.”

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

Diversity

Posted by: Priya Senroy on March 31, 2015 9:12 am

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When we talk about diversity in our counseling practice, I think it’s not just working with diverse culture or diverse population but it’s also having an understanding of the cultural diversity of the materials we choose to use. Whether it’s a piece of fabric, a story or even an activity, each has its own unique characteristic; its unique symbolism and its unique healing purpose. Diversity is also found in some of the cultural rituals that we celebrate. I find that spring is one of the times when there are many such rituals take place. For me, spring is one of the strangest season and time of the year. While it is a time for birthdays, celebrating cultural New Year, anticipation of what am I going to plan in my vegetable patch, it is also a time to mark anniversaries of heartbreaks. It is during this time that I also get to go back to reading one of my favorite books by Clarissa Pinkola Este: “Women Who Run with the Wolves”. In one of her chapters, she mentions a grief exercise called “Descansos”, which is basically markers of the changes, the turning points, the deaths (literal and figurative) in one’s life. She says, “Descansos are symbols that mark a death. Right there, right on that spot, someone’s journey in life halted unexpectedly. There has been a car accident, or someone was walking along the road and died of heat exhaustion, or a fight took place there. Something happened there that altered that person’s life and the lives of other persons forever.”

I have been creating my own Descansos at various life transition events as they can also be seen, metaphorically, as crossroads where choices need to be made.

My background is not from Latin America where Descanos are the roadside shrines that mark the memory where an accident claimed a life. I can, however, relate to the archetypical images and the symbols and what Jung shares as a part of the collective unconscious. For me working with images from diverse cultures helps me to feel connected not only to the materials but also to the psyche of the experiencing the knowledge of the client and the community.

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

Community Art Therapy

Posted by: Priya Senroy on March 27, 2015 12:00 pm

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Happy Spring everyone!!!

I can smell, it, see it, touch it…but I can’t feel it in the recent chill spell….yet I am optimistic that “it” is just round the corner…. And the only place where I can see the effects of seasonal changes are in my backyard. The white is getting replaced by brown and yellow shades, the dark browns are slowly turning color and the dead are rising again. Very metaphoric especially with Easter round the corner.

Speaking of death, I saw an interesting show on the television about a well known Mexican holiday called Los Dias de los Muertos. It is held on November 1st and November 2nd. The displays and the showcasing that were shown were seriously a sensory overload. Men and women decorate breads, paper cutouts, dancing skeletons, and sugar skull candies. Artistically crafted caskets and altars are usually displayed in the community to honor the dead.

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

Healthy Minds AKA Yet Another App

Posted by: Dawn Schell on March 25, 2015 12:00 pm

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I know, I know. Yet another app. This is no ordinary app though. The Royal[1], “one of Canada’s foremost mental health care and academic health sciences centres”, developed the Healthy Minds app[2]. Aimed at post-secondary students, Healthy Minds is “a problem-solving tool to help deal with emotions and cope with the stresses you encounter both on and off campus.”

When you download Healthy Minds it opens with a short explanatory video showing you how to make best use of the app. The authors of the app ask that you do three things – think about one problem you want to focus on, write what led to the problem, what thoughts, feelings and behaviours this problem caused and what happened after the problem. Why? As Dr. Simon Hatcher says in the video, “So you can change how you react in the future”.

In the Mood section you are prompted with a “how are you feeling?” and you can choose from nine moods. When you click on the submit button you are then sent to a text box where you can write about “what happened before you felt this way”. You can even add a photo if you wish. Once you submit this text, depending on the emotion you chose, you there are helpful suggestions. For example, if you choose “angry” you will be asked if you want to take a moment to try the Breathe activity.

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

Stop Blaming Yourself. Find An Employer Who Invests in its Workforce

Posted by: Mark Franklin on March 24, 2015 4:25 pm

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Hear the Podcast: Tom Zizys on fixing our dysfunctional employment market and why you should stop blaming yourself

“Canadians have answered the call,” economist Tom Zizys told Career Buzz listeners (Feb. 11, 2015). “We have a large proportion of people with college and university degrees,” said Zizys, a Metcalf Foundation Fellow, but they’re “working in entry level service jobs that used to lead to something else but are more dead end jobs – which points to a larger dysfunction.”

“So many of our policies have been focused on the ‘supply side,'” explained Zizys. “We’re trying to fix those individuals who are looking for work or encouraging them to acquire skills by staying in school longer.” He says “we spend far less time looking at the ‘demand side.'”

If there’s one message from a policy perspective,” Zizys concluded, “we’ve got pay far more attention to employers and adjusting their practices.” Right on.

How do the clues apply to you? Zizys explained that when many employers look for candidates “they’re not looking within, or grooming people. They’re doing just in time hiring.” As a result, early career people “are not known to employers, and so they require credentials.” And that’s why advanced degrees and resumes and job search skills have become so important.

If you’re a job seeker, stop blaming yourself. Find an employer who invests in its workforce and develops talent within. Try Canada’s 100 best small and medium employers.

If you’re employer, read Zizys’ report, Better Work: The path to good jobs is through employers

Hear the whole interview also featuring Nicole Bendaly and Leslie Bendaly of Kinect on what makes teams work well together.

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

Compassion Based CBT and Spirituality Work Well Together

Posted by: Farah Lodi on March 20, 2015 12:00 pm

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Compassion-based CBT, as described by Paul Weber, could be straight out of a manual of Buddhist teachings, or from Holy Scriptures. I use a lot of CBT with my clients, but in cases where the client is overly focused on self-criticism and shame, actually believing the “alternative healthy thoughts” is a struggle. Conceptually they understand the logic of Socratic dialogue, but they don’t integrate the rational thoughts, maybe because they lack a key ingredient crucial to recovery: self-compassion. This is when I use more compassion-based interventions. Finding and developing self-compassion is a lot easier with religious clients. Here’s why:

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

The Power of Parental Acceptance

Posted by: Anna Coutts on March 18, 2015 12:00 pm

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I recently re-read the award-winning book The Help. While the book carries many important messages, there is one message in particular that really stood out for me. It was the message about the importance of acceptance. I was struck by just how determined the main character Aibileen is to make sure the child she nannies grows up feeling good about herself. In order to make sure this happened, she tells the child daily she is kind, smart and important. Aibileen reflects on how she’s learned over the years the value of giving children messages of love and acceptance, as she has seen how too many pushes for change can devastate a child’s sense of self. It made me realize how powerful feeling accepted by a parent can be for a child.

Every parent wants the best for their child. They want them to be happy, healthy and successful. Most parents will bend over backwards trying to give a good life to their child. Unfortunately, sometimes in an effort to make things better, we inadvertently make things more difficult. I see it all the time – parents pushing their kids to excel at school or sports, convinced that pushing them will give them a prosperous life. They will fight tooth and nail with teachers to get their kids out of difficult situations and to protect their kids from perceived harm. They fear the emotional devastation that will be caused if their child doesn’t go to the best school or have the best friends or make the best team. They push for change because they believe it is what will give their child everything they want.

No one can fault them for their good intentions. They are trying to do something wonderful for someone they love. The problem is this constant push for the best often causes us to forget the power of accepting someone as they are now. Unintentionally, the message that is often sent along with the strive for change is that who you are at the moment isn’t good enough. This is of course not at all what parents intend. But unfortunately, it is often the impact.

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

It’s Brain Awareness Week!

Posted by: CC PA on March 16, 2015 2:52 pm

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“In the past twenty years, neuroscience and psychotherapy research has increased our knowledge of how and why people change and the reasons individuals may ‘get stuck’ in negative patterns of behaviour. This new brain awareness allows for innovative ways to understand interpersonal relationships, emotional memories, and strategies for mental health and wellness,” said CCPA President Blythe Shepard. “It simultaneously offers new hope for recovery and stabilization of mental illnesses. The brain can change — it is not fixed. The brain responds to external environmental events and actions undertaken by the individual. This means that counselling and psychotherapy can also build new brain networks as we actively listen to our clients, show empathic understanding, and build upon and recognize clients’ strengths.”

CCPA hosts a public website “Talking Helps” (www.talkingcanhelp.ca), which facilitates open dialogue and provides a place where members of the public can find authoritative information about the benefits of counselling in ameliorating a variety of challenging life situations. This website also provides a directory to Canadian Certified Counsellors by geographic location and specialty. You can also visit www.ccpa-accp.ca, to access this directory and search for a Canadian Certified Counsellor in your region.

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

Canada’s E-Mental Health Status Update

Posted by: Dawn Schell on March 16, 2015 12:44 pm

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Last year the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) published a briefing document on “E-Mental Health in Canada”. It is a worthwhile read. You can check it out here – MHCC E-Mental Health briefing

The aim of this document is to “describe e-Mental health in Canada and to outline the potential that technology has in transforming the delivery of mental health services.” This briefing paper is intended to inform practitioners, policy makers, funders, academics, researchers and those who develop e-Mental health technologies. The MHCC wanted to highlight “…tremendous possibilities for new technology in promoting mental health and preventing mental health problems.”

The definition of e-Mental health? The MHCC defines it as “…mental health services and information delivered or enhanced through the Internet and related technologies” which includes “…telephone, videoconferencing, web-based interventions, interventions using mobile devices, patient monitoring sensors, social media, virtual reality and gaming.” I think that about covers it!

In thirty-six easily accessible pages the MHCC provides us with an excellent snapshot of the state of e-Mental health in Canada. It’s interesting to see just how far we have come in the past few years in this regard.

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