Empathy Through Virtual Reality

Posted by: Sherry Law on September 22, 2015 12:51 pm

As a virtual reality (VR) enthusiast, I have seen first hand demonstrations which encourage empathy. Computer graphics is sophisticated enough where facial expressions of avatars are believable, and if you pay attention to video games which focus on story/narrative, then you can see that context of avatars can be deep, meaningful, and nuanced, reflecting real people and real situations. These characters and their stories can be powerful enough to elicit deep emotions, not unlike how poetry or song can. However, because VR includes visual, audio, and contextual stimulus, the emotions rely less on interpretation, and instead are directly administered through the story telling and the expressiveness of the characters and environment which surround the observer.

Empathy, the ability to understand or share the feelings of others, is a powerful tool that all therapists employ. As a skill, it serves to help therapists navigate through the challenges that a client may be facing. Empathy is critical in client care for its ability to create a therapeutic alliance bound by understanding. Not only can empathy directly impact the therapeutic relationship, it can impact a therapist’s practice by reducing bias, prejudice, and conflict within the therapist from which they can develop and improve their practice. Due to the importance of this skill, developing empathy is a significant focus for many health professionals. Traditional ways of developing therapeutic skills include workshops, conferences, lectures, reading, and field experience. Although these methods have been invaluable and cannot be replaced, what VR could offer in the future is a streamlined, safe, and efficient way to learn and practice therapeutic skills, but also to tinker with our social interactions in a digital vacuum.

Once computer graphics, story-telling, and VR merge, you can have in the palm of your hands a powerful experience that is convincing on a human level. Imagine the avatars reacting to your movements, and paying attention to your actions and reactions to them. Imagine the avatars being able to express without even speaking, simply by using their facial expressions. Imagine having text boxes popping up to explain the reaction of the avatar and why they may have occurred, and more importantly, what you have done to contribute to such a response. What VR can provide is the isolation of these human expressions and an interactive environment from which to build empathy and tinker with social behaviour in a safe and insulated way.

As a practicing counsellor, I can see immense benefits in being able to interact with an avatar to test therapeutic methods. Given some context, how will the avatar react if I did this, said that, or looked away? Of course, the reactions of the avatar rely solely on the ability of the programmer to predict how a human would respond. Once health professionals become part of the development for these programs and experiences, much more can be expected of them.

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

Hot off the App Press – TruReach Health

Posted by: Dawn Schell on September 16, 2015 2:50 pm

On September 9, 2015, Jeff Perron, a University of Ottawa doctoral student released a new Mental Health app titled TruReach Health. I read about it, downloaded it (for free) and gave it a trial run.

According to the description on iTunes “TruReach is mental wellness on-the go. TruReach has broken down cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) into quick, 5-minute lessons and packed them into the TruReach app”. It goes on to emphasize that this app is meant to be along the lines of a self-help book.

As reported in the Ottawa Citizen, Perron said “This isn’t a replacement for therapy or medication, but it’s a new option that you have. It’s to give people something where there’s nothing.”

Each lesson is given in the form of a short animated video. You have to watch each one in sequence. Watching number one unlocks number two and so on. There are eighteen lessons altogether. The first twelve are free and there is a fairly low fee ($7.99) for the last six. The money collected will be directed toward future development of this resource.

There is much I like about this app. Continue reading →

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

A Counsellor in Transition

Posted by: Stephanie Burley on September 15, 2015 2:18 pm

I have been working as a career counsellor on and off for the past 8 years. I’ve taken academic breaks, and short contracts related to other forms of counselling, but over all my experiences have been deeply rooted in career counselling. When I returned to graduate school in 2011 it was with the intention of switching my career focus from employment and career counselling to personal counselling. In 2010 I was working in Calgary, Alberta as a Youth Employment Counsellor at a downtown resource centre. The population group that accessed these services were mostly street-involved youth who had so many barriers to employment that I felt as though there was little that I could offer as a career counsellor to help. The clients I saw were often homeless and hungry. There was a very high number of clients struggling with addictions. I met with countless young mothers who didn’t have the resources to provide for their children the way they wanted. And I met with young women who were victims of sexual and physical abuse – often at the hands of loved ones. When these individuals sat down in my office and said they wanted help figuring out their careers it was challenging for me to address their wishes without first addressing their housing/nutrition/safety concerns. This experience motivated me to seek out further training and education so that I could be equipped to help the whole person sitting in front of me. Continue reading →

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

Finding work life balance: supporting our field in promoting what it preaches

Posted by: Anna Coutts on September 11, 2015 1:40 pm

In every counselling course or workshop I’ve ever taken, there is always a discussion about the importance of self-care. While we promote it, putting it into practice is often challenging. If you are looking for a new job or if you are an agency trying to reduce your turnover, here are some important factors to consider when determining if a role will offer the right amount of self-care.

Part-time or full-time. For many therapists, maintaining emotional well-being means not working as much. Whether it’s because you are working with a high risk population or because you are busy raising children, many therapists I know find the best way to prevent burnout is working part-time. More and more research is highlighting the benefits of a shorter work week. It has been suggested that working less can not only make employees happier, but more productive. If working less is something that you feel makes you a better therapist, seriously consider weighing the pros and cons of part-time before jumping into a full-time role. Agencies looking to reduce turnover may also benefit from offering both part-time and full-time positions.

Flexible or fixed hours. Some people love routine. They love having a clear, fixed schedule because it reduces anxiety and increases their ability to effectively manage their lives. Other people find such rigidity stressful, as it leaves them little leeway to balance fluctuations in their personal and professional lives. Know what works best for you and explore what a workplace offers before accepting a position.

Opportunities to work from home. With the go- go-go style of today’s society and the abundance of technology that allows us to stay connected from all around the world, more and more agencies are offering employees the ability to occasionally work from home. This can make a world of difference to one’s well-being. Whether it’s being able to avoid the stress of traffic jams once a week or to enjoy the opportunity of spending your lunch hour with your kids, many people find even a few hours a week working from home can keep them refreshed and focused.

Time off or Extra Pay. How much time off do you get? Do vacations help you unwind? Does making extra cash mean you spend ever extra minute you have off recovering from work? Sometimes we forget to consider how important vacation is and instead jump at the opportunity to make a bit more money. However, time away from work might actually make you a more effective therapist. Traveling can give you perspective. A few days relaxing with family can rejuvenate you. Take the time to consider how much you value your time off before accepting a job. Make sure to ask in-depth questions about vacation, as some agencies might seem to offer more than they do. Some agencies may only offer two weeks vacation but also give staff additional flex days or shut down for a couple extra weeks during holiday times. If you’re working at an agency and looking for a way to entice employees, consider being flexible about offering more time off instead of only offering salary incentives.

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

What is Anxiety? How Do You Explain It To Your Clients?

Posted by: Lisa Shouldice on August 31, 2015 5:00 am

Anxiety has become more and more prevalent in our society in the last while. I have heard anxiety/depression referred to as the “common cold” of mental health. It certainly describes a collection of symptoms that, as mental health professionals and students studying within this field, we know well. But is it really so simple?

I have noticed in some anxiety support groups that anxiety is seen as a natural extension of living in a society that is anxiety-producing for all of us, although to different degrees. The genetic component seems to be widely accepted, although I have certainly treated clients with no obvious, identified family histories of anxiety or related disorders. Anxiety seems to be a collection of symptoms that most professionals conceptualize depending on how they treat it. So I would love to see a professional dialogue to hear how you explain anxiety to your clients when they come to your office presenting with either self or doctor diagnosed anxiety. Is it created by disordered thoughts? Is it environmental but can be treated ex: mindfulness techniques?

I feel genetics can be a part of the equation and speak to how some folks are born with a lower threshold for anxiety, needing less information introduced before anxiety symptoms result. So meditation may be effective. However, I often use an idea I got from a supervisor of mine many years ago. It refers to anxiety as being like a temperature. A temperature is a symptom that tells us when something is wrong in our bodies. Well anxiety is similar. It tells us when something is wrong with our emotional centre, “too much change at once”, “overload” etc. So if we do not process intense emotions and experiences it can build up and create anxiety symptoms. Most people find when they begin opening these things up, they feel a bit better quickly. Whether the sessions involve healing traumatic symptoms or the recent death of a family member is decided on together, etc. As well as how we do this.

I was recently reading a novel “The Heretic’s Daughter” by Kathleen Kent involving the Salem witch trials and the line, “You cannot harvest the corn unless you go into the corn” stayed with me. I believe only with appropriate processing comes full healing. With remembrance, comes healing. Do you believe this?

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

Helping Young Clients Transition From Post-Secondary School

Posted by: Andrea Cashman on August 26, 2015 5:00 am

Many of the young clients that come into my office seem to be struggling with making the transition from post-secondary school into the real world. They are the young adults who have just successfully graduated from their College or University programs but struggle to make the next step. The reason behind their hesitation is not what you may think it is initially. Many of them struggle to even get past putting in applications for job postings. The job search terrifies them not because there is a lack of jobs necessarily but because they do not feel good enough or they completely feel lost on what career is for them. Struggling with self-identity or self-esteem issues is what holds them back. I’ve even seen clients who have entered into programs that their parents have picked out for them. These young adults feel trapped in a world that doesn’t hold true to themselves. Regardless, the question remains the same: why are these young adults suffering a transitional crisis so early on? We mostly hear jokes and passings about mid-life crises. We hear frequently about empty nest transition crises. However, we rarely hear about young people suffering a crisis in their 20’s. This is often referred to as a quarter life crisis. Continue reading →

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

Presence

Posted by: Sherry Law on August 25, 2015 5:00 am

In one of my previous posts I mentioned a phenomenon called presence, which is a potent experience capable of convincing a person that they occupy a place which they do not exist physically. This experience is difficult to describe but is the quintessential point I, and other researchers in the field of virtual reality, believe the technological and the therapeutic intersect. This post will attempt to explain how presence is achieved and how it can be therapeutic.

Presence, in terms of artistic experience, is also called immersion, explained by philosopher, Samuel Coleridge, as a “suspension of disbelief”. This experience can occur in any medium, such as a good book, or a tv show. If you can imagine a quiet evening with a book where an exciting story can make you forget that you have been turning the page for hours. This is an example of immersion. You feel as though you are a visitor to the story, or a witness to the events unfolding in your minds eye. What virtual reality (VR) accomplishes is immersion but replacing the minds eye with direct visual input. Continue reading →

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

Watching the Grass Grow

Posted by: Curtis Stevens on April 4, 2011 10:57 am

2 Replies

This is the second article on setting goals. I am spending a little extra time on this subject because it will be important in later posts. The last article started with deciding that you have a choice in your behaviour, thus there is a point to setting goals. The second point of the article was to instruct how to set a goal in the first place. “I want to write.” That’s my goal. It isn’t very specific or measureable. I want to write grocery lists? No, I want to write a book. That’s almost specific. I want to write a book about counselling psychology. That’s even more specific. It is certainly attainable and realistic, but without having timelines in place, it still is a wide open, daunting task. I’ve never written a book before. How long does it take? What are the steps?

In the same vein, setting a goal of quitting smoking (or conversely living a healthy lifestyle), or finding happiness in one’s work setting may be too daunting to attack all at once. Any goal may appear too big to handle even after paring it down to its’ most specific form. An effective counsellor will help their client break their goals down into much smaller steps; so small perhaps, that it would resemble grass growing. We can’t always see it happening, but I’ll be damned if I don’t have to cut my grass a couple of times every week.

The first step to my goal of writing a book on counselling psychology starts with writing in smaller chunks. Writing these blog entries is my first step to writing a book. In this series of entries, I have to be fairly succinct, clear, focused and timely (as there is a scheduled submission time). What are the smallest steps in attaining your goals? Living a healthy lifestyle might simply start with acceptance of where you are right now; being mindful of how your body feels in this very moment. Measuring your weight, body mass index, waistline, breathing depth/rate, amount of daily sleep, observing your current habits all might be a place to start. The next step would be making one small change that you can maintain (as opposed to trying to do it all at once). If you are a fast food addict, continue to be so, but cut out the fries, or the pop. Just get the burger. One small change. Change how you take in your food. Be mindful of your eating. Put your fork down between bites. Chew each bite with full attention; notice what you are eating. Introduce one small bit of exercise into your day. One small sustainable change leads to the next.

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

How To Take The High Road With Your Kids When The Low Road Is All You Can See

Posted by: Guest on April 1, 2011 9:14 am

1 Reply

Do you ever feel like pulling your hair out when you are trying to get your child to take Tylenol for a high fever and they are refusing adamantly? Or you are trying to have a short phone conversation and you are interrupted 2000 times by a tiny human that “needs to find his Darth Vader action figure NOW”? Or the weather-appropriate clothes that you were summoned to advise upon, and mother nature would agree should be worn on this 10 below day, are being cast aside for a tank top, capri’s and a shiny pair of flats have become the insanity inducing attire? And through it all, getting to your 9:15am meeting that you begged to have pushed back so you can gently and lovingly drop your kids off at school, as opposed to ejecting them from the car, is now history!

You know this scene. All parents do. We start out with the best intentions (we always do); we are on the high road or as Daniel Siegel (physician and author of Parenting From the Inside Out) calls it, the “High mode.” This type of functioning or “processing” as Siegel refers to, gets the name due to the part of the brain that is in the top front, called the prefrontal cortex. When we are processing in the high mode, we are engaging our rational mind, we are able to be reflective, flexible, and have a sense of self-awareness of how we are being received. In this mode, we can moderate the tone and volume of our voice, speak with love and kindness to our children, use open body language and offer mutually respectful and dignified choices for our children to respond to as well as relevant and related consequences can be used should they become needed. In this mode, we are the parent we want to be. So what happens?

Continue reading →

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

Counselling in Elementary Schools: The Tension Between Ideals and Practice

Posted by: Guest on March 31, 2011 2:59 pm

1 Reply

I did my training in school counselling at OISE/UT in 2006. It provided me with a broad, rich background in a whole host of theoretical orientations and modalities. It also reaffirmed some of the deeply held beliefs I held about the importance of trust in healing relationships. But what it did not, and perhaps could not, provide me with was a full appreciation of the difficulties I might encounter in trying to apply those values and principles to the real-world setting of an elementary school. Below are a few examples of what I mean.

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