Author Archives: Debbie Grove

Talk about Homework before Leaving the Counselling Office

Posted by: Debbie Grove on May 24, 2011 1:21 pm
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You are likely familiar with the idea that ‘homework’ between counselling sessions is often suggested by counsellors. Homework comes in many different forms (e.g., reading a self-help book, starting a journal, practising a skill such as stress management, working on communicating with your partner, noticing what triggers depression, and so on). However, homework is not always helpful and effective — below are some key reasons why this is the case.

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

Collaborative Counselling – Working Together Toward Change

Posted by: Debbie Grove on May 11, 2011 9:18 am
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How do you conceptualize ‘counselling?’ If you view it as a partnership, a team effort, a meeting of the minds, and an opportunity to work together to achieve change, in all likelihood, collaborative counselling is for you.

What is Collaborative Counselling?

A collaborative therapeutic environment and relationship is a place to explore problems, have candid conversations, brainstorm potential solutions, and reflect on alternatives (Bohart & Tallman, 1999; Duncan & Miller, 2000). Collaboration is about negotiating the goals for counselling and deciding on a pathway to reach them. This also means voicing different opinions, concerns, curiosity, questions, and ideas about the direction of counselling, what has been helpful, and what is missing in counselling and/or not working. In other words, collaboration is not intended to be a perfect alignment, rather, it signifies a partnership that is experienced as open, respectful, energized, and purposeful.

How is Collaborative Counselling Brought to Life?

Collaborative counsellors are flexibly and actively engaged in the change process with their clients (Bachelor, Laverdière, Gamache, & Bordeleau, 2007). Anderson (1996) asked her clients for their feedback and opinions about what was helpful in therapy and how to make it collaborative. For example, from her work as both a researcher and therapist, she highlighted that collaborative practice includes being ‘in sync’ with clients. Synchronization (Anderson, 1996) involves, among other elements, checking-in with clients about the timing and pace of counselling, what seems to be helping, and attentively listening for client-constructed meaning. When clients and counsellors are out-of-sync, this might suggest that counselling is moving too fast (or too slow). It could also indicate that what a client intended was misunderstood by his/her counsellor. A check-in is a great way to open dialogue about meaning and interpretation, getting back on track, changing a therapeutic approach, and/or re-evaluating goals and progress.

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

Practical Questions to Ask Yourself When Searching for a Counsellor

Posted by: Debbie Grove on April 26, 2011 9:54 am
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Finding a counsellor who is a good fit can be a challenge, especially for someone who is seeking counselling services for the first time. Below I provide some helpful questions to ask yourself before you begin. My hope is to empower readers with information they can use when searching the Internet for services and when booking an appointment on the phone.

How Can I Fit Counselling into My Schedule?

Since life tends to be busy with multiple roles and responsibilities, the more convenient counselling is, the more likely one is to stick with it. I call this being ‘practical.’ In other words, once you narrow down your selection to a few counsellors in your area, find out if they offer evening and weekend hours. Does their schedule work with yours? Is there ample parking? Do they offer a sliding scale based on income? The idea is to not add more stress to your life. Giving some thought in advance to how you will fit counselling into your weekly routine helps make counselling manageable from the start.

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