It has been awhile since I last sat down to write for Counselling Connects.  I made it through the mountain climbing episode as described in the last post.  Let’s get out of the mountains and back into the counselling office.  We’ve talked (well I’ve talked, you’ve listened) about setting goals, being aware of the content and the process and we’ve discussed being aware of self talk.  I thought it would be interesting to talk about my experience as a counsellor going for counselling.  My daytime job is with Alberta Children’s Services.  Through my job I see a lot of sad, unfortunate and unsettling things on a day to day basis.  I have found that after working for the department for almost 20 years that I need to become more aware of my feelings (it’s amazing what a person can get used to).  To help me get in tune with my feelings, I’ve enlisted the help of a therapist.  I’ve noticed two significant things as a counsellor going for counselling:  1. I’m not necessarily a good “client” and 2.  The stigma about counselling is real, but not necessarily where you think. 

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Chaque association a ses propres politiques en ce qui concerne la façon de citer les titres de compétence. En tant que membre, il importe que vous preniez connaissance de ces politiques avant de faire quelque mention que ce soit au sujet de votre statut de membre sur vos cartes de visite, votre site Web ou tout autre véhicule promotionnel que vous pourriez utiliser.  Vous pourriez en effet contrevenir aux politiques de votre association sans même le savoir.

C’est d’ailleurs le cas que vous pratiquiez ou non au sein d’une profession officiellement réglementée. Il existe de nombreux titres protégés au Canada et il importe de connaître les exigences associées à leur usage. Par exemple, au Québec, le titre de « conseiller d’orientation » est un titre réservé qui ne peut être utilisé que par les personnes inscrites au tableau de l’Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation du Québec. Pour sa part, la British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors autorise l’usage du titre « Registered Clinical Counsellor » par les personnes inscrites à cette association.

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Every association has its own policies regarding how to properly state credentials. It is important as a member that you review these policies before making any statements regarding membership on your business cards, website or any other promotional materials you may have.  You could be in breach of your association’s policies without even knowing it.

This is true regardless of whether you practice within a statutory regulated profession or a self-regulated profession. There exist many protected titles in Canada and it’s important to know the requirements of using those titles. For example, in Québec, the title “conseiller d’orientation” is a reserved title and can only be used by those registered with the Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation du Québec. Additionally, the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors grants the use of the title “Registered Clinical Counsellor” to those registered with that association.

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So, I didn’t quite finish the last entry completely.  Implications of my mountain climbing experience in counseling?  I think the most important thing I wanted to express and what really struck me during the climb was just how impactful the “chatter” that goes on in the conscious mind can be to achieving personal goals.  I trust, as therapists, that we already know that, but to be aware of the chatter myself perhaps gives me a better understanding of how debilitating it can be to our clients. 

The other thought that had exemplifies a belief that I have had for some time now.  I talked a lot about setting appropriate SMART goals as an important element of the counseling interaction; however, I do also realize that if you spend all your time looking for/reaching for/intensely focused on the end goal;  the summit of the mountain (just to carry this metaphor on further), there is the risk of not relishing in the moment.  I found, during the climb that although the breaks were necessary to prevent me from passing out, or from stumbling over the rocks, I sure enjoyed the moments to stop along the way and look around; to build a small inookshook, to snap a picture, or whatever. 

The completion of a goal lasts only a brief moment.  The journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.  Somewhere between those two moments is the climb.  Helping our clients set their sights on a goal is important, but so is helping them realize that it is a process that they can be aware of.  Clients can know that there will be distractions or challenges that may take a person off track a bit or a lot.  They can also take some understanding of the control they have within themselves simply by being meta-aware of the process.  They can notice they are off track, be curiously scientific about the process, then simply, without judgment, return to the path. In fact, the journey may be more important to the actual achievement of the final goal.  Evaluation of this process has forced me to understand that my goal was not to reach the summit of the mountain, but to simply climb.

I climbed a mountain for the first time the other day.  It has been one of my goals since I moved to the Crowsnest Pass.  I went with my daughter,  the exchange student that lives with us and a 11 year old child.  It was really an amazing experience.  But what has this got to do with counseling, one might ask?  One of the tasks in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is to help the client to become aware of their self-talk and to counteract the negative self-talk with more positive statements/affirmations.  I’ve gotten so used to challenging the un-resourceful self-talk that clients practice, but really don’t pay that much attention to mine.  I guess you can say that I need to practice what I preach. 

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