Children’s Self-Esteem and Parental Influence (Part Three of Three)

Posted by: Asa Don Brown on May 15, 2011 3:39 pm

As adults we need to recognize that our successes and failures are mere historical reminders of events that have occurred in our lives. Likewise, children need to be taught, that while successes and failures are a makeup of our history, that we do not need to identify with our successes nor our failures. For we are no more our successes than we are our failures. If you look to the past for reassurance, your approval will be overshadowed by events that have previously occurred in your life. Reminding children that their successes and their failures are mere reminders of their historical achievements is essential in developing a positive sense of self. Successes and failures are simply our attempt to live life. We will most assuredly fail and succeed throughout our lives. Moreover, those events that we consider failures and successes should prove learning tools rather than barriers with which we live our lives.

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

Collaboration and Planning: The Keys to Success

Posted by: Lori Walls on May 13, 2011 2:40 pm

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School counsellors often receive referrals for students who are having difficulty fitting in due to issues involving communication. These issues can be related to conditions such as Asperger’s Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder or other disorders. Recently, I read an article that addressed the importance of collaborating with other professionals to address these types of deficits. The article pointed out that tackling problems related to communication can require ongoing support and that interaction with school counsellors is typically time limited, so having ongoing professional supports in place is vital for any lasting change. Two groups of professionals were singled out in the article as essential supports for students with communication difficulties. Speech Language Pathologists were mentioned for their expertise on the social use of language and Special Education teachers because they are likely in a position with the student to implement, practice, and reinforce communication skills and strategies.

The article outlined six common skill deficits as well as strategies school counsellors could follow when working with students on communication issues. In preparation for working on the communication issues it was noted that the school counsellor should identify the student’s social strengths and weaknesses and then prioritize which areas of deficits to target and subsequent strategies would be most beneficial to tackle during the counsellor’s time with the student. Additional strategies can be delegated to other professional members of the support team or assigned to parents or caregivers.

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

Explore New Areas

Posted by: Victoria Lorient-Faibish on May 13, 2011 9:06 am

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In order to maintain an excited and fresh perspective on the work you do make sure that you find interesting new books to read or new interesting seminars to take. This is the kind of thing that really stimulates newness and enthusiasm for the work you do currently.

Whenever I feel a bit bored and rather flat in my life I know for sure that I have not taken the time to become excited with a new technique, concept or area of knowledge. Once I do explore something new I feel a real sense of renewal and a percolation within me.

Clients feel our vibe. They sense when we are bored and they have a knowing when we are not present. They also sense when we are excited by our career and our work in general.

As a holistic minded person, I take into to account the mind, the body and the soul. I meditate often on the present moment and what it is offering me.
When I meditate I am contemplating the right here and the right now. This mitigates anxiety and depressive feelings that may be lingering about.

I know that hugging a tree may sound hokey but I often will move toward nature and being in natural surroundings as a way to feel renewal and a sense of exploration. During this past weekend I found myself drawn toward going for a long walk/hike in a nearby park in which I focused all of my attention on the new spring nature around me including the brilliant verdant green that was permeating the trees and the grass. The birds seemed to be so excited that the weather was finally a bit warmer. I found myself sitting and observing a mother bird flying back and forth feeding her chicks. Paying close attention to the sounds, the sites and the senses made my whole being wake up and feel alive.

This is what we need periodically to feel that we can cut through the quotidian potential hum drum of routine.

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

Grief and the Art Therapist: A Journey

Posted by: Guest on May 12, 2011 9:12 am

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The focus of therapists is almost always to help clients process their feelings as they bring their vulnerability into the therapy space. This is most true when clients are dealing with grief, whether it stems from death, divorce or other loss. But what happens when it is the therapist who is experiencing grief? How do therapists deal with their own feelings within the therapeutic relationship?

As an art therapist, I have struggled with that question as I’ve dealt with the impending death of a family member. My experiences of grief come into the therapeutic space through countertransference and because I bring my most authentic self into each session. But of course I seek support from friends, family, my supervisor and my own therapist. Since I am aware of my feelings of grief, I am able to use them to connect with my clients on a deeper level and to use them in a positive way. Art therapy provides an ideal way to do so.

By creating art with clients during a session, art therapists can support clients’ emotional growth but also communicate in a non-verbal language that they understand the clients’ feelings and that they share in their experience. The shared art-making becomes a means to create a stronger therapeutic relationship and it can serve as a representation of the joint work of therapy. Shared art-making can include creating a scene with clay in which both therapist and client contribute or creating a collage together which explores the feelings within the therapeutic relationship.

Art therapists also have the option of creating art in response to what the client makes as they experience grief. Some time ago I was moved deeply by the sadness that a client expressed and as I touched into my own sadness I felt my heart open as we shared the experience together. I made my client a small sculpture using clay, which I gave to her as a symbol of how I was moved by her gift of vulnerability, which she shared with me. Several months later that client told me that the art I gave her was significant in that she knew I understood how she felt.

Therapists’ grief does not have to be a hindrance within the therapeutic setting. Using art can not only help bridge the gap between therapist and client’s emotional selves, it can be essential when processing complex issues such as grief. By using creative methods, I have not only managed by grief expressions within the therapeutic setting but have used them to become a better art therapist.

*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

Practically Yours: Self-Care Tips for Counsellors – Mental Health

Posted by: Derrick Shirley on May 10, 2011 9:03 am

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How do we maintain good mental health as we help others with theirs? What are some best practices for mental and emotional clearing between sessions? Are there any special considerations for counsellors and psychotherapists concerning our own mental health?

This is part two of a six part series that addresses the links between self-care and good health. In part one of this series, I introduced six components of health and discussed physical health (Ivker, Anderson, & Trivieri, 2000). In this post, we will discuss characteristics of good mental health and offer practical applications for counselling practice.

Ivker et al. (2000), summarize mental health as a “condition of peace of mind and contentment”. Memories of the introduction to “The Little House on the Prairie” immediately come to my mind. This was a popular television series from the 1970’s that opened with the three little Ingalls’ girls running happily down a grassy hill. Good mental health may include freeing experiences such as this as well as others. Having a job that you love doing, being optimistic, having a sense of humour, experiencing financial well-being, and/or living your life vision are other characteristics of good mental health according to Ivker.

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

Our Problem is Their Perfect Solution

Posted by: Guest on May 10, 2011 9:00 am

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If only our kids came with a manual, or a how to guide so that when we come across puzzling moments that leave us scratching our heads we have some idea how to respond or what to do. So often we are left puzzled by their actions and left to feel like no one else’s child could possible act this way? Or could they?

Recently I gave a talk to a group of parents on “Engaging our Youth Today;” I only got part way through my talk when the parents revealed what they really wanted: help! They wanted to share scenario after scenario about what was happening for them at home and what to do about it. Before I could respond to their situations an interesting thing happened, everyone calmed after hearing each other’s stories. We hadn’t even problem solved on best practices to deploy, but just hearing that no one was dealing with something that was being heard of for the first time was comforting. We may all be unique individuals, but socially we are all connected as well as challenged in similar ways.

Children (and adults too, but this article is focused on the tinier humans) all want the same two things deep down: belonging and significance. And what are those? Alfred Adler, the father of Adlerian psychology said that without belonging, the feeling of being connected, and significance, the feeling of having self worth, we act out. When children “act out” they do so with mistaken goals of behaviour. And thus is born, our problem their solution.

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

Snapshot from Ottawa: National Symposium on Counsellor Mobility in Canada

Posted by: Curtis Stevens on May 9, 2011 9:15 am

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Here I sit on day two of the National Symposium on Counsellor Mobility in Canada. I am at the Sheraton Hotel in beautiful downtown Ottawa. The room is a buzz of counsellors of all walks of life and academics (or a combination of both). The conversation is a combination of “what did you do last night” and, of course, the profession of counselling and the process of regulating the profession. As a nubie to this group, I see old friendships rekindled and ongoing networking of the “power hub” of the National association. I’m a little reserved; meeting those at my own table (other nubies), but not really “hob-knobbing” Yesterday was a discussion on survey results that identifies a common definition of counseling and a scope of practice that attempts to encompass the variance of counselor activity. The afternoon session was focused on reviewing and approving a format for the code of ethics that can be utilized by each of the provincial bodies and each of the different groups within the provincial bodies. As expected, different provinces are at different stages of development in their bid to legislate/regulate; Quebec and Nova Scotia being close to completion, while other areas – like the prairies are just starting. Some provinces, like Alberta, have umbrella legislation that we are trying to “fit” into. Areas like Nova Scotia are having to create their own legislation. What is common amongst the members is their drive to create an identity for Counsellors across the country. Within that identity, they are trying to create a path that is easily navigational from province to province while maintaining a high enough standard to protect the best interest of the people that access their supports. What does this mean for the average counselor? Probably nothing, unless, of course, you are in a position where you choose to or have to move from one province to the next. I am hoping that we, as counsellors, will have a common language to be able to tell people what it is that we do. Even though we are such a diversified group we can “celebrate the things we have in common.” The day’s activity was on the agreement of the process involved in developing a framework for a comprehensive Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

It’s hard to capture everything within 500 words that went on in this group. Each human being is driven by a desire to belong (following, of course, our more primal needs). As counsellors we attempt to help people with that process (to belong in their group, relationships with others, and relationships with themselves). This symposium creates opportunities to help us, as counsellors, find a sense of greater belonging. My job right now is to point you in the right direction; which, for starts, is http://www.ccacc.ca/en/theprofession/interprovincialmobility/

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

Holding Feelings In Art: A Container For Emotions

Posted by: Hailing Huang on May 6, 2011 10:11 am

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When my client, a 10-year-old boy came into my office the other day, he shuffled around the room, pushing and poking at random objects. He made it clear that he was not interested in talking and he seemed frustrated in my questions to him. Knowing that he had been getting into trouble at school for angry outbursts at his teacher and other students, it was my impression that he was storing strong emotions in regards to his parents’ impending divorce and custody situation. When he sat at the art table and began to cut paper with scissors, I asked him whether he would like to sit on the floor with me and rip large pieces of paper. He sat beside me and timidly began to rip, each time looking at me for assurance. With a nod, I indicated to him that it was all right and with earnest he began to rip the paper.

What started as a small invitation for the boy to express his anger became a huge breakthrough for him and for our therapeutic relationship. He ripped with enthusiasm and sometimes aggression and I ripped the paper along side of him. We then created a piece of art, sticking the pieces of paper together to form collages and images.

Creating art not only gave the boy a vehicle to express his strong emotions, but it also provided a metaphorical container to hold them. At school, his feelings erupted and affected those around him since his teacher and peers were targets of his unfocused anger. However, the art created boundaries in which he could safely release his emotions and he did not have to worry about harming anyone including him or me.

The art as a container, in which he poured his strongest feelings, also provided a means in which I could relate to him. Had he showed me his rage by wildly punching or putting us in danger, then my role would be more to limit him than to relate to him. But by ripping the paper with him, I could share in the experience of his anger and give him an opportunity to release the feelings he had pent up inside. Using art as a container to create boundaries does not constrain expression of emotions but rather provides freedom to release them since a sense of safety has been established. And once the feelings have been released and processed, clients can create some distance from them so that they can continue to move forward with their healing.

Nalini Iype, MC:AT, CCC is an art therapist and counsellor in private practice in Toronto. For more information visit www.ArtTherapySolutions.com or email her at [email protected]

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

How clear is your self-picture?

Posted by: Jeffrey Landine on May 6, 2011 9:07 am

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By: Jeff Landine and John Stewart

As stated in our previous blog, one significant task of career counselling involves understanding and organizing clients’ self-attributes. A taxonomy developed by Donald Super was articulated as a useful structure for understanding the various self-concepts and the self-concept system including the dimensions of esteem, clarity, consistency, realism, complexity and efficacy.

In the context of vocational self-concepts, clarity refers to the precision with which a particular self-concept is defined and consistency refers to the congruence that exists between self-concepts. A clear self-concept would be one that is well defined and has clearly recognized attributes. For example, a clear vocational self-concept such as punctual would be accompanied by the ability to define punctuality and supporting evidence of the possession of this characteristic. A consistent self-concept would be one that fits easily and appropriately with other self-concepts in the system. For example, it is easy to see oneself as both driven and conscientious with regard to work life but it would be much harder to see how one could be driven and laid back in their approach to work.

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