Tag Archives: counselling

Why Processing Occupational Information May Be Well-Suited For Your Own “Central-Processing Unit”

Posted by: Jeffrey Landine on July 8, 2011 12:07 pm
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Career development is one area of counselling that appears to have embraced the efficiency and seemingly endless capacity of technology to store information in a readily accessible way.  Online assessments and databases such as CHOICES and Career Cruising are now integral aspects of career development curriculum and approaches to career counselling across the country.  Government departments in Canada and the US have taken on the task of developing frameworks for organizing occupations and occupational information (NOC and O*NET) using hierarchical relationships that organize occupations in terms of responsibilities and occupation domains, and level of education.  These frameworks are akin to the hierarchical manner in which information is stored in a computer.

In the realm of cognitive psychology, information-processing models often represent cognition, our information-processing abilities, as involving a series of sequential stages similar to the functioning of a computer where information, the input, is first into the computer through our sensory register.  There it is processed, and the resulting output is an answer or solution to a problem.  With computers, as long as the information at the input end is the same and the internal processes brought to bear on the information are similar, the output is the same, regardless of the computer used.  When the problem or, in the realm we are addressing, a career decision, involves human processing, however, the resulting answers or decisions are not always the same, even when the information being input is the same from one person to the next.  For example, a presentation made to a first-year university class describes the process involved in becoming a corporate banker, the typical duties a banker performs, and future employment outlooks for this occupation.  While all students receive the same information, what is done with the information likely varies from student to student.  This suggests that there are complicating variables that render each individual’s processing of information unique. 

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

Counselling vs. Psychotherapy

Posted by: Maritza Rodriguez on July 8, 2011 11:54 am
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One of the questions I am often asked is what is the difference between counselling and psychotherapy? The terms are often used interchangeably and synonymously but there is a slight and distinctive difference. Psychotherapy is often treatment based in response to a diagnosable mental health issue such as depression, bi-polar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, adjustment disorder, etc. It is often in-depth and used in conjunction with psychotropic medication, but not necessarily. Counselling tends to be wellness oriented, providing increased insight and learning how to effectively overcome problems and challenges.

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

The Counsellor’s Personality and Ideology

Posted by: Maritza Rodriguez on June 20, 2011 3:20 pm
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An important matter to consider when choosing a counsellor or psychotherapist is how the professional relates to his or her client(s). Every person’s personality is different and how they manage situations, challenges and blocks that come up in therapy can range significantly. Since the foundation of counselling is based on the therapeutic relationship, this is a major factor to consider.

First, take into account your needs as a client. Here are some questions to consider. Do you need mainly a listening ear with some gentle guidance? Or are you in a place in your life where you are looking for direct feedback? What is your philosophy regarding life, spirituality and relationships? Are you open-minded regarding relationships? Is pre-marital sex and living together acceptable or not? Are you conservatively religious or into new age philosophy?

Each counsellor should ideally be non-judgmental but reality dictates that the professional is still a human being and can at times be biased toward their own beliefs and outlook of life. Most of these issues should be addressed either during an interview before choosing your counsellor or during the first session. It is important as a client to ask questions regarding their style of treatment and their directness and to judge if that approach is suitable for your personality. It should be noted that it is not appropriate for the psychotherapist to delve deeply into their own personal life but a general sharing of beliefs that are significant to them and can influence their interaction with you as a client should be duly noted.

Once these matters have been investigated and you have chosen a compatible counsellor or psychotherapist, a solid therapeutic relationship based on trust and mutual respect can be been established. What follows is a connection with another to assist you to maneuver through life’s challenges and learning opportunities. The outcome can result in changes and insights that can be mind blowing and positively life altering.




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

Can I do this?

Posted by: John Stewart on June 17, 2011 1:09 pm
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We have been writing about metadimensions of the self-concept system.  Since individuals have many self-concepts (not just one), it is possible to distinguish between a self-concept and a self-concept system. More specifically, the vocational self-concept system consists of the thoughts individuals have about their perceived traits that are considered important to the work role. In this presentation, we focus on self-efficacy and the ways perceived self-efficacy can influence the vocational decision-making process.

Self-efficacy is defined as individuals’ beliefs about their competencies to perform behaviors necessary to accomplish a particular task. Bandura popularized this construct and it is a major component in Social Cognitive Career Theory.  Further, self-efficacy is used to explain some of the major differences between males and females in their academic and occupational decision-making.

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

The Significance of a Smile on the Life of a Child

Posted by: Asa Don Brown on June 13, 2011 1:11 pm
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What is a smile? A smile is a nonverbal expression of emotion. Smiling can indicate a host of emotions including joy, happiness, sorrow, sadness, cheerfulness, tearfulness, and lightheartedness.   Smiling can be accompanied by other nonverbal communication including body language, posture, facial expressions, eye contact, physical artifacts (clothing or apparel), and voice and speech inflections.

Harwood (2006) discussed how the very gesture of a smile within the first developmental years has a significant role in the development of a child’s ability to empathize and self-regulate his or her own emotions. Therefore, if a child is unable to self-regulate, it is a possibility that the primary caregiver did not show a proper amount of affection. Research seems to indicate that if a child is traumatized during childhood, it is especially important to have such a connection with a primary caregiver.

During my own doctoral research which focused on “The effects of childhood trauma on adult perception and worldview,” it was discovered that a parent’s smile played a significant role in the life of a child.  My research used a number of instruments including the Parental Bonding Inventory, which looked at an adult’s memories associated with the role of their parents on their own childhood.  “The PBI provided clarification that smiles or a lack of smiles are significant in the relationship between parent and child. Twenty-three of the participants recalled receiving smiles from their mothers as children, and 17 of the participants recalled receiving smiles from their fathers as children, whereas only 11 participants recalled that their mothers had not smiled at them during childhood, and 15 recalled that their fathers had not smiled at them during childhood. The significance of a smile arose when considering comforting and reassurance following a traumatic event. Furthermore, it is significant when considering how one’s perceptions of one’s parents frequently are reflected on one’s own feelings of acceptance, self-worth, self-image, and the essence of one’s self-esteem.” (Brown, 2008, p. 84-85)

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

Digital Art Therapy

Posted by: Priya Senroy on June 13, 2011 10:35 am
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Continuing on exciting happenings in the field of Creative Arts, this blog is inspired by an article published by Art therapist, Cathy Malchiodi on the topic- Art Therapy Meets Digital Art and Social Multimedia, Art therapy goes digital in the 21st century…well maybe.

Cathy’s opening paragraph caught my attention as did this video I saw on the internet. According to her, traditional materials of 20th century visual arts-drawing, painting, sculpture, and collage or mixed media–have defined the field of art therapy for the past 50 years. But as digital technology has become more accessible and straight-forward, practitioners of art therapy are gradually including digital media as a method and means for client self-expression.

Now whether art therapists are going to use this medium or not is dependent on individuals- will it be covered by insurance etc and be seen as important as face to face sessions or not will probably will take time as, again according to Cathy, first, the field of art therapy will have to catch up with fast-moving changes in digital and social media as well as develop research studies to evaluate the benefits of these media with the hands-on activities such as drawing, painting, modeling, constructing, and assembling.

For those who are interested, this video demonstrates how traditional and non- traditional formats of using art therapy with clients can be intermixed to make the medium more accessible and interactive at the same time.

You can also join an ongoing lively discussion, Digital Art Therapy, is via the social networking service LinkedIn and hosted by media expert Ginger Poole to get more information.




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

Self-Help Resources in the Counselling Context

Posted by: Debbie Grove on June 8, 2011 1:03 pm
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Self-help resources come in many formats; for example, self-help books, motivational videos, on-line discussion forums, and workbooks with specific exercises. Sometimes these resources are accessed before counselling begins; in other instances, they are used in conjunction with counselling. Most often, self-help materials are self-generated, in the absence of a counsellor recommending them.

 A common question by clients who are working with a counsellor is whether or not they should continue using their self-help resources while they are engaged in the counselling process. Client-counsellor conversations about self-help resources has many benefits, such as these five: (a) identification of what aspects of the resource are helpful and why; (b) amplifying the changes that the resources are stimulating; (c) building on the momentum of client self-directedness; (d) exploration of how the resources can work in concert with counselling goals; and (e) discussion of additional resources that might be helpful.

 Bringing the resource(s) to a counselling session can facilitate goal-setting. For example, a client reading a workbook about self-esteem may have questions about which exercises would be most beneficial to the counselling goal of increased confidence in social situations. In fact, specific sections from the workbook could be used in-session for role-play exercises. This is a great way to empower and engage clients in the change process.

 While self-help resources are not for everyone, choosing to seek out and try different tools is a great way to boost confidence, sense of control, and active engagement. When you discover what works for you, over time, you can build your own resource toolkit – a helpful strategy to stay motivated and maintain change once counselling ends.

 The views expressed are mine alone and do not reflect the views of the CCPA.

Dr. Debbie Grove is a therapist working in Edmonton, Alberta. To learn more about her, visit her web site at www.learningtolive.ca




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

Short vs Long Term Counselling

Posted by: Maritza Rodriguez on June 8, 2011 12:44 pm
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The trend in the past few years has been a promotion of short term counselling. This has been highly influenced by cost. How many sessions will health insurance cover and for what problems or can I afford this treatment? Additionally, our society is increasingly fast paced and people simply do not have time to spend years in psychotherapy.

Short term therapy is often defined as 12 sessions or less. There has been a debate as to which type of counselling is more appropriate. There are many factors that the individual has to take into consideration when choosing between short and long term therapy. Two of the factors include: chronicity of problem and the extent the problem affects the person seeking help. The following questions are helpful to ask when contemplating the length of therapy. How long has this problem been affecting me? How deeply entrenched am I in negative thinking, bad habits or poor coping skills? How many aspects of my life is this negatively impacting such as work, relationships, health, etc?

Often, short term therapy is appropriate for situational problems such as stress management, conflicts at work, communication, relationship issues, parenting, etc. Twelve sessions or less provide the opportunity to set up a therapeutic relationship and interaction needed to increase awareness and follow through with permanent changes. On the other hand, if the problems are deep seated and/or engrained in the relationship, have to do with any type of abuse or are as a result of a chronic diagnosis, long term therapy will usually be more beneficial.

It is recommended that you speak with your counselor or psychotherapist before hand to get their recommendation and an accompanying explanation as to the rationale behind the decision. In the end, it is the client’s decision as to how much time and financial resources he or she can invest in themselves and solving the problem.




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

Can I really be a doctor?

Posted by: Jeffrey Landine on June 3, 2011 9:15 am
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Most career counsellors and almost all school counselors can provide stories about having to counsel a young person who was determined to pursue a career that seemed, to the observer at least, to be outside their ability level.  Teaching courses in vocational counseling, I have, on a number of occasions, been faced with the following question from teachers who are working towards being counselors: What do I do when a student tells me that they want to be doctor and I know they don’t have the cognitive level of functioning or the grades to meet the entrance to pre-med science programs?  One of the important, and particularly interesting, dimensions of the self-system is the dimension of realism.  My colleague, John Stewart, wrote about the realism of vocational choice (Stewart, 1995), referring to it as the degree of fit between an individual’s work-related characteristics and the characteristics of the chosen work environment.  A lack of realism in vocational choice can result in aspirations towards careers that require different skills and abilities than the individual possesses and can result in frustration or shock when the reality of trying to meet the demands of the job become obvious.  Conversely, it can result in under-utilization of an individual’s skills and abilities, which can result in poor job satisfaction and a lack of productivity.  The latter situation was at one time a more common phenomenon with females (Wolfe & Betz, 1981), stemming from the tendency to aspire only to careers that have been gender stereotyped as appropriate for women.  This often resulted in women under utilizing their skills and abilities.

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

To Be A Bully

Posted by: Asa Don Brown on June 1, 2011 9:46 am
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A bully is someone who feels empowered or strengthened by using force, intimidation, teasing, name calling, scare tactics, violence or threats to achieve a desire.   A bully is someone who feels superior or inferior. Their sense of superiority or inferiority can be derived from a variety of areas including their own personal IQ (intellectual quotient – whether high or low); belonging to a particular clique or organization; a religious order; their personal status or their families status in a community; economic standing; or in any other area whereby they feel a sense of superiority or inferiority in relationship to another being.

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