Tag Archives: research

Researching Canadian Universities

Posted by: Mike Peirce on April 30, 2015 8:50 am
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I am preparing to present at the annual conference for the New England Association of College Admission Counseling (NEACAC) in early June to give a presentation on Canadian universities for guidance counsellors from the New England area. As a long time counsellor specializing in university decision-making, I head south every year to hear the latest changes to the admissions processes for students applying to US universities. I believe Canadian students have a wealth of post-secondary educational opportunities in Canada, the US and around the world so I try to stay abreast of developments in the world of university admissions. I have no agenda for where students should apply but try to ensure they are informed with relevant information about whatever university options they might have, be it in Canada, the US, the UK or other areas of the world. I also feel it is important to share information regarding Canadian universities with our UScounterparts, who are painfully unaware of what Canada has to offer.

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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 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