Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference
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Item Open Access Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference Keynote Address: Counselling Psychology at the Crossroads: Discipline or Social Movement(2019-10) Sinacore, Ada L.Due to the work of a small number of dedicated counselling psychologists, in 1986 the Canadian Psychological Association’s Section on Counselling Psychology was established. Since that time, the Section has reached a number of important milestones such as, the accreditation of counselling psychology programs, the establishment of the Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, the development and approval of the official definition of counselling psychology, the Inaugural Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference, and the creation of the Section’s archive. Additionally, there have been a number of formative articles published in Canadian Psychology, including articles about identity and the first Special Section of within an Issue of Canadian Psychology on Counselling Psychology, as well as, the first edited book entirely devoted to Canadian counselling and counselling psychology. While, this work has laid an important foundation for the field, Counselling Psychology as a discipline is at the crossroads. The history and contributions of counselling psychologists highlight that counselling psychology has been innovative in the field of psychology, especially in the areas of career psychology, feminism, multiculturalism, social justice, and qualitative research. As other disciplines within psychology begin to take on topics that historically have been the domain of counselling psychology, moving forward; What needs to happen to ensure that counselling psychologists continue to be innovators and forward thinkers in psychology? This keynote applies social movement, advocacy, and activist frameworks to challenge the current state of the discipline, and to implore counselling psychologists to challenge the status quo and continue to be leaders and innovators in psychology.Item Open Access Selected Proceedings From The Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference 2018(2019-10) Kassan, Anusha; Domene, José F.; Wada, Kaori; Bedi, Robinder P.Selected Proceedings From The Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference 2018: Advocating For Ourselves, Advocating For Our Communities; Canadian Counselling Psychology Into the Next Decade and BeyondItem Open Access Integrating Traditional Healing Methods into Counselling and Psychotherapy with Punjabi and Sikh Individuals(2019-10) Currie, Lauren N.; Bedi, Robinder P.Evidence-based practice goes well beyond merely matching client disorder to theoretical approach and instead entails the integration of research evidence with clinical expertise in the context of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences. For clients who are less acculturated to Canadian society or for those who still strongly identify with their cultural roots, incorporation of traditional healing methods into counselling and psychotherapy appears highly beneficial. Based on a review of the literature, this paper offers a discussion of frameworks which can guide the incorporation of traditional healing practices into counselling and psychotherapy and outlines model/theory-embedded strategies and interventions that have been reported to be effective with some Punjabi Sikh clients in peer-reviewed published outlets. This information will be useful for professionals who have limited experience with Punjabi Sikh individuals, clinical supervisors overseeing trainees providing mental health services to Punjabi Sikhs, instructors teaching cross/multicultural counselling or psychotherapy classes, and those wishing to further develop or refine existing competence. These proposed strategies and interventions should be subject to research investigations and clinically tested by practitioners to further increase confidence in their application.Item Open Access It Takes a Village: The Role of Counselling Psychology in Advancing Health and Wellness in a Faculty of Education(2019-10) Williams, Emily P.; Russell-Mayhew, Shelly K.; Gereluk, Diane; Murray, Kerri; Ireland, Alana D.Counselling psychology departments have historically been situated within Faculties of Education rather than Departments of Psychology. These placements within Faculties of Education have often led to confusion as to what the role of counselling psychology is, and how it relates to education. In this paper, we argue that there is an opportunity for counselling psychologists to impact and be impacted by their location in Faculties of Education. This paper offers an exemplar of how a counselling psychology department informed and impacted a culture of wellness within a Faculty of Education and also within the greater university culture, at the University of Calgary. Through partnership with other faculties and community partners, the efforts of counselling psychology began to impact other systems, which in turn influenced Bachelor of Education teacher preparation at the post-secondary level. Through collaboration with multiple partners and with the support of the Faculty of Education, a mandatory course on health and wellness was introduced to the Bachelor of Education curriculum. Perspectives of a counselling psychologist, faculty of education administrator, a community partner, and former counselling psychology graduate student are highlighted in this paper, with the intention of demonstrating how collaborations between two seemingly distinct disciplines can be mutually beneficial to the university, students, faculty, and also the greater community.Item Open Access ‘All other things being equal’: Conducting cross-cultural research in counselling psychology(2019-10) Suzuki, Hanako; Wada, KaoriWith multicultural competence, social justice, and methodical diversity which lie at the core of counselling psychology identity, Canadian counselling psychology is well-positioned to conduct cross-cultural research in a non-colonial, socially just manner. In this paper, we will use my own cross-cultural grief research as a means to discuss the challenges and issues that researchers need to navigate in the research process. This includes the assumption of ceteris paribus––all things being equal––that underlies cross-cultural quantitative research. Overall, we argue for critical cross-cultural research that fits with the ethos of Canadian counselling psychology: one that reveals Eurocentric, ethnocentric, and individualistic assumptions in psychology knowledge.Item Open Access Creating Space for Indigenous Research in Canadian Counselling Psychology Graduate Programs(2019-10) Smeja, Katrina; Inkster, Cheryl; Goodwill, Alanaise; Jordan, Sharalyn R.This article builds off the symposium presentation entitled “Decolonizing Canadian Counselling Psychology: Creating Space for Indigenous Scholarship” which was delivered by the authors at the 2018 Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference. The symposium presented Ms. Inkster and Ms. Smeja’s respective Master’s research projects, while Dr. Jordan and Dr. Goodwill shared their supervisory experiences overseeing research aimed at advocating for Indigenous communities. This paper expands on the individual presentation topics by discussing broader systemic issues and considerations relevant to making space for Indigenous scholarship within Canadian CP programs. Personal narratives are weaved throughout the paper, emphasizing challenges in academic environments, resilience and resistance strategies, as well as the important role of mentors in graduate students’ decision to pursue Indigenous Research Methods. Specific recommendations addressed to our field are also discussed.Item Open Access Methodological Considerations when Conducting Research with Vulnerable Populations(2019-10) Sinacore, Ada L.; Adekoya, Ibukunoluwa; Milani, Asra; Tomaro, Jann; Bu, Shaofan; Buchanan, Justin; Durrani, Samir; Gescher, StefanieCritical analysis of current research methods is aimed at shedding light on the concerns and challenges confronting vulnerable populations. The following conference proceeding will address how research methods embedded in Eurocentric epistemologies can inadvertently have a negative effect on the populations they are meant to understand and support. Theories of intersectionality and social justice are used throughout to inform how researchers may be attuned to the ways in which their studies may be beneficial or harmful to vulnerable populations. Firstly, the ways in which research can serve to further marginalize already vulnerable populations is addressed. Next, ramifications of recruitment and compensation with vulnerable populations are discussed. Finally, the role of technology in research and the ways in which employing technology can lead to either inclusion or exclusion in research practices is considered.Item Open Access What do Canadian Counselling Psychologists Who are Not Affiliated with the Canadian Psychological Association Think? Results from a National Survey of the Profession?(2019-10) Pradhan, Kesha; Bedi, Robinder P.The only previous nation-wide survey of Canadian counselling psychologists (Bedi et al., 2016) was conducted with those affiliated with the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) and its Section for Counselling Psychology (SCP). As most Canadian counselling psychologists do not belong to the CPA and SCP, the previous survey is limited in its generalizability. This paper reports the results of four open-ended questions administered to Canadian counselling psychologists not affiliated with the CPA and its SCP. One hundred and seven participants responded to questions pertaining to training, pressing professional issues, next steps for the field, and recommended focus areas for a future Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference. With respect to training, participants reported that there should be increased training in testing/assessment, increased training in the business side of psychology for private practitioners, and more supervised practice. The most pressing professional issues experienced by the participants were clients’ limited access to services and the need to promote the counselling psychology profession. Participants reported the most important next steps for the field to be increased coverage of services and increased status of counselling psychology. Respondents hoped the next Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference to focus on skill-building, the professional identity of the field, and networking. A comparison with answers provided by CPA SCP affiliated counselling psychologists is provided. The results of this study provide a broader understanding of the views of Canadian counselling psychologists and have implications for the future practice and training of Canadian counselling psychologists.Item Open Access Action-Based Psychosocial Reconciliation Approach: Canadian Counselling Psychological Contribution to Interpersonal Reconciliation in Post-Genocide Rwanda(2019-10) Minami, MasahiroThe author introduces rural communities in post-Genocide Rwanda, where needs for interpersonal and psychosocial reconciliation between survivors and perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis are grave. The author illuminates unintended yet common side effects of forgiveness-seeking as a method of interpersonal reconciliation, including the dignity injuries this approach has brought to survivors. An overview of an alternative approach to interpersonal reconciliation, termed Action-Based Psychosocial Reconciliation Approach, will be introduced along with its conceptual-empirical foundations and beneficial effects. The second half of the paper discusses the author’s personal reflections on how his training in the context of Canadian counselling psychology has shaped and continues to guide his ongoing work supporting community psychosocial reconciliation in Rwanda. The author shares his views on the relational signature of the counselling psychological approach, its applied nature, a directionality of scholarship, its harmonious fit with the field of mental health services research and praxiological epistemology, and ethicality of engagements. The author concludes with a call to fellow Canadian counselling psychologists for their active participation in international/global endeavours.Item Open Access A Family Picture of Just One? Including Career Health, Engagement, and Identity into the Representation of Student Well-Being(2019-10) Miller, JanetTrending discourses in post-secondary student health are relevant to the practice of counselling psychologists. Over the past decade, conversations on well-being have been dominated by mental health issues as if we are looking at health with a high-resolution zoom-focus instead of a wide-angled lens. The focus on mental health was necessary, but research is showing that we need to reconnect mental health with its physical, social, spiritual, and intellectual relatives. Further health areas like career development, engagement, and identity also need to be added back into the frame. Career development can be understood as a unique health construct in its own right and is especially relevant to the post-secondary sector. The association between student engagement and success has been well studied, and the link with overall well-being is being uncovered. There has been a corresponding call for institutions to dismantle colonization practices and create opportunities for active citizenry among the student populace. Identity constructs are also being linked with health, including intersectionality, fluidity, and non-binary facets. Developments in each of these domains challenge the status quo of what it means to be healthy, and pulling back from the singular focus on mental health will allow the complete picture of student health to come into view. Psychologists working with this dynamic population are invited to consider how these shifts in the health conversation impact their counselling practice.Item Open Access Reclaiming the Person in Counselling Psychology Research and Practice: An Existential- Analytical Approach(2019-10) Klaassen, Derrick W.; Launeanu, Mihaela; Kwee, Janelle L.; Konieczny, KristinThe specialization of counselling psychology offers a strength-oriented and holistic view of the person. While the person is of central concern for counselling psychology as a discipline, research and counselling practice can easily become problem-oriented rather than person- oriented. Consequently, the authors of this paper contend that maintaining a central focus on the person in counselling psychology practice needs to be specifically emphasized and cultivated. Toward this aim, the concept of personhood is elucidated from an existential- analytic theoretical perspective in order to provide a tangible framework for upholding a person- centered focus in counselling psychology practice. Drawing on this framework, the authors offer personal reflections on re-centering personhood in both research and clinical practice in counselling psychology.Item Open Access Toward a More Generous Space for Grief: Advocating for the Bereaved(2019-10) Klaassen, Derrick W.; Bentum, Ben; Bartel, B. TammyThe loss of a loved one is an immensely painful experience that leaves many clients, and their helping professionals, struggling to know how to respond to the depth of their suffering. In western society, death is frequently avoided among community members and professionals alike, and grief has become increasingly understood as a disorder to be diagnosed and treated rather than a profound existential reality that requires personal accompaniment. The aim of this paper is to provide a critique of these dominant attitudes towards death and grief and to outline an alternative, existential approach. Drawing upon the model of grief accompaniment proposed by Existential Analysis, we describe the ways in which we can make space for grief in ourselves and our relationships by turning-toward our loss. Such an approach is not only accepting of a wide variety of responses to loss, but also encourages more authentic emotional engagements with our own suffering and other bereaved persons. This attitude and approach to grief is illustrated through four recent qualitative studies, which explore how individuals, families, and communities made space for grieving in their lives. These research examples give rise to suggestions for how professionals and lay communities alike may advocate for the bereaved by participating in the shaping of more generous personal and social spaces for grief.Item Open Access Investigating Migration through the Phenomenon of School Integration: Anaya’s Experience of Resettlement in Canada(2019-10) Kassan, Anusha; Priolo, Alissa; Goopy, Suzanne; Arthur, NancyUsing a social justice framework, this arts-based engagement ethnography (ABEE) investigated the phenomenon of school integration among newcomer youth who migrated to Canada. Defined broadly, this phenomenon captures the adjustment of newcomer youth across all aspects of student life – both inside and outside the school context, including English Language Leaning (ELL), academic performance, classroom behaviour, social networking, emotional and familial well-being, involvement in school life, and understanding of the educational system. Specifically, two research questions were investigated: 1) How do newcomer youth experience school? and 2) How do these experiences influence their positive integration into the school system? Results from one participant – Anaya, a 19-year-old cisgender female who migrated to Canada from India with her family at the age of 12 – are presented to illustrate the manner in which the phenomenon of school integration can be used as a point of entry to study migration. These result included the following five themes: 1) The Struggle to Fit In / “I regard myself as a social outsider”, 2) Managing Parental Expectations / “Our values started to clash”, 3) Implications of Self-Exploration / “I was kind of in the middle”; 4) Finding a Passion and Getting Involved / “I became a lot more friendly”, and 4) Embracing a Multicultural Identity / “I am reembracing my heritage.”Item Open Access Career Preparation as a Student Wellness Issue: Considering the Relationship Between Career Development and Mental Health in Post-Secondary(2019-10) Dyrda, AprilThe inseparability of career development and mental health is particularly evident within the context of post-secondary. Higher learners, specifically those at the undergraduate level, are widely recognized as a population that struggles with career uncertainty and unique mental health concerns. This manuscript delves into the reciprocal relationship between career development and mental health among post-secondary students and recent graduates of bachelor degree programs, exploring the impacts on both academic and personal wellbeing. Informed by the results of a recent study into the relationship between career preparation and student wellness, the author offers recommendations for students and service providers within the academic environment to better support both the career and mental wellbeing of higher learners.Item Open Access Promoting Reflexivity and Reflectivity in Counselling, Education, and Research(2019-10) Dixon, Sandra; Chiang, Chao-MeiThough reflectivity and reflexivity are often perceived as similar concepts with overlaps they both have variations and need to be understood as unique constructs with different manifestations within the field of counselling psychology. Both terms are relevant to the counselling profession; they play a role in how we as counselling psychologists promote and maintain culturally- appropriate interactions with diverse clients. The aim of this paper is to recommend that it is incumbent for us as counselling professionals to engage in reflective and reflexive practices to ensure that we are working in the best interest of everyone we engage with. With the understanding that both concepts are critical components of being ethical, responsive, and active in our professional stance, we as counselling psychologists are encouraged to use reflection and reflexivity to develop a good understanding of themselves and our identities inside and outside of the counselling context. It is hoped that this paper will enable the audience to generate meaningful discussions about practical ways to promote consciousness-raising around reflective and reflexive practices; particularly, as we strive to facilitate change in a supportive and safe environment when working within and across various social-cultural and historical contexts.Item Open Access Integrating Traditional Healing Methods into Counselling and Psychotherapy with Punjabi and Sikh Individuals(2019-10) Currie, Lauren N.; Bedi, Robinder P.Evidence-based practice goes well beyond merely matching client disorder to theoretical approach and instead entails the integration of research evidence with clinical expertise in the context of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences. For clients who are less acculturated to Canadian society or for those who still strongly identify with their cultural roots, incorporation of traditional healing methods into counselling and psychotherapy appears highly beneficial. Based on a review of the literature, this paper offers a discussion of frameworks which can guide the incorporation of traditional healing practices into counselling and psychotherapy and outlines model/theory-embedded strategies and interventions that have been reported to be effective with some Punjabi Sikh clients in peer-reviewed published outlets. This information will be useful for professionals who have limited experience with Punjabi Sikh individuals, clinical supervisors overseeing trainees providing mental health services to Punjabi Sikhs, instructors teaching cross/multicultural counselling or psychotherapy classes, and those wishing to further develop or refine existing competence. These proposed strategies and interventions should be subject to research investigations and clinically tested by practitioners to further increase confidence in their application.