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The Effect of Personal Therapy on The Professional Development of Counsellors
No full textHow can counsellors enhance their professional development? This research project examines the impact of personal therapy on counsellors' professional growth. A total of 10 articles were selected using inclusion and exclusion criteria. A comprehensive literature review revealed three primary findings. First, engaging in personal therapy contributes to the enhancement of self-awareness and personal growth. Second, it fosters the development of therapeutic skills and competencies. Lastly, third, personal therapy provides valuable role modelling and profound experiential learning opportunities. By participating in personal therapy, counsellors can hone their skills, deepen their understanding of their clients' needs, foster emotional resilience, and maintain their well-being. Ultimately, personal therapy is a crucial component of professional development, enabling counsellors to provide empathic and effective care to their clients. In conclusion, this project emphasizes the value of personal therapy in the ongoing professional development of counsellors and recommends further research to explore the long-term effects, specific factors, and various modalities of personal therapy on counsellor development
Using the Artmaking Experience to Promote a Feeling of Safety and Belonging for Students
No full textThe trauma-informed perspective is becoming increasingly popular in education, with the realization that our schools need to be safe places for students to find connection and belonging above all else. The intent of this capstone is to explore that need for a felt sense of both safety and belonging, and how it can be supported in a school environment through connection and creativity. Research indicates that meaningful connection with teachers and counsellors can help repair insecure attachment, help strengthen the neural pathways of presence, and maintain feelings of safety through coregulation. Artmaking can be an integral part of creating safety and belonging for students, as it allows students to have the actual therapeutic experience of the creative process. This includes art as a safe space for the individual to externalize and express their emotions, as well as engage in nervous system regulation through the senses. The recommendations are outlined for creating safety and belonging in both relationship and environment through the artmaking process, including a shift to a more reflective style of self-assessment, which allows students to experience the therapeutic benefits of artmaking. This information will benefit teachers, counsellors, school administrators, and families
Culturally Safe Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT) with Racialized Multi-barriered Newcomer Couples to Canada Where Depression is Present in One or Both Partners
Get PDFThis Capstone explored how findings of relevant published literature could inform a culturally safe EFCT intervention with racialized multi-barriered newcomer couples to Canada experiencing depression that addresses settlement-related features and fosters mental health equity. In Canada, these newcomers are typically from African, Arab, Central Asian and Latin American countries with complex needs, including pre-arrival trauma. The researcher explored the effectiveness and limitations of EFCT with ethno-culturally diverse groups. The researcher also identified additional elements for an EFCT intervention that would adequately address identified needs, including the experiences of racism and discrimination, acculturative stress, and settlement-related issues. Key findings included: any pilot test of an EFCT intervention for racialized multi-barriered newcomers would need to involve them in an adaptation of the intervention in order to optimize cultural safety; make stress and emotional masking or reactivity due to oppression and settlement-related features explicit and reflected as part of the interactional cycle of the couple; make the assessment phase longer to take into account assessment of settlement barriers such as pre-migration trauma, loss of close networks, isolation, loneliness, low social support, language, employment difficulties and resulting financial stress, and provide a lengthier intervention to support needed psycho-education and to address trauma. Finally, cultural safety necessitates addressing the social determinants of health and power dynamics in the therapeutic interaction and mental health systems. Findings informed a framework for a culturally safe EFCT intervention with the target group as well as recommendations for the formulation of a pilot test of the framework
Shame Resiliency Practices as a Therapeutic Intervention for Men Diagnosed with Binge Eating Disorder.
No full textResearch suggests that often male eating disorders are underdiagnosed and misrepresented as ideal body standards play an important role in male resiliency. This Capstone examined research to further understand the extent to which the underlying emotion of shame connects to the symptoms of eating disorders among men. Researchers have found that often, binge eating disorders are associated with comorbid psychological, social, and interpersonal influences that impact the quality of life of individuals. People with binge eating disorders are constantly preoccupied with episodes of overeating, depressed mood, loss of control or perfectionism, social withdrawal, and body image. The writer hypothesized that shame resiliency and acceptance may be used as a therapeutic intervention for men diagnosed with binge eating disorder. The results of the research indicated that the underpinnings of binge eating disorder revolved around shame. Key findings highlighted the need to address shame and acceptance as part of therapeutic strategies necessary to promote healthy living and self-care in males suffering from disordered eating. Additionally, the need for early and appropriate intervention, which is key to overcoming BED. It is recommended that clinicians improve their understanding of male risk factors and integrate interventions to provide new insights on the impact of shame in male BED. In conclusion, given the limited research on eating disorders in the male population, this author recommends future research using survey questions modified to this population. In addition, encouraging the use of the shame resiliency and acceptance model by clinicians to foster emotional resilience in those with eating disorders, nurture connection, empathy, and acceptance to address the diverse needs of patients
Mindfulness Practice and its Benefits of Female Sexual Satisfaction
No full textMindfulness is a concept that has become well-known in Western society. Mindfulness and its impact on female sexual satisfaction is an emerging field of research. Female sexuality is a field that requires more attention; sexual mindfulness is one area that can further contribute to this. This paper's demographic includes heterosexual, cisgender individuals because of the available research. Sexual mindfulness can be a helpful intervention to empower women and enhance sexual satisfaction. Sexual health is an integral part of all individuals' quality of life. The sexuality of females has been traditionally oppressed by society and dominated by their male counterparts. As such, it is essential to keep progressing and explore more avenues to help with female sexual satisfaction
Experiencers of Commercial Sexual Exploitation: How to Move Forward in the Face of Systemic Oppression
No full textExperiencers of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) are often recruited as minors because they are at highly vulnerable and at risk due to adverse childhood events, interaction with the child welfare systems, substance-use, being homeless, racism, colonialism, and poverty. Victims are overwhelmingly made up of females and gender diverse populations. The repetitive traumatic experiences involved as part of CSE leaves these individuals needing support in a multitude of areas including legal, physical health, mental health, housing, careers, educational support, financial assistance, and addictions support. This paper explores what recommendations can be made for counsellors to better support experiencers of commercial sex exploitation to have a successful therapeutic outcome, and how seeking to understand colonialization, and systemic racism assists in this process. Traditional treatment methods are reviewed, and possible alternative treatment paths to be researched in the future are explored. The result is overwhelming clear. First off, an individualistic, trauma-informed, and holistic approach is required whereby the treatment plan includes a broad range of services. Secondly, therapists must become more knowledgeable about systemic oppression and how that intersects into the therapeutic relationship where we are in a position of authority. Understanding this can help us name the oppression, rather than pathologize clients. A resource list of where therapists can go to start learning more about systemic racism and oppression is included
Teaching Empathy and Cultural Responsiveness Through Experiential Learning
No full textThis capstone project emphasizes the significance of an intersectional and culturally responsive approach in counselling, underscoring the crucial link between accurate empathy and cultural responsiveness in achieving effective therapeutic outcomes. The paper contends that counselling students can learn empathy through a process that is intersectional and culturally responsive, comprising hands-on learning, cultural exposure, and social justice education. The project details an experiential learning course that incorporates an intersectional and culturally responsive approach into counselling education programs, intended to foster the development of accurate empathy among students. The objective is to equip future counsellors with the skills and knowledge to deliver culturally responsive care that promotes health equity for all clients. The capstone emphasizes the need to take action to dismantle the harm that traditional psychology has caused to marginalized groups and calls for counsellors to work alongside the APA (2021) with an intersectional, empathic, and culturally responsive perspective to achieve effective therapeutic relationships and health equity for all