Counsellor Development Training Program (C.D.T.P.)

Counselling Foundation Skills I & II

These two core workshops for the certificate in counselling introduce participants to the eight essential skills of effective counsellor communication.

Foundation Skills I: Relationships and Communication Skills
This is workshop focuses on the reflective skills - attending, paraphrasing, reflection of feeling and summarizing.

Foundation II: Communication and the Helping Role
This workshop focuses on the directive skills - probing, interpreting, counsellor self-disclosure and constructive confrontation. Participants in both of these workshops will utilize these skills in exploring the multitude of issues which emerge in managing the counselling relationship. Participants will be introduced to a variety of approaches including cognitive, motivational, be-haviourial, feminist and holistic. Participants will also explore ethical issues and boundaries within the counselling relationship.

These core workshops have a skill building purpose. Participants will be introduced to the skills by seeing them displayed by the trainer, having them explained conceptually, exploring them through an activity and then practising the skill in a group format. Live observation and video-taping are used as feedback tools.

Participants have the option of taking two separate 3 day workshops or a combined 5 day workshop for Foundation I and II as follows:

Counselling Foundation Skills I
3 Day Workshop Cost: $225.00

Counselling Foundation Skills II
3 Day Workshop Cost: $225.00

Combined Counselling Foundation Skills I & II
5 Day Workshop Cost: $400.00

Holistic Counselling
Holistic counselling views a client's concerns in the context of their strengths, skills and their social circumstances. This approach strives to empower by building on the qualities and strengths of the individual. The focus is on uncovering the inner sources of wisdom and intuition and thereby assisting the individual to self direct their lives. Holistic counselling assists clients to discover a sense of purpose, resolve blocks to one's potential and develop a skilful and active will for conducting one's life and accomplishing one's goals. Additional content areas covered include: setting goals, exploring ethical concerns related to boundaries, timing.

3 Day Workshop Cost: $225.00

Motivational Counselling: A Cognitive Approach In Helping People Change
Participants will explore traditional models of motivation and learn a new approach to motivation based on a cognitive behavioural model. An approach that will assist individuals to get beyond resistance and denial. Within this context, we will explore: ambiguity and how to work with it, a model of the stages of change, including how to counsel appropriately in relation to these stages; building commitment to change and applying this approach to special populations - the coerced client, family members, chaotic cases, addiction problems, HIV clients.

3 Day Workshop Cost: $225.00

Dynamics of Counselling Relationships
The focus of this workshop is on relational dynamics between the counsellor and individual in care. Although counselling techniques are important, most of the counselling literature suggests that change in individuals is most often a result of a meaningful relationship between the person and the counsellor. We will explore the reactions and feelings of the counsellor towards the individual in-care and the implications these reactions have in the effectiveness or non-effectiveness of counselling. Other content areas covered include: ethical and boundary issues, frames of reference, multicultural issues, reaction patterns, supervision for personal and professional growth.

3 Day Workshop Cost $225.00

Growth and Renewal for Professional Caregivers
In this workshop, participants will experience a variety of creative counselling techniques. You will increase your self-awareness of both the unconscious and conscious dimensions in your life. You will explore how these issues may influence your counselling experiences and practices. Participants will also explore verbal and nonverbal nuances of the counselling relationship. Some techniques utilized include: creative techniques (photographs and drawings) action techniques (role play) and visualization techniques.

4 Day Workshop Cost: $325

Foundations III: Counselling and the Process of Change
Building on the communications and relationship skills taught in Foundations I and II, this workshop will introduce participants to the formal process of counselling, including contracting, goal-setting, problem-solving and defining boundaries and limits. The counselling process and how it relates to the broad context of change will be explored through presentations, dialogue, practice, and case study.

3 Day Workshop Cost: $225.00

Supervision - Peer and Clinical
Using a case-study approach, each participant will be expected to prepare and present a formal case study for formal review and feedback. Participants must be prepared to look candidly at the difficulties they are experiencing with their clients and to explore any of their own transferential elements that may be present in these situations.

3 Day Workshop Cost: $325

Advanced Personal Development and Renewal Workshop
Counsellors in the field are at great risk to burnout and demoralization. It is important to acknowledge that counselling with individuals with serious health, behavioural and social problems can take a very high toll on those who work as helpers. It is just as important to allow occasions for renewal and personal development. This workshop is an advanced version of the personal development workshop. A repeated theme in participant feedback in counsellor development workshops has been the importance of attending retreats which address their needs as counsellors to engage in self-care, group exercises and awareness activities in a safe environment with facilitators they can trust.

4 Day Workshop Cost: $325.00

Addictions Counselling - An introduction for frontline workers in non-addiction settings
Between 20 and 50 percent of clients in social service, mental health and correctional settings have problems related to alcohol and other drug use. In this workshop participants learn to identify and respond to these problems, including working with the client and accessing the addictions treatment system.

3 Day Workshop Cost: $225.00