AIPC Institute InBrief
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In this Issue

bullet Hello!
bullet Intobachelor
bullet Intothediploma
bullet Intomhss
bullet Intocounselling
bullet Intostories
bullet Intocommunity
bullet Intobookstore
bullet Intoarticles
bullet Intodilemma
bullet Intodevelopment
bullet Intoconnection
bullet Intotwitter
bullet Intoquotes
bullet Intoseminars
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Editor: Sandra Poletto
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Copyright: 2012 Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors

Hello!
Welcome to Edition 172 of Institute Inbrief. This edition’s featured article, by Professor David Fryer, Head of Research at the Australian Institute of Psychology, explores the psychological consequences of unemployment.
 
For additional information on this topic, visit Counselling Connection’s resources page and download a copy of our free life effectiveness guide “Coping with Sudden Unemployment”.
 
Also in this edition:
  • Bachelor of Counselling and Psychological Science – Closing Soon
  • MHSS Workshops
  • Previously Published Articles
  • Graduate story
  • Counselling dilemma
  • Blog and Twitter updates
  • Upcoming seminar dates
If you would like to access daily articles & resources, and interact with over 5400 peers, join our Facebook community today: www.facebook.com/counsellors. It is a great way to stay in touch and share your interest and knowledge in counselling.
 
Enjoy your reading,
 
 
Editor
 
 
Join our community:
 
 
Help those around you suffering mental illness in silence: www.mhss.net.au
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Intobachelor
 
Bachelor of Counselling and Bachelor of Psychological Science
Limited Places for the Semester 1, 2013 Intake – Closing Soon
 
Last month we opened up enrolments into the Bachelor of Counselling and Bachelor of Psychological Science, and already many of the available places have been filled.
 
But there are still places remaining.
 
Our unique learning model means you can earn-while-you-learn, so you don’t have to give up work to fit in your studies.
  • Get started with NO MONEY DOWN with government Fee-Help.
  • Study externally from anywhere in Australia, even overseas.
  • Residential Schools in Melbourne*, Sydney* and Brisbane.
  • [Psych] Save up to $40,000 on your qualification.
  • [Couns] Save up to $26,400 on your qualification.
  • Start with just 1 subject.
  • Online learning portal with access to all study materials, readings and video lectures.
  • [Psych] Accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).
  • No minimum HSC or OP results required to gain entry.
  • Learn in a friendly, small group environment.
If you’re interested in pursuing a rewarding career in Counselling or Psychology, please submit your obligation free expression of interest.
 
Bachelor of Counselling: www.aipc.edu.au/degree  
 
Bachelor of Psychological Science here: www.aip.edu.au/degree
 
We expect to hit capacity enrolments for Semester 1 2013 very soon. So if you’re thinking about a career in psychology or counselling, please act now.
 
*Bachelor of Psychological Science - Residential Schools in Melbourne and Sydney are available for CORE subjects only.
 
Watch our 2013 TV ad – Bachelor of Counselling: www.aipc.net.au/tv2013
Watch our 2013 TV ad – Bachelor of Psychological Science: www.aip.edu.au/tv2013
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Intothediploma
 
Imagine Being Passionate About Your Work
And Assisting People Every Day Lead Better Lives
 
 
It’s rare these days to hear people talk about their work with true passion. You hear so many stories of people working to pay the bills; putting up with imperfect situations; and compromising on their true desires.
 
That’s why it’s always so refreshing to hear regular stories from graduates living their dream to be a Counsellor. They’re always so full of energy, enthusiasm and passion. There’s no doubt that counselling is one of the most personally rewarding and enriching professions.
 
Just imagine someone comes to you for assistance. They’re emotionally paralysed by events in their life. They can’t even see a future for themselves. They can only focus on their pain and grief. The despair is so acute it pervades their entire life. Their relationship is breaking down and heading towards a divorce. They can’t focus on work and are getting in trouble with their boss. They feel they should be able to handle their problems alone, but know they can’t. It makes them feel helpless, worthless. Their self-esteem has never been lower. They’re caught in a cycle of destruction and pain.
 
Now imagine you have the knowledge and skills to help this person overcome their challenges. You assist to relieve their intense emotional pain. You give them hope for the future. You assist to rebuild their self-esteem and lead a satisfying, empowered life.
 
As a Counsellor you can experience these personal victories every day. And it’s truly enriching. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping another person overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.
 
Learn more here: www.aipc.net.au/lz
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Intomhss
 
Australia is suffering a Mental Health Crisis
 
Our suicide rate is now TWICE our road toll. Many suicides could possibly be averted, if only the people close to the victim were able to identify the early signs and appropriately intervene.
 
RIGHT NOW someone you care about – a family member, friend, or colleague – may be suffering in silence, and you don’t know.
 
With the right training, you can help that family member, friend or colleague.
 
Save $100 when you book your seat in an upcoming MHSS Workshop:
2013 dates and locations: www.mhss.net.au/find-a-course
 
Your registration includes the 2-day facilitated workshop; a hardcopy of the MHSS Student Workbook; and access to an online dashboard where you can obtain your certificate, watch role-play videos, and much more.
 
MHSS Specialties
 
Once you complete the MHSS Core program you can undertake the MHSS Specialty Programs:
  1. Aiding Addicts;
  2. Supporting those with Depression or Anxiety;
  3. Supporting the Suicidal and Suicide Bereaved and;
  4. Supporting Challenged Families.
Book your seat at the next MHSS Workshop now and save $100.
 
If you have any queries, please contact Pedro Gondim on pedro@mhss.net.au.
 
PS Members of the ACA can accrue 28 OPD points by attending the MHSS Workshop.
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Intocounselling
 
Psychological Consequences of Unemployment
 
By Professor David Fryer
 
Have you, one of your family or one of your close friends ever been unemployed? Have you recently counselled an unemployed person? If so, what do you know about was it like? On the other hand, have you recently read about ‘the unemployed’ in a newspaper or listened to politicians talking about ‘the unemployed’ on the television? If so, how did that compare?
 
Recently Employment Minister, Bill Shorten, was reported in The Australian (https://bit.ly/On2Qg0) as having “backed a controversial argument being put by his senior mandarins that the dole should be kept low to encourage the unemployed to take badly paid jobs.” Mr. Shorten’s backing followed a submission from four Federal departments to an inquiry into the adequacy of the Newstart Allowance that the base rate of Newstart should not be raised from $245 per week as that would have the "distinct disadvantage of reducing employment incentives, especially for those who can only obtain low-paying employment."
 
To put the Newstart allowance into context, according to the National Welfare Rights Network President, "While the minimum wage is $606.40 a week, Newstart at $245 is 41 per cent of minimum wage. After income tax, a single unemployed person would double their disposable income if they got a job at the minimum wage." (https://bit.ly/OZokKf)
 
What has all this got to do with psychology or counselling as opposed to politics? Well, this is an instance where well over half a century of high quality psychological and related research, which has shown that unemployment causes incalculable misery and mental ill-health, is relevant to policy.
 
When I talk about ‘mental ill-health’ I am not talking loosely. Researchers have looked specifically at: anxiety; depression; positive and negative affect; social isolation; demoralisation; resignation; lowered self-esteem; cognitive difficulties; para-suicide; and suicide and done painstaking research into their relationship with unemployment.
 
I am not just talking about research with a few hundred individual people who have lost their jobs. Systematic research has been carried out not only with many thousands of unemployed individuals but also with whole workforces made redundant when workplaces closed down and with all the school leavers from schools at the end of a year, and also with whole families, with organisations who ‘let people go’, with whole communities – sometimes whole towns – hit by mass unemployment and also with the entire populations of states or countries.
 
I am not just talking about research in post-industrial Britain. Research has been done in a wide variety of countries as well as the UK including: Australia; Austria; Finland; Germany; Ireland; Italy; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Poland; Sweden; and the USA. I am not just talking about research in the Great Depression of the 1930s. Relevant research findings have also been reported from: the 1800s; early 1910s; the 1970s; the 1980s; the 1990s and right up to the present day. 
 
I am not just talking about research done by leftist social scientists with an ideological axe to grind. Whilst some of the classic research in the 1930s was done in Central Europe by Austro-Marxists, the majority of research has been funded by: “apolitical” Research Councils (e.g. the Medical Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, the Australian Research Council); Charitable Foundations; “Independent” Think Tanks; Government Departments; and carried out by individual academics; freelance researchers and unemployed people themselves.
 
I am not just talking about research using one research method, where findings might be argued to be artefactual, i.e. an artificial result of the method used. Different studies have used all the most robust methods favoured by psychological, medical and social scientists including: psychiatric assessment; physiological analysis; epidemiology; community case studies; action research; document analysis; observation (both participant and non-participant); depth interviews; semi-structured interviews; investigative interviews; focus / group interviews and surveys.
 
I am not just talking about cross sectional research, where the association between unemployment and poor mental health might be a result of individual drift (those with poorer mental health becoming and remaining unemployed) rather than social causation (unemployment causing mental ill-health). Well-designed, longitudinal studies, using scales with proven reliability and validity to measure mental health, have tracked large, carefully matched, samples of people in and out of paid jobs, from school or employment to unemployment, etc. and demonstrated that groups that become unemployed during the course of the research exhibited deterioration in mean mental health compared with continuously employed groups.
 
Finally here, meta-analyses carrying out sophisticated statistical techniques on huge corpuses of data pooled from different studies have established beyond reasonable doubt that unemployment causes psychological deterioration. Amongst researchers in the field there is near unanimity that unemployment ‘causes’ mental ill health.
 
Moreover, the psychological impact of unemployment on the unemployed is only a small part of its negative psychological impact. Unemployment has been shown to affect the well-being not only unemployed people themselves but also: their spouses; their children; other people who are not unemployed themselves but living in communities where there is mass unemployment; those who worry about being made unemployed even if it never happens to them; and those who have been unemployed and are re-employed but still scarred by their unemployment.
 
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the rate of unemployment in Australia is 5.2% (https://bit.ly/Q4kX5Q). Although this translates into risk of misery and ill-health for over 600,000 families in Australia, compared to other OECD countries this is relatively ‘good’ compared with countries with much bigger populations: the rate of unemployment in the USA is over 10% and in the UK it is over 8%, let alone compared with countries like Greece (24.4%) and Spain (24.6%) (https://bit.ly/NO6DSf) the Australian rate looks excellent.
 
However, in 2011, the unemployment rate for Indigenous people in Australia was 13% in Major Cities, 19% in Regional areas and 15% in remote areas (https://bit.ly/RTgoAP) and youth unemployment (15–19 year olds looking for full-time work as a proportion of full-time youth labour force) in Australia increased 2.5 percentage points to 24.1 per cent in July 2012 - https://bit.ly/On2Z30).
 
If we refocus from Australia to the global situation, the Executive Summary of the International Labour Office document, Global Trends 2012 (https://bit.ly/VAZcOZ) estimates global unemployment to be standing at 200 million and it estimates that “more than 400 million new jobs will be needed over the next decade to avoid a further increase in unemployment.” It continues: “to generate sustainable growth while maintaining social cohesion, the world must rise to the urgent challenge of creating 600 million productive jobs over the next decade, which would still leave 900 million workers living with their families below the US$2 a day poverty line, largely in developing countries.”
 
Shocking though these figures are, the above figures actually severely underestimate the number of unemployed people because to count above as unemployed a person needs to be not only without a job and wanting one but to have actively sought work in the last four weeks. Given the psychological consequences of unemployment include depression, lowered self-esteem, demoralisation many unemployed people stop actively seeking employment and when they do they stop being counted as unemployed.
 
To return, finally, to Bill Shorten and the argument that the dole should be kept low to encourage the unemployed to take badly paid jobs. High quality research shows beyond doubt that unemployed people are overwhelmingly desperate to become employed, that the more desperate they are to become employed the more their mental health is at risk and that financial stress and insecurity exacerbates the negative psychological consequences on unemployment. We are facing a global unemployment problem with almost incalculable psychological, social and public health costs but even so our policy makers are quite capable of finding ways to make a bad situation, psychologically speaking, even worse.
 
Author Information:
 
Professor David Fryer, Head of Research at the Australian Institute of Psychology, gave an Invited Address on the psychological consequences of unemployment at the International Congress of Psychology 2012 in Cape Town. A recent relevant publication of David’s is:
 
Fryer, D. (2012). Critical differences: the development of a community critical psychological perspective on the psychological costs of unemployment. In Kieselbach, T. & Mannila, S. (Ed.). Unemployment, Precarious Work and Health. Research and Policy Issues. Wiesbaden: VS - Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 473-489.
 
Join our community:
 
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Intostories
 
Stephen J Hawkins (Brisbane)
 
Looking back as a Therapist over the last 6 years or so of my life, I must confess that if someone came to my office and shared the same story with me, I probably wouldn’t believe them!!!! My skepticism wouldn’t surround the person, or even the storyline, but the fact that someone had been brave (or mad) enough to make such a vast ‘mid-life’ transition. So when reading this story please feel free, as I would, to ‘dis-believe’, that is your prerogative, but I ask you to take just one message away with you:
 
“People can change their lives, their direction and their purpose.
They can find Who they really are’.
 
Here is my story:
 
Coming from a stable family background in the countryside of England, and entering into factory work straight from comprehensive school, I never would anticipate what was ahead of me in the years to come. I spent my late teens, twenties and thirties working within the leather industry, of which provided a reasonable challenge and satisfactory lifestyle. Yes I flourished within that environment, gained academic knowledge and travelled – it got me to Oz after all!! But something was missing... Something that I probably chose to ignore until it had grown to such a proportion that it had to be responded to.
 
Some 12 years ago, I was approached by the HR dept. within the factory that I was managing. They had nominated me for a volunteering role with the local Police force… working with ‘young offenders’. “Why me?” I questioned. This was the start of something big. This ‘thing’ inside me, this ‘skill’ of which even though was in me, was invisible – but not to others. Being me, I took up the challenge; went on the training, got involved with the kids and absolutely loved it!!!!! This was the start…. the start of this ‘thing’ being noticed, being nurtured and ‘fed’. I realised that I had something else to offer, rather than running factories and ‘lining people’s pockets’. A new “me” was starting to take shape.
 
I continued to work in my primary role whilst also investing time in the kids, I was thriving!!! To this and maybe as an outcome of this personal discovery, I met my wife, Karen. To this day I believe that Karen’s inclusion in my life had provided the necessary environment for me to decide to take such a huge leap of faith. I thank her for that…..
 
In October 2002, I received a call out of nowhere; “How about managing a factory in Australia?” My head whizzed…. What would Karen say and do? What about the work with the kids? How can I leave something that I had started to live for? After nearly two years of deliberation, including visiting Australia to ‘case the joint’, it was decided that we would go. So welcome Brisbane, Australia, and in July 2004 the Hawkins family arrived. On our global journey, I took one vow with me; I would not let this new person wither and die; I had to find something that would fill the void.
 
I commenced my new role in August of 2004; it was great, exciting, new. Settled into new job, house, car and lifestyle nicely thank you very much, but yes, that ‘thing’ just wouldn’t go away. It was now getting to the point that it was niggling away at me. I couldn’t fight it anymore… I needed to find an outlet.
 
Two and a half years down the track, and following a tricky period within the manufacturing sector I worked in, it happened. I woke up a different person. At 39, yes early middle age where ‘spring’ and ‘chicken’ certainly could not be linked, I no longer wanted to ‘run factories’, no longer did I want to be doing what I had done for 20 odd years; enough, finish, nada…… I went into work that day and finished up – there, then…. period.
 
Enough was enough, the time had come where I had to make a stand, and do something for myself before ‘self-suppressing’ these feelings deep within me. I handed back my car keys, cleared my desk and got a mate to drop me home. I was unemployed 13,000 km’s from my homeland AND, yes there’s more to my madness, my wife Karen was at home with our 5 month old baby daughter. I do officially excuse you for now starting to doubt this storyline... As for sharing the conversation that Karen and I had on my arrival home that day – well let’s not even go there!!
 
I hear the word ‘irresponsible’ in the ether; not going to challenge that viewpoint, other than to say that plans were soon put into place regarding securing income to the family. When the emotions had subsided, and accounts assessed, Karen and I set up our own business. Karen too had skills that couldn’t be ignored and a hair dressing business was born. Me; I was going to be ‘daddy day care’, whilst also going back to study. I had managed to find this ‘Institute’ – no not the one you think I should have been admitted into, but an Institute for learning…. learning the ‘art’ of counselling. I had found the locksmith that had the key I needed to enter through the door to the world I wanted to be in. I became a student with AIPC, undertaking the Diploma of Counselling.
 
Our family soon got into a routine; Karen off to work dropping off the older kids, me with bottle in one hand, book of readings in the other. I actually felt ‘real’, alive. On top of the sheer joy of providing daily love and care to my Daughter……every day I was reading, writing or practicing stuff I loved!! As each unit went in for assessment and as constructive, positive feedback was being received in return, my confidence was flowing. The counsellor within me was developing. As time continued and new knowledge and skills gained, I needed to find an outlet so that these new attributes could be utilised. I started to research services and agencies that had vacancies for both volunteers and paid staff.
 
Being in a large, growing city as Brisbane; with its positives there is a flip side. With that flip slide come agencies and organisations that assist those caught on that flip side. I scoured the internet looking for support agencies; I found several potential opportunities, and had several meetings and interviews... I was flying by the seat of my pants, and was relying on my limitless enthusiasm, raw talent and drive to ‘fill the gaps’ in my academic knowledge within this sector. It paid off and in 2008 I was offered employment with a local community housing provider and started to volunteer with a local support group that assisted families following the loss (homicide) of a loved one. I had my foot in the door, and gee what a feeling that was. This new purpose provided me with even more energy. This energy allowed me to work full time, volunteer and continue to work through the Diploma, whilst also being involved with family life. Life was certainly busy, but now was providing ‘reward and reason’.
 
Before I knew it 2011 arrived and as weird as it sounds, I was ‘sad’. Sad that I had successfully completed by Diploma. “Why sad?” I hear you ask; well it was finished, over; a relationship with some very special people (students, support staff and tutors alike) had come to an end. I still remember clearly, the feeling that washed across me at the end of my last practical. Zahava (thoughts for her and her family at this time), looked up to us all and stated “that’s it, all done, well done everyone”. All my unit work had been completed, therefore this was it. I remember ‘reluctantly’ walking out of the training centre thinking; “What do I do now?” I had been on this incredible journey for two years or so, and had really discovered ‘me’. I wanted to keep this ‘me’ forever.
 
I had finished my Diploma in the March of 2011, and by July 2011, having gained membership with both AIPC and ACA, I had my own small practice in place. I had also secured an awesome role with the Australian Red Cross; I was thrilled with my work! However I had the learning bug. Through AIPC, I had been exposed to the truly interesting field of counselling and psychology. With my confidence ‘flowing over’, as an outcome of great nurturing provided from AIPC tutors, I felt confident enough to enrol in a Behavioural Studies program with OUA & Swinburne University, with majors in psychology and sociology. I started almost immediately, and again went into the full time work/student/family man routine. I hit into an array of units with gusto. “I like this”, I thought to myself one evening whilst writing a research paper on ‘How the family structure has changed during the 20th century’.
 
Through the Christmas of 2011, and into 2012 we ventured. Studying was continuing to provide a continual flow of energy as my work was gaining good feedback. It was almost cyclical, thus the feeling never went away; loving study, loving feedback. In April I got a letter in the post. It was from Swinburne, I couldn’t believe what I was reading; I had been invited to join the ‘International Golden Key Honour Society’, for outstanding academic achievement. I cried like a baby!!!! I couldn’t believe that, even though I had received very favourable feedback and results, that people, no sorry, Academics loved my work!! I was in psychology heaven... I was even invited to attend a ceremony at Swinburne University, Melbourne so to acknowledge this achievement. “Wow” I thought; “Maybe I do have something!”
 
So here I am, and there you are. This unbelievable story of my life over the last 6 years. I have gone from one side of the world to the other and changed vocations on a similar scale. Please feel free to continue to disbelieve… you are more than welcome!! Even writing this I think to myself – “really?”
 
So summarising this incredible journey, my journey, the message is clear; ‘If I can do this, then you can too’. I now look at things differently, but one aspect is crystal: We all have skills and ability, and whilst we may question ourselves we must at least try and give those skills ago. Whether by learning, volunteering or working in the field that utilises those skills, we should not be scared to venture out of our ‘default’ comfort zone and to strive to do something we really want to do. We must back ourselves, listen to that inner voice and at least attempt to try to explore and understand the real person inside and what that person has to offer. I listened to myself, against some ‘logical’ odds, but backed myself, and then exposed myself to a supportive and confidence boosting learning environment within AIPC.
 
If the worst thing that can happen is that you get to spend 2-3 years of your life with a great Institute, what have you really got to lose!! Being a counsellor as well as a Graduate member of AIPC, I am more than happy to be contacted. My contact details are:
 
 
I hope that I have at least provided ‘evidence’ that change can really be for the good, and truly wish everyone well in their unique pathways forward.
 
Kind Regards,
 
Stephen J Hawkins
AIPC Graduate
 
Watch inspirational stories from some of our Graduates: www.aipc.net.au/gradvideo
Hear what Employers say about our Graduates: www.aipc.net.au/employervids
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Intocommunity
 
“Be Alert... The World Needs More Lerts”
 
Lert is a national organisation of members – everyday folk – that are collectively interested in supporting our communities understand and overcome the issues of mental health.
 
Lerts are not necessarily mental health professionals. Anyone can be a Lert. Lerts are ordinary folk with an extraordinary vision of dramatically reducing the onset of mental illness through early intervention, education and community engagement.
 
Lerts share a willingness to help their communities and workplaces address the systemic problem of mental illness. They’re involved in educating their communities and workplaces about mental illness, breaking down stigma’s, implementing early intervention models, promoting support structures and much more.
 
Lerts:
  • Are sensitive to the mental health wellbeing of their family, friends and community.
  • Provide a social support through provision of education and awareness.
  • Can deliver mental health related training.
  • Can act as Lert Officers in their workplace.
  • Can be trained in Mental Health Social Support to act as a conduit of support and referral.
  • Can join and operate local Chapters to influence mental health services and education in their community.
  • Engage with local ‘centres of influence’ such as workplaces, community centres, schools, Medicare Locals, GP’s and primary health centres, and more.
  • Network with health professionals and support structures.
  • Undertake awareness programs.
  • Plus much more.
Learn more and join Lert today: www.lert.com.au/lz 
 
Like Lert Facebook here: www.facebook.com/RUaLert
Follow Lert Twitter here: www.twitter.com/RUaLert
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Intobookstore
 
The Institute has a list of recommended textbooks and DVDs that can add great value to your learning journey - and the good news is that you can purchase them very easily. The AIPC bookstore will give you discounted prices, an easy ordering method and quality guarantee!
 
This fortnight's feature is...
 
Name: Small Groups in Counselling and Therapy, Process and Leadership, 4nd edition
Authors: Posthuma, B.
AIPC Code: POSTHUMA
AIPC Price: $76.45 (RRP $84.95)
ISBN: 978-020-533-2465
 
To work effectively with small groups, all professionals need the same basic conceptual knowledge about group process, group development and leadership. This edition attempts to meet these general and universal needs.
 
To order this book, contact your Student Support Centreor the AIPC Head Office (1800 657 667).
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Intoarticles
 
A Case Using Equine-Assisted Therapy
 
Melody is a 45 year old professional woman who is divorced with no children. Over the last 2 years since her divorce she had been experiencing low levels of confidence along with feelings of dissatisfaction and lack of direction in her career and personal life. She also reports losing trust in others and has begun to avoid social activities. While working with Melody, the Professional Therapist, referred to as ‘T’, uses Equine-Assisted Therapy (EAT) to assist Melody with regaining confidence and trust and identifying goals for the future.
 
Click here to continue reading this article.
 
 
Feedback in Supervision
 
Verbal and nonverbal feedback from clinical supervisors allows the supervisee to form an opinion about how they are going in their growth and development as a practitioner. Feedback offers clarity on specific areas, for example, on how well they might be applying micro-counselling skills or on the depth, quality and accuracy of individual case conceptualisation.
 
Supervisor feedback is best conveyed if it is tailored to suite the supervisee’s specific supervisory stage of professional developmental. Good feedback should be...
 
Click here to continue reading this article.
 
Other articles: www.aipc.net.au/articles
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Intodilemma
 
Anna is a 17 year old student in Year 12 who has come to counselling because she is not coping with the stress of her final year. Anna is from a culture where academic success is highly important and she is under intense pressure from her parents to get good grades and go to university. She does not want to disappoint them but is constantly tired and anxious.
 
The next time you see Anna, her demeanour has improved significantly. She confides in you that she found a website where she can pay someone to write her assignments for her. Since using this system she has received “A’s” and her parents are pleased. She feels this has solved her problems and says that she does not need to come to counselling anymore.
 
In this situation, what should you do as the counsellor? Would you consider breaking confidentiality to inform her parents?
 
Cecelia Titus M.Sc. (Counselling)
 
As Anna’s counsellor I would tell her that I understand her need to find a solution for her problem. I would suggest to her that it seems to be a short-term solution with some potentially quite negative consequences, and I would ask her if she had thought about any of these possible consequences.
 
I would also ask her if her solution was going to help her in the long term, with the aim of helping her to identify and practice ways of thinking and behaving that may help her to reduce her stress. I would ensure that I am supportive and non-judgemental.
 
Raynette Kise M.Sc. (Counselling)
 
Since Anna feels that this has solved her problems, I would be careful not to elaborate on the possible negative consequences of her actions at this stage.
 
Instead, I would acknowledge her feelings of relief and then shift the focus back to her original presenting concern of not coping with stress. I would use the miracle question in Solution-Focused approach to have her think how her life would be like without the stress in general. Then exception questions can be used to further explore how she used to handled stress in the past, what was different during those times, what she did for the exceptions to happen and how she can do the same again, in this situation.
 
I would then explore with her some possible future scenarios. If she worked with using the exceptions found, how would she view herself after graduating from university? If she continued using this system that she just found, how would she feel about herself later? The predetermined impact of this exercise would be for her to come to her own self-realisation that her actions chosen today will have different consequences and she is in control of which direction she wishes to embrace.
 
Got something in mind? Send your comments to pedro@aipc.net.au and we’ll consider it for publication in an upcoming edition of our newsletter. Comments can vary from 300-800 words and should include your name, qualifications and contact details.
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Intodevelopment
 
80+ Courses for less than $1/ Day
 
Hundreds of counsellors, psychologists and social workers already access over 150 hours of personal and professional development, for less than $1 a day. Now it’s your turn.
 
Mental Health Academy programs have been specially developed by psychologist and counsellor educators. These high quality educational programs can provide you with insight into how you got to this point in your life, how to heal, and how best to move forward. They cover a range of key areas that can assist you – or those you love – throughout your life journey.
 
Program areas include:
  • Conflict & Mediation
  • Relationships
  • Grief & Loss
  • Children & Adolescents
  • Communication Skills
  • Addictions
  • Bullying
  • Mental Health Disorders
  • Incident & Trauma
  • And much more.
Just released:
  • Theories of Motivation in Sport
  • Narcissism: The Basics
  • Treating Narcissism In and Around Your Clients
  • Case Studies in Narcissism
  • Principles of Psychosynthesis (coming soon)
  • Helping clients to integrate subpersonalities (coming soon)
  • Understanding Will (coming soon)
  • Working with will in the therapy room (coming soon)
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Intoconnection
 
Have you visited theCounselling Connection Blog yet? There are over 600 interesting posts including case studies, profiles, success stories, videos and much more. Make sure you too get connected (and thank you for those who have already submitted comments and suggestions).
 
A Career in Counselling with AIPC
 
Have you ever imagined what your life would be like if you had a professional, recognised counselling qualification… and what that qualification would mean for your future?
 
With your recognised counselling qualification you’ll be ready to take on exciting new job opportunities (increased government funding is creating many new opportunities) or enhance your current role to take advantage of future promotions. Or maybe you’d like to set up your own private counselling practice and experience the many personal and financial rewards that working for yourself provides.
 
Like so many of our graduates, you will be able to create lasting change and have a major positive influence on the wellbeing of people in your community
 
Whatever you’re imagining, it’s all possible with a qualification from the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors (AIPC) – the largest, longest established, and most trusted counselling education specialist in the country.
 
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Intotwitter
 
Follow us on Twitter and get the latest and greatest in counselling news. To follow, visit https://twitter.com/counsellingnews and click "Follow".
 
Featured Tweets
 
Laura Gallo: Doing what is best for students in a complex role: https://ct.counseling.org/2012/12/laura-gallo-doing-what-is-best-for-students-in-a-complex-role/
 
Moral Judgments Quicker, More Extreme Than Practical Ones, but Also Flexible: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121128182717.htm
 
 
 
An old, but interesting post - can you make sense of this text? Your brain can: https://www.counsellingconnection.com.au
 
Learn more about Coherence Therapy via https://www.coherencetherapy.org
 
"One half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it." ~Sidney Howard
 
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Intoquotes
 
"No one can get inner peace by pouncing on it."
 
~ Harry Emerson Fosdick
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Intoseminars
 
Many students of the Diploma of Counselling attend seminars to complete the practical requirements of their course. Seminars provide an ideal opportunity to network with other students and liaise with qualified counselling professionals in conjunction with completing compulsory coursework.
 
Not sure if you need to attend Seminars? Click here for information on Practical Assessments.
 
Below are the remainder seminars dates and locations for 2012. Full seminar dates for 2013 and seminar pre-requisites are available here: www.aipc.net.au/timetables.php.
 
To register for a seminar, please contact your Student Support Centre.
 
BRISBANE
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Counselling Therapies I - 08-09/12
Counselling Applications - 16/12
 
CDA Timetable
 
Counselling Therapies I - 8-9/12
Family Therapy - 15/12
 
GOLD COAST
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills II - 15/12
 
CDA Timetable
 
Communication Skills II - 15/12
 
MELBOURNE
 
DPCD Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 14/12
Counselling Therapies I - 8-9/12
Counselling Therapies II - 15-16/12
 
CDA Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 14/12
Counselling Therapies I - 8-9/12
Counselling Therapies II - 15-16/12
 
NORTHERN TERRITORY
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills II - 08/12
Counselling Therapies II - 15-16/12
 
CDA Timetable
 
Communication Skills II - 08/12
Counselling Therapies II - 15-16/12
 
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
 
DPCD Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 09/12
 
CDA Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 09/12
Legal & Ethical Frameworks - 08/12
 
SYDNEY
 
DPCD Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 13/12
Counselling Therapies II - 14-15/12
Case Management - 06-07/12
Advanced Counselling Techniques - 17/12
Counselling Applications - 18/12
 
CDA Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 13/12
Counselling Therapies II - 14-15/12
Case Management - 06-07/12
 
TASMANIA
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 16/12
 
CDA Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 16/12
Legal & Ethical Frameworks - 09/12
 
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 08/12
Communication Skills II - 09/12
Counselling Therapies II - 15-16/12
 
CDA Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 08/12
Communication Skills II - 09/12
Counselling Therapies II - 15-16/12
 
Important Note: Advertising of the dates above does not guarantee availability of places in the seminar. Please check availability with the respective Student Support Centre.
 
 
   Training Courses
 
 
 
Help those around you suffering mental illness in silence: www.mhss.net.au
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