AIPC Institute InBrief
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In this Issue

bullet Hello!
bullet Intobachelor
bullet Intothediploma
bullet Intonews
bullet Intomhss
bullet Intocounselling
bullet Intobookstore
bullet Intoarticles
bullet Intodevelopment
bullet Intoconnection
bullet Intotwitter
bullet Intoquotes
bullet Intoseminars
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Editor: Sandra Poletto
Email: ezine@aipc.net.au
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Copyright: 2012 Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors

Hello!
Welcome to Edition 188 of Institute Inbrief. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a form of clinical behavioural analysis developed in 1986 by psychologists Steven Hayes, Kelly Wilson, and Kirk Strosahl.
 
Originally called comprehensive distancing, it gets its current name from one of its core messages: the injunction to accept what is out of one’s personal control and commit to action that improves and enriches one’s life. In this edition’s featured article, we explore some basic concepts of ACT.
 
Also in this edition:
  • News: AIPC on YouTube
  • MHSS Workshops – September
  • Articles and CPD updates
  • Blog and Twitter updates
  • Upcoming seminar dates
Enjoy your reading,
 
Editor.
 
 
Join our community:
 
 
 
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Intobachelor
 
Become A Counsellor or Expand On Your Qualifications
With Australia’s Most Cost Effective & Flexible
 Bachelor of Counselling
 
AIPC is Australia’s largest and longest established educator of Counsellors. Over the past 22-years we’ve helped over 55,000 people from 27 countries pursue their dream of becoming a professional Counsellor.
 
The Bachelor of Counselling is a careful blend of theory and practical application. Theory is learnt through user-friendly learning materials that have been carefully designed to make your studies as accessible and conducive to learning as possible.
 
You can gain up to a full year’s academic credit (and save up to $8,700.00 with RPL) with a Diploma qualification. And with Fee-Help you don’t have to pay your subject fees upfront.
 
Here are some facts about the course:
  • Save up to $26,400.00 on your qualification.
  • Get started with NO MONEY DOWN using FEE-HELP.
  • Save up to $8,700.00 with RPL.
  • You will be supported by a large team of highly-qualified counselling professionals.
  • Study externally with individualised personal support.
  • Attend Residential Schools in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to hone your practical skills and network with other students.
You can learn more here: www.aipc.edu.au/degree
 
Watch our 2013 TV ad: www.aipc.net.au/tv2013
 
 
Become A Psychologist
 
Earn-While-You-Learn With Australia's
Best Value-for-Money & Flexible
Bachelor of Psychological Science
 
Psychology is one of the most versatile undergraduate courses, leading to many different career opportunities. And now there's a truly flexible way to get your qualification – with internal or external study options. It means working while you study is a realistic alternative.
 
Cost of living pressures and lifestyle choices are evolving the way we learn and Australian Institute of Psychology (AIP) is paving the way through flexible, innovative learning models:
  • Save up to $35,800 on your qualification.
  • Get started with NO MONEY DOWN with FEE-HELP.
  • Earn while you learn with flexible external learning options.
  • Be supported by a large team of highly-qualified Psychology professionals.
  • Study internally or externally with individualised personal support.
  • Enjoy a flexible and supportive learning experience.
  • Benefit from less onerous course entry requirements.
AIP is a registered Higher Education Provider with the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, delivering a three-year Bachelor of Psychological Science. The Bachelor of Psychological Science is accredited by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), the body that sets the standards of training for Psychology education in Australasia.
 
APAC accreditation requirements are uniform across all universities and providers in the country, meaning that Australian Institute of Psychology, whilst a private Higher Education Provider, is required to meet exactly the same high quality standards of training, education and support as any university provider in the country.
 
You can learn more here: www.aip.edu.au/degree
 
Watch our 2013 TV ad: www.aip.edu.au/tv2013
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Intothediploma
 
AIPC provides you with Flexible Course Delivery Modes
So YOU set the rules for how and when you learn...
 
AIPC’s accredited and nationally recognised Diploma of Counselling is designed so that you determine the manner and pace you study. You study entirely at your own pace (except of course if you’re receiving a government benefit such as Austudy) and you can start at any time, graduating in only 18-months.
 
Not only can you set the pace you study, you also determine the mode you want to study. You can study externally (at home with phone and email access to our counselling tutors); in-Class; online or any combination… all the time fully supported by our huge national team throughout our 8 Student Support Centres.
 
External learning means you can complete your entire course from the comfort of your home (or office, or overseas, or virtually anywhere). Your course comes complete with fully self-contained, referenced and professionally presented learning materials including 18 individual workbooks and readings. It really is as simple as working through the material and contacting us for support along the way. If you live locally to one of our support centres you can also attend tutorials to provide you with face to face contact if you wish (this option is ideal if you enjoy working more independently or have a busy schedule).
 
In-Class learning is a classroom forum where you learn with other students from a qualified lecturer. Classes are available in most main cities, at flexible times. In-Class is a great way for you to accelerate your learning, interact with other students and stay highly motivated. (This option is particularly suitable if you enjoy learning in the classroom environment with other students).
 
Online learning allows you to complete your learning entirely via your PC. You still receive all the high quality hardcopy resources (so you don’t miss out on anything!), but you’ll access all your learning materials and complete assessments online.
 
Any combination. Of course you don’t have to stick with one learning method throughout your studies. You’re welcome to use whichever method suits your needs and desires at the time. You may choose to complete one workbook in-Class, another online, then externally. Whatever is most convenient!
 
Learn more - visit www.aipc.net.au/lz today!
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Intonews
 
AIPC on YouTube
 
Want to watch personal and professional development videos, student interviews, conversations with employers of AIPC graduates, and inspirational stories from current and past students? Now you can do that, and much more, with the new AIPC YouTube Channel.
 
Just visit the link below and make sure you click the “Subscribe” button to receive updates each time a new video is published. And interact: you can write your own comments in our videos, and start interesting discussions with peers and colleagues.
 
We look forward to you joining our growing YouTube Channel community!
 
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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.
 
Upcoming workshops in August/September:
  • Narre Warren, VIC: 13 & 14 September
  • Padstow Heights, NSW: 14 & 15 September
  • Launceston, TAS: 19 & 20 September
  • Gold Coast, QLD: 21 & 22 September
  • Ferny Grove, QLD: 21 & 22 September
  • Coffs Harbour, NSW: 25 & 26 September
  • East Doncaster, VIC: 26 & 27 September
Book your seat now: 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.
 
Endorsements
 
The Mental Health Social Support workshop is approved by several industry Associations for continuing professional development. Current endorsements include:
  • Australian Association of Social Workers: 14 CPD hours
  • Australian College of Mental Health Nurses: 14 CPE Points
  • Australian College of Midwives: 14 MidPLUS Points
  • Australian Community Workers Association: 5 CPE Points
  • Australian Counselling Association: 28 OPD Points
  • Australian Physiotherapy Association: 14 CPD Hours
  • Australian Practice Nurses Association: 14 CPD Hours
  • Royal College of Nursing, Australia: 12.5 CNE Points
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
  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.
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Intocounselling
 
What is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?
 
Acceptance and commitment therapy (usually pronounced as the word “act” rather than the initials “A-C-T”) is a form of clinical behavioural analysis developed in 1986 by psychologists Steven Hayes, Kelly Wilson, and Kirk Strosahl. Originally called comprehensive distancing, it gets its current name from one of its core messages: the injunction to accept what is out of one’s personal control and commit to action that improves and enriches one’s life. Thus, ACT:
  • Is an empirically-based set of psychological interventions that
  • Uses mindfulness skills to develop psychological flexibility and
  • Helps clarify and direct values-guided behaviour (Carrasco, 2013; Wikipedia, 2013; Harris, 2013).
What are ACT’s goals?
 
ACT aims to maximise human potential in order to create a rich and meaningful life, while accepting the pain that inevitably goes with it. It teaches those practicing it – let’s say that’s us – to accept things that are out of our control (this does not mean that we approve them) without evaluation or attempts to change them (unlike in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), while committing to taking action that enriches our life. ACT therapy achieves this by:
  • Helping us to clarify what is genuinely important and meaningful (that is, our values) and to use that knowledge to inspire and guide us to set life-enriching goals;
  • Teaching psychological skills, known as mindfulness skills, for handling painful thoughts, feelings, urges, images, and memories (called private experiences) in such a way that they have much less impact on us. Developing a new mindful relationship with such experiences frees us to take action consistent with our values (Harris, 2006; Carrasco, 2013; Harris, 2009).
What is the underlying philosophy of ACT? 
 
ACT is based on the pragmatic philosophy of Relational Frame Theory (RFT), a comprehensive theory of language and cognition that is derived from behaviour analysis. While traditional models of language and cognition go for an information transmission system, RFT uses a functional, contextualistic approach to understand complex human behaviour such as language and thought (Wikipedia, 2013; Fox, 2013).
 
Translated into simpler language, the above paragraph means that RFT refers to the way that the stimulus functions of a thing or event tend to get transferred to the word used to describe it. For instance, let’s say that you are afraid of snakes. Every time you see one, you experience a knot of fear in your stomach, you break out into an anxious sweat, and you have an overwhelming desire to run away. RFT understands that if someone merely utters the word “snakes” in your presence (the stimulus), you are likely to experience the same fear, anxiety, and desire to run as if you were confronted by a live snake.
 
Because all of us as human beings contain a huge storehouse of anxiety hidden in our personal histories, we also have a wealth of potential anxiety that could be experienced in our personal futures. In the present, thoughts can occur that remind us of anxiety we experienced in the past, and we may anticipate anxiety that could occur in the future. Thus, according to the principles of RFT, words become causes of pain. We hear someone talking about their grief from losing their father, and we re-experience our own similar grief. All that we have been exposed to is the other person’s words; we haven’t just experienced another bereavement, but the words of grief we are hearing evoke automatic thoughts and feelings as though the death were occurring right here and now.
 
We tend to take these words, these thoughts, literally, rather than observing them as thoughts. Thus language and thought ends up being able to hurt us, because through it, pain can be brought to our minds at any time. It cannot be avoided. The more we try to avoid the painful experience (through distraction, repression, substance abuse, and many more short-term strategies), the more it lingers, causing us anxiety, fear, sadness, pain, shame, and other difficult emotions.   If we didn’t have language, we could not call up a negative past, nor anticipate a negative future. But the way our minds tend to deal with this pain makes things worse. We tend, as human beings, to set up an unwritten rule that suffering is bad, that the absence of suffering is good, and that if something is bad, we should try to get rid of it by acting on it directly (NWLCB Training, n.d.). 
 
Enter Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Working with the RFT model of language and cognition above, ACT helps people to relieve their suffering by dealing with painful experiences and thoughts – which RFT and ACT both acknowledge cannot be controlled long-term – by accepting them, and committing to actions which create a rich and purpose-filled life. Thus, the underlying philosophy of ACT (that is: RFT) is pragmatic, and precise, relying on just a few basic concepts to account for language and thought, with directly observable principles. It has direct applied and clinical applications, and is based on empirical research. Proponents say that it is taking behavioural science into exciting new directions with profound implications for almost every topic relating to complex human behaviour (Wikipedia, 2013; Fox, 2013). 
 
Where does ACT “sit” within schools of therapy?
 
Russ Harris, a general practitioner-turned-psychotherapist who has actively promoted the concepts of ACT through his writings, web presence, and training workshops, has commented that ACT is hard to describe, but can best be thought of as an “existential humanistic cognitive behaviour therapy” (Harris, 2009, p. 21). ACT is one of the “third wave” behavioural therapies, along with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) (you can read a bit about these in the MHA Mindfulness course). All four focus on the development of mindfulness skills.
 
Waves of behaviour therapies
 
So if ACT is the third wave, what were the first and second waves, you ask? Good question. The “first wave” of behavioural therapies, while started in the 1920s, became well-known in the fifties and sixties. These therapies looked at observable behavioural change and were characterised by their techniques of operant and classical conditioning: what is traditionally known as behaviourism. The “second wave” began in the seventies when practitioners allowed cognitive interventions to be included, and therapies such as Rational-Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) grew in popularity, the latter eventually coming to dominate the “wave” (Harris, 2006).
 
Differences between ACT and other behaviour therapies
 
Clearly, there has been a growing trend to allow increasingly broader aspects of the client to come under study. Classical behaviourism, the first wave, looked only at behaviour. Therapies such as REBT and CBT in the second wave included both behaviour and cognition (thought and belief) as valid aspects to study in order to understand a human being. Third wave therapies, in their focus on mindfulness, additionally allow the aspect of awareness (that is, an aspect larger than the Western conception of “mind”) as a valid focus. 
 
Within the current wave, ACT differs from the other therapies in several ways. First, MBSR and MBCT (the mindfulness approaches to stress reduction and cognitive therapy) are chiefly manualised protocols, designed to help groups of people in the treatment of stress or depression. DBT is often a combination of group skills training and individual therapy, created particularly to help those with Borderline Personality Disorder (Baer, 2003). Conversely, ACT can be used with a variety of clinical populations – as individuals, couples, or groups – in therapy sessions which can be brief, medium-term, or long-term. ACT encourages therapists to create or individualise their own mindfulness techniques (even co-creating them with clients) rather than relying on manualised procedures. And ACT views formal mindfulness meditation as only one way within a wide range of methods to teach mindfulness skills (Harris, 2006).   
 
The evidence
 
Sounds interesting, you may say, but does it work? The good news here is that there is a growing body of evidence to support practitioners’ claims, both in terms of the size and degree of control of the trials, and also in regard to the areas in which ACT interventions have been deemed to be successful. Here are a few:
 
ACT is considered an empirically validated treatment by the American Psychological Association; it has given the status of “modest research support” in depression and “strong research support” in chronic pain (APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice, 2006).

ACT is listed as evidence-based by SAMSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) in the United States (SAMSHA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, 2013). It has randomised trials for ACT in the areas of psychosis, work site stress, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

ACT has demonstrated preliminary evidence of effectiveness in randomised trials for a variety of presenting issues including:

  • Chronic pain
  • Addictions
  • Smoking cessation
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Psychosis
  • Workplace stress
  • Diabetes management
  • Weight management
  • Epilepsy control
  • Self-harm
  • Body dissatisfaction
  • Eating disorders
  • Burnout (Hayes, 2013)
Key ACT processes, such as acceptance, defusion, and values clarification, seem to be playing a causal role in producing beneficial clinical outcomes (Lundgren, Dahl, & Hayes, 2008), and more, the reverse may true. Correlational studies are showing that absence of these processes predicts psychopathology. ACT processes account for, on average, 16 – 29 per cent of the variance in psychopathology according to a recent meta-analysis (Forman, Herbert, Moitra, Yeomans, & Geller, 2007; Zettle, Rains, & Hayes, 2011).
 
In New Zealand, a 2010 study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of ACT therapy, in the form of self-help books, for people with chronic pain. With a sample size of 24, the researchers made sure that subjects in the experimental group had sufficient reading comprehension, no psychiatric disorder, stable medication, and no history of trauma. The method used was two group study conducted over a six-week period, with some participants required to read the self-help book and complete the exercises.   Pre- and post-intervention questionnaires revealed that the experimental group (those reading the ACT self-help books) had statistically significant improvements, with large effect sizes, for acceptance, satisfaction with life, and quality of life.  Medium effect sizes were obtained for enhancement in pain ratings (Johnston, Foster, Shennan, Starkey, & Johnson, 2010). 
 
A recent meta-analysis of 68 laboratory-based studies on ACT components has given support to the connection between psychological flexibility and some of ACT’s components (Levin, Hildebrandt, Lillis, & Hayes, 2012).
 
This article was adapted from the upcoming Mental Health Academy CPD course “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: Basics and Techniques”.
 
References:
 
APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice. (2006). Evidence-based practice in psychology. American Psychologist, 61, 271-285. Retrieved on 22 July, 2013, from: hyperlink.
 
Baer, R. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10 (2), 125 – 143).
 
Forman, E. M., Herbert, J. D., Moitra, E., Yeomans, P. D., & Geller, P. A. (2007). A Randomized Controlled Effectiveness Trial of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression. Behavior Modification 31 (6): 772–99. doi: 10.1177/0145445507302202. PMID 17932235.
 
Fox, E. (2013). Advantages of RFT. Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. Retrieved on 16 July, 2013, from: hyperlink.         
 
Harris, R. (2006). Embracing your demons: An overview of acceptance and commitment therapy. Psychotherapy in Australia (2006); 12, 4. Retrieved on 15 July, 2013, from: hyperlink.
 
Johnston, M., Foster, M., Shennan, J., Starkey, N. J., & Johnson, A. (2010). The effectiveness of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy self-help intervention for chronic pain. Clinical Journal of Pain. 26(5), 393. Retrieved on 23 July, 2013, from: hyperlink.
 
Levin, M., Hildebrandt, M.J., Lillis, J., & Hayes, S. C. (2012). The Impact of Treatment Components Suggested by the Psychological Flexibility Model: A Meta-Analysis of Laboratory-Based Component Studies. Behavior Therapy 43 (4): 741–56. doi:10.1016/j.beth.2012.05.003.PMID 23046777.
 
SAMSHA’s National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. (2013). Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). NREPP: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on 22 July, 2013, from hyperlink.
 
Wikipedia. (2013). Acceptance and commitment therapy. Wikipedia: Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved on 15 July, 2013, from: hyperlink.
 
Zettle, R. D., Rains, J. C., & Hayes, S. C. (2011). Processes of Change in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A Mediation Reanalysis of Zettle and Rains. Behavior Modification 35 (3): 265–83. doi:10.1177/0145445511398344. PMID 21362745.
 
Join our community:
 
 
 
 
Help those around you suffering mental illness in silence: www.mhss.net.au
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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: Theory & Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy, 9th edition
Authors: Corey, G
AIPC Code: COREY
AIPC Price: $107.20 (RRP $127.95)
ISBN: 978-084-002-8549
 
Corey’s current conscientious and student-friendly book shows you how to put eleven key counselling theories into practice and helps you develop the counselling method that’s right for you.
 
To order this book, contact your Student Support Centre or the AIPC Head Office (1800 657 667).
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Intoarticles
 
Symptoms, Causes and Effects of Loneliness
 
According to Murphy and Kupschik (1992), loneliness is defined as a state in which a person describes experiencing an overwhelming sense of inner emptiness and social isolation. It is, therefore, an emotional state. Loneliness is more than a person feeling that they want to be able to connect on a social level with others – but rather it is a perceived sense of disconnection, rejection and alienation.
 
The lonely client may find it difficult or even impossible to have any form of meaningful human contact. Lonely clients often experience a subjective sense of inner emptiness combined with feelings of separation and/ or isolation from the world.
 
Sometimes people feel lonely because they believe they are different from others or they believe people are indifferent to them. Loneliness and being alone are not the same. For example, a client can be in a group with others and still feel lonely; whereas, they can be alone by themselves and not necessarily feel lonely (Aspel, 2001).
 
Click here to continue reading this article.
 
 
Motivational Enhancement Therapy
 
Motivational enhancement is a style of person-centred counselling developed to facilitate change in health-related behaviours. The core principle of the approach is negotiation rather than conflict. It aims to help people explore and resolve their ambivalence about behaviour change.
 
It combines warmth and empathy with focused reflective listening and the development of discrepancy between where the person is and where they would like to be. A core principle is that the person’s motivation to change is enhanced if there is a gentle process of negotiation in which the client, not the counsellor, explores the benefits and costs involved in change.
 
Another strong principle of this approach is that conflict is unhelpful and that a collaborative relationship is essential between counsellor and client, in order to tackle the problem together (Miller & Rollnick, 1991).
 
Click here to continue reading this article.
 
More articles: www.aipc.net.au/articles
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Intodevelopment
 
Mental Health Academy – First to Knowledge in Mental Health
 
Get UNLIMITED access to over 50 Hours ($3,160.00 value) professional development video workshops, and over 80 specialist courses, for just $39/month or $349/year.
 
We want you to experience unlimited, unrestricted access to the largest repository of personal and professional development programs available anywhere in the country.
 
When you join our new Premium Level membership, you’ll get all-inclusive access to over 40 video workshops (presented by some of the world’s leading mental health experts) valued at $3,160.00.
 
You’ll also get access to over 80 professionally-developed courses exploring a huge range of topics, including counselling interventions, communications skills, conflict, child development, mental health disorders, stress and trauma, relationships, ethics, reflective practice, plus much more. 
 
All courses and videos have been specially developed by psychologist and counsellor educators and are conveniently accessible online, 24/7. They’re filled with content that’ll help you understand your own life, and how to improve on your current condition.
 
Benefits of becoming a premium member:
  • Unlimited access to over 80 specialist courses
  • Unlimited access to over 40 videos ($3,160.00 value)
  • Videos presented by international experts
  • New programs released every month
  • Extremely relevant topics
  • Online, 24/7 access
  • Counsellors: Over 200 hours of ACA-approved OPD
  • Social Workers: 126 AASW-endorsed CPD programs
  • Psychologists: Over 200 'active' CPD Hours
Upcoming programs:
  • Understanding Obsessives
  • OCD and OCPD Case Studies
  • Mindfulness in Therapeutic Practice
  • Managing Chronic Pain
  • Treating Depression in the Older Client
  • A Constructive-Developmental Approach in Therapy: Case Studies
  • Sitting with Shadow: Case Studies
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
  • Emotionally Focused Therapy
  • Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy
  • Primary Issues in Counselling the Disabled
Learn more and join today: www.mentalhealthacademy.com.au
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Intoconnection
 
Have you visited the Counselling 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).
 
Do it now: Time management tips
 
By Steve Pavlina
 
When going to college many years ago, I decided to challenge myself by setting a goal to see if I could graduate in only three semesters, taking the same classes that people would normally take over a four-year period. This article explains in detail all the time management techniques I used to successfully pull this off.
 
In order to accomplish this goal, I determined I’d have to take 30-40 units per semester, when the average student took 12-15 units. It became immediately obvious that I’d have to manage my time extremely well if I wanted to pull this off. I began reading everything I could find on time management and putting what I learned into practice. I accomplished my goal by graduating with two Bachelor of Science degrees (computer science and mathematics) in just three semesters without attending summer school. I slept seven to eight hours a night, took care of my routine chores (shopping, cooking, etc), had a social life, and exercised for 30 minutes every morning.
 
In my final semester, I even held a full time job (40 hours a week) as a game programmer and served as the Vice Chair of the local Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) chapter while taking 37 units of mostly senior-level computer science and math courses. My classmates would add up all the hours they expected each task to take and concluded that my weeks must have consisted of about 250 hours. I graduated with a 3.9 GPA and also received a special award given to the top computer science student each year. One of my professors later told me that they had an easy time selecting the award recipient once it became clear to them what I was doing.
 
Click here to read the full post.
 
Get new posts delivered by email! Visit our FeedBurner subscription page and click the link on the subscription box.
 
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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
 
Counselling Techniques to Reduce Stress: https://bit.ly/17inIJs
 
Understanding Self Harming: https://bit.ly/1eaWDQf
 
Challenges of Same-Sex Couple Families: https://bit.ly/15NaBVj
 
Webinar: Collaborative Mental Health Care, Older People and Sleep Disturbance: https://bit.ly/17SvTuq
 
The role of psychosocial support in humanitarian interventions: https://bit.ly/1aZocdi
 
Study Reveals the Wandering Mind Behind Insomnia: https://bit.ly/16gbYcs
 
Psychotherapist Olga Lukina works with the casualties of Russia’s transition from Communism to capitalism: https://bit.ly/1fSFsPc
 
Note that you need a Twitter profile to follow a list. If you do not have one yet, visit https://twitter.com to create a free profile today!
 
Tweet Count: 4,221
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Intoquotes
 
"Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value."
 
~ Albert Einstein
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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 upcoming seminars available during the remainder of 2013.
 
To register for a seminar, please contact your Student Support Centre.
 
BRISBANE
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 12/10, 07/12
Communication Skills II - 28/09, 23/11
The Counselling Process - 30/11-01/12
Counselling Therapies I - 21-22/09, 16-17/11
Counselling Therapies II - 19-20/10, 14-15/12
Case Management - 02-03/11
Advanced Counselling Techniques - 06/10
Counselling Applications - 09/11
 
CDA/B Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 30/11-01/12
Communication Skills I - 12/10, 07/12
Communication Skills II - 28/09, 23/11
Counselling Therapies I - 21-22/09, 16-17/11
Counselling Therapies II - 19-20/10, 14-15/12
Legal & Ethical Frameworks - 24/11
Family Therapy - 29/09, 08/12
 
GOLD COAST
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 16/11
Communication Skills II - 21/09, 13/12
The Counselling Process - 25-26/10, 07/12
Counselling Therapies I - 27-28/09
Counselling Therapies II - 22-23/11
Case Management - 18-19/10
 
CDA/B Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 25-26/10, 07/12
Communication Skills I - 16/11
Communication Skills II - 21/09, 13/12
Counselling Therapies I - 27-28/09
Counselling Therapies II - 22-23/11
Legal & Ethical Frameworks - 29/11
Case Management - 18-19/10
 
MELBOURNE
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 28/09, 12/10, 23/11, 14/12
Communication Skills II - 13/10, 24/11, 15/12
The Counselling Process - 13-14/09, 05-06/10, 16-17/11 06-07/12
Counselling Therapies I - 21-22/09, 19-20/10, 30/11-01/12
Counselling Therapies II - 26-27/10, 07-08/12
Case Management - 04-05/10, 14-15/12
Advanced Counselling Techniques - 20/09, 09/11
Counselling Applications - 29/09, 10/11
 
CDA/B Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 13-14/09, 05-06/10, 16-17/11 06-07/12
Communication Skills I - 28/09, 12/10, 23/11, 14/12
Communication Skills II - 13/10, 24/11, 15/12
Counselling Therapies I - 21-22/09, 19-20/10, 30/11-01/12
Counselling Therapies II - 26-27/10, 07-08/12
Legal & Ethical Frameworks - 15/09, 02/11
Family Therapy - 08/11
Case Management - 04-05/10, 14-15/12
 
NORTHERN TERRITORY
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 02/11
Communication Skills II - 07/11, 30/11
The Counselling Process - 28-29/09, 07-08/12
Counselling Therapies I - 26-27/10
Counselling Therapies II - 14-15/12
Case Management - 23-24/11
Advanced Counselling Techniques - 12/10
Counselling Applications - 09/11
 
CDA/B Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 28-29/09, 07-08/12
Communication Skills I - 02/11
Communication Skills II - 07/11, 30/11
Counselling Therapies I - 26-27/10
Counselling Therapies II - 14-15/12
Legal & Ethical Frameworks - 19/10
Family Therapy - 16/11
Counselling Applications - 09/11
 
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 26/10, 14/12
Communication Skills II - 27/10, 15/12
The Counselling Process - 19-20/10, 30/11-01/12
Counselling Therapies I - 21-22/09
Counselling Therapies II - 23-24/11
Case Management - 31/08-01/09, 07-08/12
Advanced Counselling Techniques - 14/09
Counselling Applications - 12/10
 
CDA/B Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 19-20/10, 30/11-01/12
Communication Skills I - 26/10, 14/12
Communication Skills II - 27/10, 15/12
Counselling Therapies I - 21-22/09
Counselling Therapies II - 23-24/11
Legal & Ethical Frameworks - 13/10
Family Therapy - 15/09
Case Management - 07-08/12
 
SUNSHINE COAST
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 16/11
Communication Skills II - 17/11
The Counselling Process - 21-22/09
Counselling Therapies II - 19-20/10
Case Management - 28-29/09
Advanced Counselling Techniques - 12/10
Counselling Applications - 02/11
 
CDA/B Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 21-22/09
Communication Skills I - 16/11
Communication Skills II - 17/11
Counselling Therapies II - 19-20/10
Case Management - 28-29/09
 
SYDNEY
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 16/09, 18/10, 09/11, 13/12
Communication Skills II - 17/09, 19/10, 18/11, 16/12
The Counselling Process - 13-14/09, 03-04/10, 14-15/11, 06-07/12
Counselling Therapies I - 19-20/09, 22-23/11
Counselling Therapies II - 08-09/10, 09-10/12
Case Management - 14-15/10, 17-18/12
Advanced Counselling Techniques - 25/11
Counselling Applications - 26/11
 
CDA/B Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 13-14/09, 03-04/10, 14-15/11, 06-07/12
Communication Skills I - 16/09, 18/10, 09/11, 13/12
Communication Skills II - 17/09, 19/10, 18/11, 16/12
Counselling Therapies I - 19-20/09, 22-23/11
Counselling Therapies II - 08-09/10, 09-10/12
Legal & Ethical Frameworks - 27/09, 27/11
Family Therapy - 28/09, 12/12
Case Management - 14-15/10, 17-18/12
 
TASMANIA
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 03/11
Communication Skills II - 01/12
The Counselling Process - 28-29/09, 07-08/12
Counselling Therapies I - 28-29/09, 07-08/12
Counselling Therapies II - 14-15/12
Case Management - 23-24/11
Advanced Counselling Techniques - 13/10
Counselling Applications - 10/11
 
CDA/B Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 28-29/09, 07-08/12
Communication Skills I - 03/11
Communication Skills II - 01/12
Counselling Therapies I - 28-29/09, 07-08/12
Counselling Therapies II - 14-15/12
Legal & Ethical Frameworks - 20/10
Family Therapy - 17/11
Case Management - 23-24/11
 
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
 
DPCD Timetable
 
Communication Skills I - 14/09, 26/10, 07/12
Communication Skills II - 15/09, 27/10, 08/12
The Counselling Process - 05-06/10, 02-03/11
Counselling Therapies I - 28-29/09, 23-24/11
Counselling Therapies II - 21-22/09 14-15/12
Case Management - 09-10/11
Advanced Counselling Techniques - 12/10
Counselling Applications - 16/11
 
CDA/B Timetable
 
The Counselling Process - 05-06/10, 02-03/11
Communication Skills I - 14/09, 26/10, 07/12
Communication Skills II - 15/09, 27/10, 08/12
Counselling Therapies I - 28-29/09, 23-24/11
Counselling Therapies II - 21-22/09 14-15/12
Legal & Ethical Frameworks - 13/10
Family Therapy - 17/11
Case Management - 09-10/11
 
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.
 
 
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