Welcome to Issue 344 of Institute Inbrief
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Issue 344 // Institute Inbrief
Dear <<First Name>>,

Welcome to Edition 344 of Institute Inbrief! In this edition's featured article we review eight ideas you may wish to consider when writing your goals for 2021, and beyond.


Also in this edition:
  1. Managing Complex Legal and Ethical Dilemmas
  2. The Fine Art of Compassion
  3. Counselling: From Resistance to Acceptance
  4. Disaster Mental Health Counselling Credential
  5. Quotations, Seminar Timetables & More!

On behalf of our team Australia-wide, we wish you a wonderful festive season and amazing start of 2021. We can't wait to connect with you in the new year!

Enjoy your reading!



Sandra Poletto
CEO, Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors.
Diploma of Counselling
Join one of the most personally enriching careers.

There is no more rewarding way to help others than by providing emotional support that assists people get their lives back on track.

AIPC is the largest provider of counselling courses in the country. We have specialised in counsellor training for over 30 years. We have proudly helped over 55,000 people from 27 countries pursue their personal and career interests in counselling.

Our Diploma of Counselling is a journey of self-discovery, providing deep insight into why you think and behave as you do. And when you graduate, you will be extremely well prepared to pursue a career in counselling – employed or self-employed – enjoying our strong industry reputation and linkage.

As a Counsellor you will:
  1. Be truly passionate about what you do.
  2. Help people every day overcome challenges and lead better lives.
  3. Enjoy job security in one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country.
  4. Have the freedom of owning your own business.

Ready to start your Counselling journey, <<First Name>>?

LEARN MORE 
Community Services Courses
Helping You Help Your Community
 
By gaining a qualification within the Community Services sector, you will be contributing to an industry that serves a very important purpose: to assist those with personal or relationship challenges. There is nothing more fulfilling than helping others overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. And there’s no better time to do that than now!
 
Diploma of Financial Counsellinglearn more
Do you want to help others who are facing financial hardship?

Diploma of Community Services (Case Management)learn more
Join one of the fastest growing employment sectors in the country!
 
Diploma of Youth Worklearn more
Do you want to positively influence the next generation?

Bachelor of Human Services - learn more
A flexible and affordable alternative to traditional tertiary education.


LEARN MORE 

 
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Video: Managing Complex Legal & Ethical Dilemmas
An insight into professional values and models of ethical decision making.


Helping and support work is grounded in ethical principles and values, with the nature of the work and the client base meaning that, at times, ethical and boundary dilemmas will arise. In this video, we explore professional values and models of ethical decision making. We also consider common ethical issues and dilemmas, and the strategies helping professionals can utilise to help resolve them.

Supplementary resource: This video lecture is accompanied by a comprehensive PDF guide, which you can download
here.

WATCH VIDEO  
 
2021 Resolutions? Consider These Ideas...
Eight thoughts to integrate into your personal & professional development.

Have you written down your New Year Resolutions or goals yet? This time of the year brings much expectation and with it, motivation to perk up and to engage in projects which have been for long pushed aside. It is time to think about improvement!

Below are eight ideas that can help you increase your personal and professional effectiveness. Why not add these thoughts to your current or upcoming resolutions? It is certainly something to think about, and refer to again and again.

Idea 1 – Seek First to Understand

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realise that what you heard is not what I meant.” (Robert McCloskey)

“Seek first to understand and then be understood” is an instruction first delivered by Stephen Covey in his acclaimed book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey’s message is a simple but powerful one. Too often we enter into communications with others with pre-conceived assumptions or notions about what the other person’s expectations, ideas or judgements will be. As a counsellor or counsellor-in-training, the importance of being aware of this idea cannot be overstated. 


Here are some tips to improve your active listening skills.

Idea 2 – Think On Paper

“A goal properly set is halfway reached.” (Zig Ziglar)

Clear goals contain the power to motivate and energise us into action. Yet so often we start out on the quest for self-improvement, either personally or professionally with no real concept of where we want to be or exactly what it is we want. We may have some vague concept in mind, such as increasing income or productivity but this is rarely translated into specific goals. Without a clear goal in mind, it becomes increasingly likely that we may unwittingly focus our well intended energy in the wrong direction.


Here are some tips to create effective goals.

Idea 3 – Utilise the Power of Planning

“When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.” (John M. Richardson Jr.)

One of the most powerful tools for overcoming procrastination and increasing productivity is planning. Every minute spent on planning can save up to 10 minutes in execution. Planning needn’t be time consuming or complicated. It does however need to be regular. Plan everyday in advance and watch your productivity and performance soar. Planning begins by creating lists.

With all of the technology available today (such as smart phones) it can be easy to forget that a simple list can be a vital planning tool. It is important to always work from a list. When something comes up, add it to the list before doing it. You can increase your productivity by 25% from the first day you begin working consistently from a list.


Here are some tips to improve your time management by writing down tasks.

Idea 4 – Do the Toughest Things First

“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.” (Napoleon Hill)

The most crucial decision you make everyday is what you choose to do right now versus what you will do later. One of the most vital, yet most challenging self-management strategies is the ability to do the hardest or most difficult task first. If you can resist the temptation to start each day with the easiest task you are well on your way to a more productive self.


Here are some tips to help you prioritise tasks more effectively.

Idea 5 – Identify Obstacles

“The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong.” (Thomas Carlyle)

What factors are holding you back, slowing you down or preventing you from achieving your goals? Almost all progress toward a goal or series of goals comes up against a limiting factor of some kind. It is crucial to identify these limits or obstacles in order to eliminate them. Progress at the pace you’d like and in the direction of your goals requires the systematic removal of obstacles that undermine advancement.

Identifying the true obstacle to progress takes honest reflection and analysis. Obstacles may be entrenched within organisational structures or culture. Conversely, obstacles may be embedded in our own mind, in the beliefs that you hold and the behaviours that you routinely perform.


Here are some tips to enhance your creative problem solving skills.

Idea 6 – Identify Your Key Result Areas, and Focus on Them

“Do what works.” (Bill O’Hanlon)

What is the most valuable use of your time right now? By continually asking yourself this question you can maximise the time that you have and accomplish more of what’s important everyday. In order to identify what the most valuable use of your time may be in any given moment, it is vital that you recognise what your key result areas are.

Your key result areas are those aspects of your job or performance that matter the most. They are the bottom line. They are why you are on the payroll. Most jobs can be broken down into five to seven key result areas.


Here are some thoughts on the negative effects of multitasking.

Idea 7 – Establish a Sense of Urgency

“You must take action now that will move you towards your goals. Develop a sense of urgency in your life.” (H. Jackson Brown, Jr.)

Once you have established where you are going and what you want to achieve, it is crucial to set the wheels of action in motion. To literally set wheels in motion takes a force powerful enough to shift the wheels out of a state of inertia. Once wheels are no longer stationary, they can develop momentum and pick up speed as they go.

This too can be true of you and your progression toward your goals. Generally speaking, the faster you move the more energised you become. If you develop a sense of urgency around every action you take, you begin to start tasks immediately and procrastination becomes a thing of the past.

To get started, repeat the following sentence: “DO IT NOW! DO IT NOW! DO IT NOW!” (then do whatever you need to do)!


Here are some tips to help you get - and stay - motivated. 

Idea 8 – Unleash Your Energy

“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” (Zig Ziglar)

Your personal energy level dictates how much you can do within a day. Maximise your energy and you can maximise your effectiveness.

Energy rarely maintains a consistent level throughout the day. Energy levels rise and fall as a function of our changing physiology. Most of us know what time during the day we usually hit our energy peak. For many it’s early morning, for others late afternoon.


Here are some tips to help you improve your exercise routines for greater energy.

Schema Therapy: Origin, Definition and Characteristics

Have you been working as a therapist in shorter-term therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)? In Australia, the clients of psychologists, for example, have been able to access Medicare rebates for their therapy for a limited number of sessions. Their practitioners, in return, are strongly encouraged – if not mandated – to work in well-researched, “gold standard” therapies such as CBT; they are held accountable for certain outcomes. Yet not all clients respond equally well to therapies such as CBT, which usually include no more than 20 sessions and often less than that. What would you advocate as a therapist for the following clients?

READ MORE 
The Fine Art of Compassion

Imagine this scenario: you are keen to get a particular job and an opportunity for it comes up. You prepare meticulously for the interview, but somehow, it doesn’t go well. The interviewers don’t seem to warm to you, and you know in your heart that you will not be chosen: a gut feeling confirmed a week later by a polite rejection letter. What is your reaction? More specifically, how willing are you to extend compassion to yourself for having failed in this, the most important of goals to you?

READ MORE 

More articles: www.aipc.net.au/articles

 
Disaster Mental Health Counselling Credential
The gold standard program in Disaster Mental Health Counselling.

Disasters are on the rise. Whether it’s disasters like the recent bushfires in Australia or the current COVID-19 global pandemic, the outcomes can have enduring emotional consequences for individuals and communities.
 
As a mental health professional, how prepared are you to work in a disaster situation and provide the best possible support? And not just at the time of the disaster, but also in the months and years following?
 
To train you in this challenging yet rewarding field, Mental Health Academy has released the world’s first
Disaster Mental Health Counselling Credential Course. This 31-hour deep-dive program will teach you best-practice strategies, clinical skills and cultural insights to effectively serve in disaster-affected areas, anywhere in the world.

As a course participant, you will enjoy access to:
  1. 10 hours of highly engaging video lectures
  2. On-demand, 24/7 access to learning materials
  3. Dozens of downloadable articles & handouts
  4. Case studies, illustrations & real-life stories
  5. Interactive, peer-driven online forum
  6. Lifetime, unrestricted access to content
  7. Practical online assessment platform
  8. Ongoing support via email/phone

Upon completion of this course, you’ll be issued with an internationally-verifiable MHA Digital Badge and a downloadable CPD Certificate.

LEARN MORE & ENROL  
 
Have you visited Counselling Connection yet? Our official blog has over 500 posts counselling, psychology, self-growth, and more! Make sure you too get connected. Below is a link to one of our popular blog posts.

Counselling: From Resistance to Acceptance

Your 39-year-old female client seats herself and looks at you with frustration. It’s been many months now since she was diagnosed with the neurodegenerative condition, but she just can’t accept it; life is becoming impossible. Your 20-something male client suffered a relational breakup seven months ago; this was his “love of my life” and he can’t get over it. He feels completely stuck and keeps coming to session with different plans for contacting his former girlfriend, who has persistently declined to meet up. He just doesn’t get that it’s over. What do all of these cases have in common?

READ MORE 

More posts: www.counsellingconnection.com
"In this world there are only two tragedies: One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it."

~ Oscar Wilde
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.
 
Seminar topics include:
  1. The Counselling Process
  2. Communication Skills I
  3. Communication Skills II
  4. Counselling Therapies I
  5. Counselling Therapies II
  6. Legal & Ethical Frameworks
  7. Brief Interventions and Loss & Grief Support
  8. Individualised Support and Working with Mental Health
  9. Advanced Counselling Techniques

Click here to access all seminar timetables online.
 
To register for a seminar, please contact your Student Support Centre.
For more information, visit:
COURSES
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Diploma of Financial Counselling 
Diploma of Community Services 
Diploma of Youth Work
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RESOURCES
AIPC Article Library 
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Counselling Case Studies 
Recognition of Prior Learning 
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