Counselling university students
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My placement as a counsellor at the University of Waterloo's Counselling Centre has confirmed my desire to work with this population.
What attracts me to this population is:
Common concerns in this population:
Special skills needed to serve this population:
Intern Training Seminar Series at University of Waterloo, on the following topics:
What attracts me to this population is:
- their intelligence level and ability to engage in complex thinking about their challenges and experiences
- the wide variety of psychological challenges that exist in this environment
- the approximate age group, 18-25 years, are generally hopeful, driven and "non-jaded" individuals
Common concerns in this population:
- anxiety and depression
- relationship challenges
- procrastination
- trauma processing - particularly recovery from sexual assault
- Borderline Personality features like emotional dysregulation, interpersonal instability, distress intolerance
Special skills needed to serve this population:
- suicide assessment skills
- knowledge of relaxation techniques
- ability to teach distress tolerance and emotional regulation
- trauma processing and facilitation of posttraumatic growth
- knowledge of sexual identity development and gender
- knowledge of self-harm behavior and interventions
- multicultural competencies especially for International Students
Intern Training Seminar Series at University of Waterloo, on the following topics:
- Applying Theory to Practice with University Students
- Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
- Problematic Substance Use
- Relationships
- Anxiety
- PTSD
- Self-Esteem
- Mindfulness
trauma processing & recovery
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"the core experiences of psychological trauma are disempowerment and disconnection from others.
Recovery, therefore, is based upon the empowerment of the survivor and the creation of new connections"
- Judith herman
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Briere & Herman's Theories and Approaches
During my practicum placement, at the University of Waterloo Counselling & Psychological Services, I have had the honour of working with survivors of sexual assault. Under the tutelage of my supervisor, I learned a basic three-part approach to helping clients process, and begin to heal from, their harrowing experiences.
Based on the work of Judith Herman, from her book Trauma and Recovery (1992), and John Briere's extensive work on trauma recovery (2002), sessions are divided into thirds. The first segment is used to establish grounding and safety in the session. The second portion allows space for the client to recount, remember, or retell their trauma story. The last third of the session is devoted to reconnection, where the client grounds themselves in the present moment and prepares to leave the counselling office.
Running parallel in some ways are Herman's proposed stages of recovery, that include establishing safety in one's world and within their body, remembrance and mourning of the traumatic event, and reconnection with ordinary life (1992). Within each of these stages, Herman suggests some goals and/or behaviours that may be adopted to assist in the healing process. For example, when establishing safety, a counsellor would help a client to identify important relationships in their life, and assess each for their potential to provide support or safety, or conversely, their potential as a source of danger. Teaching clients to use relaxation techniques to manage stress, to chart symptoms and adaptive responses, and to construct concrete safety plans, are also part of this stage.
During my practicum placement, at the University of Waterloo Counselling & Psychological Services, I have had the honour of working with survivors of sexual assault. Under the tutelage of my supervisor, I learned a basic three-part approach to helping clients process, and begin to heal from, their harrowing experiences.
Based on the work of Judith Herman, from her book Trauma and Recovery (1992), and John Briere's extensive work on trauma recovery (2002), sessions are divided into thirds. The first segment is used to establish grounding and safety in the session. The second portion allows space for the client to recount, remember, or retell their trauma story. The last third of the session is devoted to reconnection, where the client grounds themselves in the present moment and prepares to leave the counselling office.
Running parallel in some ways are Herman's proposed stages of recovery, that include establishing safety in one's world and within their body, remembrance and mourning of the traumatic event, and reconnection with ordinary life (1992). Within each of these stages, Herman suggests some goals and/or behaviours that may be adopted to assist in the healing process. For example, when establishing safety, a counsellor would help a client to identify important relationships in their life, and assess each for their potential to provide support or safety, or conversely, their potential as a source of danger. Teaching clients to use relaxation techniques to manage stress, to chart symptoms and adaptive responses, and to construct concrete safety plans, are also part of this stage.
posttraumatic growth
"i don't think of all the misery, but the beauty that still remains."
-anne frank
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As a natural extension of my budding interest and skills in trauma processing and recovery, I am beginning to incorporate theories and interventions aimed at posttraumatic growth. Scholars of this subject believe that positive outcomes can be born from trauma. When sufficient healing has occurred, survivors can begin to identify positive changes in relationships, their sense of self, and philosophy of life (Werdel & Wicks, 2012).
Facilitating this search for posttraumatic growth was added as a learning goal for the second half of my practicum placement at the University of Waterloo Counselling & Psychological Services Centre. My experiences with clients in this regard suggest that:
Facilitating this search for posttraumatic growth was added as a learning goal for the second half of my practicum placement at the University of Waterloo Counselling & Psychological Services Centre. My experiences with clients in this regard suggest that:
- Clients can successfully begin to identify positive changes in relationships, sense of self, and philosophy of life
- Clients begin to find ways to honour traumatic experiences as negative but become open to signs that they are coping with the related stress in new and adaptive ways
- Clients are able to identify growth in one or more areas of life
working with trauma
experiences from my practicum
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Trauma processing was one of the learning objectives for my practicum placement at the University of Waterloo Counselling & Psychological Services Centre. In my experience thus far, clients have responded well to the three-part approach, and an emphasis on establishing safety, remembrance and mourning, and reconnection.
I base my effectiveness on three main criteria:
Personal interest and satisfaction with trauma work has motivated a plan to seek out volunteer work in this area, perhaps at a rape crisis centre or phone line, after I graduate. I would also confidently discuss this as an area of emerging competence in future job interviews.
I base my effectiveness on three main criteria:
- Clients are willing to engage in the process and share aspects of their experience
- Client feedback indicates that the process was more tolerable than anticipated
- Client feedback suggests general improvement in posttraumatic symptoms (i.e.: hypervigilance, flashbacks...)
Personal interest and satisfaction with trauma work has motivated a plan to seek out volunteer work in this area, perhaps at a rape crisis centre or phone line, after I graduate. I would also confidently discuss this as an area of emerging competence in future job interviews.
References:
Briere, J. (2002). Treating adult survivors of severe childhood abuse and neglect: Further development of an integrative model. In J.E.B. Myers, L. Berliner, J. Briere, C.T. Hendrix, T. Reid, & C. Jenny (Eds.). The APSAC Handbook on Child Maltreatment, 2nd Edition. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Herman, J. (1992). Trauma and Recovery. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Werdel, M.B., & Wicks, R.J. (2012). Primer on Posttraumatic Growth: An Introduction and Guide. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Quote retrieved from: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/hope?page=3
Briere, J. (2002). Treating adult survivors of severe childhood abuse and neglect: Further development of an integrative model. In J.E.B. Myers, L. Berliner, J. Briere, C.T. Hendrix, T. Reid, & C. Jenny (Eds.). The APSAC Handbook on Child Maltreatment, 2nd Edition. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Herman, J. (1992). Trauma and Recovery. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Werdel, M.B., & Wicks, R.J. (2012). Primer on Posttraumatic Growth: An Introduction and Guide. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Quote retrieved from: http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/hope?page=3