| dc.contributor.author | Collins, Sandra | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2009-06-08T17:18:16Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2009-06-08T17:18:16Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2009-06-08T17:18:16Z | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/2149/2122 | |
| dc.description | Workshop A was well attended, primarily by practitioners interested in how to engage in social justice activities as part of their private or agency practice. The ideas presented were positively received. Discussion focused on the systemic barriers for counsellors in terms of restrictions on their time, roles, and agency mandates. The powerpoint presentation is attached.
Workshop B was also well attended. This was a different group of individuals who were also interested in how counsellors can have a positive impact on the systems that create problems for their clients in the first place. Part of the purpose of this session was to profile the social justice chapter of the Canadian Counselling Association, of which I am now the president. There was considerable interest generated and a number of means for continuing the work of the chapter through the year were suggested. We will be following up on a number of those over the summer, including setting up a discussion forum for Canadian counsellors interested in social justice activities. The powerpoint presentation is attached.
Workshop C was a panel discussion that was not well attended, primarily due to scheduling alongside on of the keynote speakers for the conference. However, we did proceed with our panel discussion and included the small audience in that dialogue. This was a good opportunity to touch base with counsellor educators across the country and see what others see as the current issues and trends. My focus was on distance education, primarily from a social justice perspective. This is a timely discussion because there is a lot of misinformation and bias in professional regulatory circles related to distance education professional programs and I am trying to be proactive in addressing some of these concerns. There was no formal presentation; however, I have provided my rough notes for this panel.
Overall, I feel that my presence at this conference was important – particularly in terms of advancing the social justice agenda for counselling in Canada. I’m please to be part of this movement in its early phases. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | Workshop A: Across Canada, thousands of individuals face barriers to improving their mental, emotional, and economic status. In an effort to address the environmental factors (e.g., poverty) that impede client well-being, a growing number of counsellors have become interested in social justice interventions. For counsellors, social justice interventions involve actions that are designed to improve the equitable distribution of resources and services. This may include advocacy, outreach, and prevention. This workshop focuses on helping counsellors integrate social justice interventions into their roles. It will include a short lecture, discussion, and a video. Workshop B: The aim of this workshop is to provide participants with the opportunity to increase awareness of social justice issues in counselling practice and to learn practical ways to integrate this awareness into a variety of counselling settings and approaches. The workshop will consist of: 1) Stories from the field: narratives by practitioners from across Canada demonstrating the integration of social justice into counselling practice; 2) Discussion of how dominant discourses of pathology suppress awareness of the impact of structural violence on mental health and wellbeing; and 3) Participant activities designed to increase capacity and confidence in addressing social injustice in counselling practice. Symposium C: Cultural, professional and political influences have demanded counsellor education both lead and adapt to an ever-changing topography. Four counselor educators ranging from 3-30 years of experience from four different universities will address the changing landscape of counselor education with regard to one of four issues: counselor identity, training models/modes of delivery, supervision, and professional and academic politics. Interaction with the audience will invite discussion with regard to the influence and implications for the changing landscapes of these issues within the context of the conference sub-themes. | en |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | 83.R020.1007; | |
| dc.subject | social justice | en |
| dc.subject | counselling practice | en |
| dc.subject | narratives | en |
| dc.subject | practitioners | en |
| dc.title | Stories from the field: narratives by practitioners from across Canada demonstrating the integration of social justice into counselling practice | en |
| dc.type | Presentation | en |
