Question 1

Group Therapy - Highly Experiential Training

Accepted Answer

Facilitators: Dawn McBride, Registered Psychologist and Associate Professor and Gabrielle Korell, AMFT, Registered Psychologist Training Style: Experiential. No powerpoints! We sit in a large circle – no lectures! Very active, integrative learning that is safe, empowering, supportive, and highly instructional. References can be provided that speak to our dynamic, engaging, safe, highly valuable training style.  Size Limit:  20 participants. Beginner therapists to advance group therapists are welcome. Training Time: 16 hours spread over 2 or more days (open to various arrangements). Sample Objectives 1. Refresher of group counselling skills, for example: (a) Discuss how facilitator’s dynamics enhance and limit group process and identify at least 10 processing questions to designed to deepen group process, meaning of group activities/topics, and/or interpersonal awareness. 2. Ethical issues in group counselling, for example, identify documentation issues and solutions related to recording group session material. 3. Marketing group programs, for example, identify some solutions to transitioning individual clients into a group service 4. Gain strategies to handle difficult client behaviours in a group setting, for example, (a) explore how therapists underlining needs can influence how they work with group clients who are challenging, triggering, etc., and (b) explore and practice strategies to manage group clients who story tell, are super quiet clients, high “red” activation, the passive-aggressive client, etc. 5. Group activities to process “content” (e.g., family violence topics, depression, stress mgmt) and increase interpersonal awareness (e.g., setting boundaries, empowerment, self-esteem, affect communication, etc.)

Question 2

Trauma: Therapeutic Assessment

Accepted Answer

This is a workshop that describes what is trauma and how to assess it from a variety of perspectives. There will be ample demonstrations and practice sessions, using non-copyright forms (i.e. no cost) that will enhance informal assessment skills as well as a discussion on how to use these assessment tools as interventions.

Question 3

Trauma: Helping Victims of Trauma and Accidents Heal - 4 Options

Accepted Answer

This workshop contains many objectives including, for example:   WORKSHOP 1: Trauma Informed Care –Core Issues, Assess Impact, and Frameworks   1.Define and explain the “3 E’s”, as it relates to what is trauma.  2.Describe the common symptoms and difficulties related to experiencing trauma.  3.Describe three frameworks to understand traumatic reactions (acute & chronic) and/or the impact of trauma.  4.List at least three, no-cost, self-report assessment measures to learn more about the impact of trauma on a person’s life and to measure recovery from the trauma. 5.From an organizational perspective, describe what is trauma informed care by identifying four (4) guiding assumptions (the 4Rs) and six (6) guiding principles. In addition, provide examples of how trauma informed care can help develop trauma sensitive practices (e.g., schools, medical offices, counselling sites). WORKSHOP 2: Trauma Healing -Resourcing, Emotional Regulation, & Post Traumatic Growth    1.Describe two trauma counselling frameworks (i.e., emotional regulation model drawing upon sympathetic/parasympathetic theory & the three-stage model of treatment). 2.Describe the critical importance and ethical necessity to focus on stabilization, crisis management, and emotional regulation prior to debriefing the trauma story. 3.Describe several core counselling activities to help the client re-establish a sense of safety and positive resource states. 4.List three self-report (no cost) to assess and promote post-traumatic growth. 5.Identify several issues and questions to consider when implementing a trauma informed approach to care.   WORKSHOP 3: Resourcing Positive States & Managing Traumatic Arousal  1.Identify emerging practice standards when working with people who have experienced trauma. 2.List several qualities/characteristics that are essential helpers demonstrate when working with people affected by trauma, including the necessity of having a calm, regulated state when helping a traumatized client who is in highly-activated state (e.g., highly anxious, judgemental, irritable) 3.Describe several strategies to help clients stay in or return to their window of tolerance when they are participating in intake sessions and debriefing their trauma experiences. 4.Describe various trauma tools to reduce traumatic arousal symptoms (e.g., body memories, nightmares, flashbacks). 5.List several strategies helpers can do to reduce and/or manage the impact of trauma exposure on themselves.   WORKSHOP 4: Specific Treatment Strategies & Issues(After Achieving Stabilization, Resourcing Positive States, & Managing Traumatic Arousal)   1.Identify several trauma healing practices when working with First Nations. 2.Identify why guided breathing practices, mindfulness exercises, and yoga can sometimes be highly activating for those who have experienced trauma, and list several strategies to reduce these risks.  3.Describe several counselling approaches/strategies to promote post-traumatic growth. 4.List several strategies teachers, parents, and/or spouses can use to help those who have been impacted by trauma. 5.Describe several counselling approaches/strategies to address and promote healing around the specific trauma event(s).

Question 4

Maximizing Compassion Satisfaction and Avoiding Compassion Fatigue / Burn-out  - Meeting Our Ethical Duty to Care For Ourselves

Accepted Answer

An experiential workshop, using metaphors, discussion questions, PPT material, and creative expressive art to reduce the impact of listening to stories of pain. Sample topics include:   (a) assessing counsellor wellness (b) discussing common symptoms for stress-related exhaustion & when it becomes too much (c) "hemorrhaging of the self" - examining burnout (Maslach & Leiter's work) (d) naming the demands that can put our emotional well-being at risk (e) completing and debriefing various assessment measures (f) reviewing self-care activities: before, during, and after shifts (g) enhancing compassion satisfaction (h) being emotional regulated (around staff, clients, and family) means (i) rebuilding our compassion (j) knowing our arousal states and how these impact our work with our clients (k) expanding our window of tolerance to stay compassionate and curious with "red" clients (l) learning to regulate your nervous system so you are not a prisoner to someone else's nervous system (Rothschild) (m) developing an action plan to enhance and protect the "helping" spirit

Question 5

ETHICS  #1 of 3: WRITING EFFICIENT & USEFUL SESSION NOTES

Accepted Answer

Learn some strategies of how to write clients' notes in under 5 minutes –session notes that are brief, meaningful, and ethical.  This session note ethics training will be an intense ethics learning day from Dr. Dawn McBride – it is packed with ample information on how to document client sessions – specifically how to ensure your session notes are efficient (ideally under 5 mins.), ethical, and useful. It can be done! Let Dr. Dawn show you how in just one day.

Question 6

ETHICS #2 of 3: CONSENT ISSUES - COUNSELLING: It's much more than you think!

Accepted Answer

ETHICAL BEST PRACTICES IN COUNSELLING - Going way beyond the basics of seeking consent (this is a full, intense learning day).  This jam-packed, fast-paced PD training session addresses much more than getting a signature on a consent form.  This training caters to those working on the front line within some sort of helping/counselling context within Canada with some focus on Alberta issues (e.g., our Limitations Act) ---> Front line work includes family violence shelters, agency or private practice, outreach counselling, etc. Examples will be focused on adult 1:1 work, with brief reference to working with couples, youth, and groups (these topics are in the advanced consent/documentation training.

Question 7

ETHICS #3 of 3: SPECIALIZED- DOCUMENTATION & CONSENT (e.g., child, systems)

Accepted Answer

You asked for it - more information on documentation & consent as it relates to counselling. This will be another intense ethics workshop!  To attend this training you must have attended, within the last five (5) years, at Dawn McBride's (DPS) two core ethics trainings (each of which are offered numerous times during the year): 1. Ethics - #1 of 3: Writing Efficient, Useful, & Ethical Session Notes 2. Ethics - #2 of 3: Consent in Counselling - It is much more than you think  You will receive a copy of Dawn McBride's release of information form, child youth session note, and other business documents - with permission to use/adapt (with full citation) as needed for your practice when you attended this training. There will be time for discussion and questions.

Question 8

PD DAY - EXPANDING YOUR COUNSELLING TOOLBOX

Accepted Answer

AN EXCITING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY - BE INSPIRED.  In this applied virtual workshop Dr. Dawn will open her toolbox to share her favourite counselling interventions. This PD learning day will be jammed full of interventions to help promote insight and change from affective, body sensation, cognitive, and behaviour domains, with emotional regulation, trauma informed care, and attachment theory integrated into her work.

Question 9

Powerful resources: EMDR and TAPPING:  What really are these new techniques? How can these techniques help me? Help others? Try some experiential tapping activities you can use the next day on yourself and with others!

Accepted Answer

There seems to be many myths about EMDR and some poorly trained therapists using EMDR so there have been some horror stories. EMDR training in the USA seems superior to what is offered in Canada. This workshop can focus on: (a) how to prepare a client (employee) for EMDR, (b) clarifying what good EMDR sessions should look like, (c) learn about the prep work therapists can do before being referred for EMDR or before starting any EMDR.

Question 10

Introduction to Ego-State Therapy via Transactional Analysis

Accepted Answer

A dynamic, interactive presentation on my most used modality when working with clients. Sample topics include:   •Describe three psychological ego states •Describe what mental health is in relation to ego states •Describe various dynamics and interactions between these 3 ego states •Describe three psychological roles people can take when under stress or in conflict (when in a “drama”) •Describe how these 3 roles interact – causing a drama •Describe strategies to hop off the drama triangle •Process this learning

Question 11

The Most Important Session - The First Session

Accepted Answer

The first session: what works? This is a very practical session on how to build the working alliance in a short period of time. The workshop objectives are developed in consultation with the agency. Handout packages are available.

Question 12

GROUP COUNSELLING TRAINING: SURVIVE & THRIVE AS A GROUP THERAPIST - The Terror and the Triumph: How to Survive and Thrive as a Group Counsellor

Accepted Answer

Have you ever been asked to run a group, or wanted to? Have you ever wondered why your past groups were so much work, and so little fun? IF YES, this workshop is for you! This counselling intervention PD workshop is filled to the brim -full of experiential, hands-on learning --> please do not expect a stand-deliver style of learning. It is offered by all of us sitting in a virtual learning circle :) This workshop is open to anyone who is interested in group work.There will be 2 experienced trainers leading this workshop. It is a fantastic opportunity to learn and enhance group skills and discover new interventions.   Group counselling teaching literature stresses the need for experiential learning. As a result, this workshop should be limited to 20 helping professionals to ensure ample time for discussion and processing. The emphasis in this training will be the development and refinement of your process skills as it relates to each stage of group development. Group process skills integrate well with various counselling approaches (e.g., CBT, DBT, NT, etc.) and group themes (e.g., family violence groups, assertiveness groups, life skill groups, disordered eating groups, etc.).   The intention of this workshop, offered over 3 days, is to:   1. Explore, in an applied manner, strategies to create an early buy-in to a group and have clients engage in purposeful, meaningful cross-talk (to talk to each other).   2. Work with the energy and dynamics that emerge when in the ‘forming’, ‘storming’, ‘working’ and ‘adjourning’ stages of group development.   3. Discuss and practice counselling activities suitable to use during relevant stages of group development and move away from the leader being a ‘teacher’(stand-deliver style).   4. Learn and practice strategies to work with challenging group members (e.g., the talker, the silent member, the angry member, the passive-aggressive member, group member who is violent).   5. Learn our formula to handle/process "zingers" from group members who may be in the storming stage.    6. Learn strategies to create a great ‘dance’ with your co-facilitator.   7. Learn some new interventions, including working online & using expressive arts. NOTE: There will be a special focus on helping group clients debrief the impact of living in the COVID pandemic by sharing some activities we use in our groups.   Length of training: Usually 3 days. Training can be offered via Zoom Pro or in-person.

Question 13

TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS: COUNSELLING INTERVENTIONS - PD WORKSHOP

Accepted Answer

Transactional Analysis is a powerful form of therapy.  Learn specific interventions relevant for couples, families, and individuals.   Transactional Analysis is one of Dawn’s favourite therapies to use when working with individuals, couples, and families. It is an engaging form of therapy which offers simple visual strategies to promote insight and change, and it is entertaining - fun to use with clients in the community, schools, or healthcare settings. She believes it is a very culturally sensitive form of therapy.   The focus in this engaging professional development workshop is to share how Dawn uses/adapts TA concepts in her counselling practice and supervising roles. In particular, she will focus on:   1. EGO STATES: TA does a fantastic job outlining how ego states are a metaphor to represent our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. From three different perspectives, Dawn will demonstrate how she explains ego states to clients using expressive arts, props, sand tray work, and metaphors. We will examine, from a TA lens, how mental wellness and dysregulation is documented. This work will set the stage to invite clients to become curious about the dynamics and interactions between their ego states (*based on how Dawn uses TA). If there is time, we will venture into some life script analysis.   Length of training: Usually 3-4 hours. Training can be offered via Zoom Pro or in-person.    2. GAMES PEOPLE PLAY: TA is well-known for documenting games people play in an attempt to get their needs met. A core game to know before we examine other TA games is the amazing drama triangle (Karpman's triangle). Dawn will share how she presents this concept to clients. Ample time will be spent examining the three habitual, psychological roles people may take when under stress ("drama"), how these roles interact (feeding the drama) and can sabotage healthy communication. The day will conclude with ample strategies to teach clients how to avoid accepting invites onto the drama triangle and how to jump off the drama triangle when stuck on it. If time allows, Dawn will introduce a few more TA games :).   Length of training: Usually 3-4 hours. Training can be offered via Zoom Pro or in-person.

Presentations - Everything Is Under Revision - Please Stay Tuned