Vicki and MaryClaire Decker explore the significant link between menstrual cycles and emotional and mental health. MaryClaire describes using curiosity and mindfulness to support awareness and greater self-understanding, offering suggestions for intentionally planning counselling strategies to coincide with where a person is at in their cycle for greater growth and effectiveness. For more info on this topic, check out this free webinar and MaryClaire's training on empowering clients to reclaim their cycling bodies.

For more resources in the areas of trauma, mental health, counselling skills, and violence prevention visit ctrinstitute.com

In this episode, Vicki gets into the details about AI and counselling with Candice Alder. They explore ways AI can be a positive resource and unpack some common missteps counsellors may take without AI literacy. Candice outlines some practical steps every counsellor should take to ensure their AI use is ethical and effective.

This is part one of two conversations with Candice, and you can find the guidelines Candice has written here.

For more resources in the areas of trauma, mental health, counselling skills, and violence prevention visit ctrinstitute.com

Vicki and Wilma Schroeder discuss a new CTRI workshop, De-escalating Potentially Violent Situations for Health Care Workers. They review de-escalation as primarily verbal intervention aimed at calming escalation before it becomes physical, and note violence in health care has increased dramatically since the pandemic. Wilma outlines challenges specific to health care, including patients arriving with already elevated stress baselines (especially in emergency rooms), family distress, system and environmental “enablers”, and cognitive impairment factors such as dementia, ICU psychosis, or substance effects.

For more resources in the areas of trauma, mental health, counselling skills, and violence prevention visit ctrinstitute.com

Once again, Vicki and Joddie sit down to explore a topic together. This time it’s the familiar concept of the wounded healer. They explore some variations of this idea, from Carl Jung’s archetype to psychological links to vicarious trauma, and consider whether this is a strength or a hurdle to counsellor development. They also discuss an Indigenous authors’ view of interconnection with healing of the land and the reciprocal role of healing in a helping role. Inviting listeners to muse about their own connections to this topic, Vicki and Joddie find common ground in embracing the strengths from acknowledging and honouring our own wounds.

For more resources in the areas of trauma, mental health, counselling skills, and violence prevention visit ctrinstitute.com

For something a little different, Vicki and Joddie put their heads together to explore a topic new to each of them: place attachment. They unpack the links with relationship attachment, building a sense of belonging, and identity formation. They each share strategies they found helpful that listeners can use for strengthening their overall wellness.

For more resources in the areas of trauma, mental health, counselling skills, and violence prevention visit ctrinstitute.com

Vicki and Hayley explore the magical world of Community and Social Circus. Hayley describes the unique opportunities that “circusing” provides for growing confidence, connection, and strength – physically, mentally, and emotionally. Through stories of her own transformation alongside her peers, Hayley offers a creative peek into many parallels with counselling. These include increasing safety to increase risk-taking, exploring meaningful consent, and the power of mentorship.

For more resources in the areas of trauma, mental health, counselling skills, and violence prevention visit ctrinstitute.com

Jolene and Vicki walk in a circle together, in their conversation about decolonizing ourselves and our helping work. Jolene unpacks colonization and decolonization so that listeners can see their own participation. Through ideas and stories, Jolene invites us all – whether Indigenous, non-Indigenous, [settler guest]https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/cpi/index.php/cpi/article/view/29452) – to strengthen our capacity to listen with reciprocity and humility. Learn more about our newest workshop: Decolonizing Your Helping Practice – Weaving Indigenous and Western Healing Approaches

For more resources in the areas of trauma, mental health, counselling skills, and violence prevention visit ctrinstitute.com

Jaicee returns for a second conversation about the exciting development of the Giwiidosendamin (we walk together) Certificate Program. Vicki learns about a heart-centred approach to training that starts with relationship to self, the land, and others, before getting into the hard topics of addiction, suicide, and grief. Together, they explore what collectivist training can be like.

You can find more info on the development of decolonized training and the Giwiidosendamin Certificate Program here.

For more resources in the areas of trauma, mental health, counselling skills, and violence prevention visit ctrinstitute.com