Ontario Anglophones

Robin Cameron
2009-2011

I’m a counsellor at Queen’s University and a life coach in private practice.  I’ve been at Queen’s since about 2001.  My first jobs in the counselling field were in the area of abuse and trauma and I didn’t have much training and didn’t know how to pace myself so I got pretty burned out and left the field for a while. 

I got drawn back into counselling and ended up at UBC, which was a fabulous and restorative experience.  I surprised myself by doing more trauma work and over the years developed an enthusiasm for helping people deal with stress and anxiety.  I was also writing and facilitating workshops at the time and met another counsellor and we got talking about the effects of our work and decided to start writing and presenting material on compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma.  This small workshop became a small consulting company and the whole experience was an indescribable privilege; having the opportunity to meet helpers all over Ontario and talk to them about both the benefits and the effects of their work.   It was this work that inspired me to start my own private practice and to do some further training, as a compassion fatigue specialist and a life coach.  I’m not consulting anymore as I decided I couldn’t balance all the travel with the next challenge I wanted to try out; to have a baby. 

Director's Report - May 2010

Abstract

Ontario continues its work towards regulation, the latest meeting of the Coalition held last week looked at a number of issues including specialty titles.   The Sustainability committee has been working hard to see the launch of our first big project; The Ambassador project is up and running and we look forward to PEI and the opportunity to bring another new project to launch.  I’m working on a presentation, which I hope will serve my members who have been asking for more support starting private practice and small businesses.  I called it Dream big, start small which also sums up my approach to reaching some of our lofty goals set almost one year ago in Saskatoon at Conference 2009.  Looking forward to 2010 and the opportunity to put more faces to names and begin my second year as a Director.  I am grateful to my members and to the other Directors and staff at the CCPA for all of their help and support as I learn the ropes. 

Connections and Communications

• Submitted two profiles for the new CCPA Ambassadors project out and have made personal invitations to several other members. 
• Have been in touch with several members regarding the issue of Advertising and the Provincial list serve.  Which to date has been free of charge with the permission of the director and currently working to put into a place a policy that will address the needs of members who want to advertise and members who will receive the information.  Generally members who have used the list serve in the past think it is a great service and have indicated to me that they would happily pay to have access to Ontario members through email blasts. 
• News Letter to Ontario Anglophones
• Made contact with professors of Clinical psyc at Queen’s regarding an open position for a student rep and they have sent my message to their graduate students. 
• On-going activity – each month many students or prospective students of counselling programs make contact to ask questions about the job market, certification and recently there have been several questions about on-line masters programs.     

Contributions and Celebrations

• Sustainability Committee has prepared at 7 member profiles and the project should be launched at printing of this report. 

Concerns and Challenges

• Students of counselling psychology programs continue to report concerns over how their prospective profession is recognized and understood.  The current steps towards advocacy still very relevant from their perspective.

•  How to create a dynamic approach to advertising professional development that serves those who wish to advertise and those who wish to attend without overwhelming members who may not have as much of an interest. 
• Working in a city without a Counselling Psyc program has presented some challenges in terms of easily attracting student members. 

Coming Attractions

• Conference; an opportunity to meet members in person through meetings, presentation and networking.
• The search continues for a student rep in Kingston.  Next step a more public campaign in my next newsletter
• Newsletter to be sent prior to PEI Conference
• Still looking forward to the chance to serve the Private Practitioners chapter and will attend the meeting in person in just a few weeks!