Blog 5:
One thing that I have often thought about over the last two
years of my education has been this divide within the faculty between
Counselling Psychology (formerly Educational Counselling) and the other more
educationally oriented programs. In many Canadian institutions counselling
psychology programs were born out of guidance counselling programs, but in most
provinces (sauf que la belle province) there was a slow transition from
guidance to community and personally-oriented therapy. That transition is reflected in coursework and
in general outcomes: our material is primarily psychological and the outcome is
a professional certification that lets us work in many counselling domains (but
not schools, unless we came pre-equipped with a B.Ed).
In talking to my counselling colleagues, the general feeling
has been a mix, to various degrees, of resentment, confusion, reluctance, and an
overwhelming feeling of separateness on this placement within our academic
institution. From the very first info-session I attended where we were
debriefed independently on our expectations and requirements, it was clear that
structurally we were apart. There was confusion as to why we weren’t a
counselling program. There was reluctance and resentment at the list of “extended
courses in education” of which we would have to complete at least one and up to
three, but next to none seemed relevant to our career prospects and trajectory.
In all I have found my degree valuable. I do not (overly)
share that resentment towards the faculty. I have sometimes been frustrated
with course demands that do not always seem to dovetail with my academic and
professional goals, but the things I have learned have for the most part been
valuable, but I do finish believing that while a change of faculty may not be
necessary, there are pieces of my required education which are not like the
others, and may not belong
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