1. science
2. medicine
3. psychology and psychiatry

BC Psychologist
summer 2 011
The economic sensibility
of full public mental
health coverage p.19
Do you really need
an ad agency? p.29
How to tell your patients
that you have cancer p.14
bcpsychologists
204–1909 W Broadway
Vancouver BC V6J 1Z3
T: 604-730-0501
F: 604-730-0502
social media gone wild?
let us show you the ropes.
Connected: Effective and Ethical
Marketing Strategies for Psychologists
A workshop hosted by the
BC Psychological Association
and presented by Dr. David Ballard
September 23rd, 9am to 4pm
stop mooing. register now.
www.psychologists.bc.ca
Robson Oliveira/sxc.hu
letter from
the president
letter from the
executive director
member survey
of bcpa’s public
outreach activities
cpa practice
directorate update
comings & goings:
staff changes
05
06
08
10
13
14
16
how to tell your
patients that you
have cancer
kwantlen’ students
psychology public
outreach efforts
19
the economic
sensibility of full
public mental
health coverage
25
crowd pysch & the
stanley cup riot
29
do you really need
an ad agency?
33
nominations open for
the psychologically
healthy workplace
awards
BC Psychologist
Want to inform your colleagues of
initiatives benefiting both your
profession and the public?
Send us 50 words, and we will
include them in the News section
of the BC Psychologist
~~~
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Joti Samra, Ph.D., R.Psych.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Joanne Tessier, Ph.D., R.Psych.
PUBLISHER
Rebecca Smith
ART DIRECTOR | ASSISTANT EDITOR
Giovanna Di Sauro
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Jeni Campbell
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sign up now for our marketing & social
media workshop for psychologists.
Go to our website > News & Events
> BCPA Workshops and Events.
PRESIDENT
Joti Samra, Ph.D., R. Psych.
VICE-PRESIDENT
Derek Swain, Ed.D., R.Psych.
SECRETARY
Anne Dietrich, Ph.D., R.Psych.
TREASURER
Robert Colby, M.S., R.Psych.
DIRECTORS
Ted Altar, Ph.D., R.Psych.
Jordan Hanley, Ph.D., R.Psych.
Atholl Malcolm, Ph.D., R.Psych.
ADVERTISING RATES
Members and affiliates enjoy discounted rates.
For more information about print and web advertising options,
please contact us at [email protected]
Presents
Hypnosis and Trauma: Integrating Hypnosis into the Treatment
of Traumatized Children and Adolescents
DATE: Saturday & Sunday October 29th & 30th, 2011
TIME: Registration- 8:30 am: Workshop 9 am –4:30
LOCATION: Vancouver General Hospital
Paetzold Health Ed. Centre,
899 West 12th Ave. Vancouver, B.C.
This workshop will provide a conceptual framework for understanding why hypnosis is
particularly suited to the prevention, assessment and treatment of trauma. A review of the
current understanding of neuroplasticity, attachment, hypnotic rapport and dissociation will
provide a foundation for hypnotic work. There will be attention to how hypnotic language can be
modified for prevention and treatment of trauma. There will also be video examples of cases
and experiential exercises to facilitate learning. Participants will be able to
conceptualize a new framework for their hypnotic work with children & adolescents
perform at least 3 hypnotic techniques for treating traumatic symptoms
explain the relationship between therapeutic play & hypnosis
integrate these new techniques into their practices for the benefit of their clients’ patients.
Outline of topics:
1. What is trauma- definitions and a conceptual framework
2. From assessment to building resiliency for the future
3. Why think hypnotically? How to use hypnosis.
4. Neurobiology and neuropsychology- attachment and rapport
5. Play, dissociation and hypnosis
6. Developmental considerations
7. The child’s response to trauma
8. Systems and families
9. Hypnotic techniques with case examples for each
10. Changing perceptions, shifting senses- integrating mind and body
With: Dr. Julie Linden
Julie H. Linden is a licensed psychologist with over 30 years of psychotherapy experience treating
people of all ages. Young children, adolescents, adults, couples and families consult her for a wide
range of reasons. Julie’s specialties include the treatment of anxiety, depression, and somatic
symptoms; medical and psychological trauma, pain management techniques, and hypnotherapy;
gender sensitive therapy; play therapy, ADHD and learning differences and Dissociative Disorders.
She is the current President-elect of the International Society of Hypnosis, Past President of the
American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, and Past President of the Greater Philadelphia Society of Clinical
Hypnosis.
To register and for more information visit our website:
www.hypnosis.bc.ca Email: [email protected]
Phone: (604) 688-1714
SUBMISSION DEADLINES
November 15 | March 1 | June 1 | September 1
PUBLICATION DATES
January 15 | April 15 | July 15 | October 15
CONTACT US
204 - 1909 West Broadway, Vancouver BC V6J 1Z3
604-730-0501 | www.psychologists.bc.ca
MISSION STATEMENT
BCPA provides leadership for the advancement and promotion of the
profession and science of psychology in the service of our membership
and the people of British Columbia.
ADVERTISING POLICY
The publication of any notice of events, or advertisement, is neither
an endorsement of the advertiser, nor of the products or services
advertised. The BCPA is not responsible for any claim(s) made in an
advertisement or advertisements mailed with this issue. Advertisers
may not, without prior consent, incorporate in a subsequent
advertisement, the fact that a product or service had been advertised
in the BCPA publication. The acceptability of an advertisement
for publication is based upon legal, social, professional, and ethical
consideration. BCPA reserves the right to unilaterally reject, omit,
or cancel advertising.
DISCLAIMER
The opinions expressed in this publication are those
of the authors, and they do not necessarily reflect the views
of the BC Psychologist or its editors, nor of the BC Psychological
Association, its Board, or its employees.
Canada Post Publications Mail #40882588
COPYRIGHT 2011 © BC PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION
All images are property of their respective authors.
Cover image: Tomasz Kobosz/sxc.hu
Inside back cover: Melodi T./sxc.hu
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LETTERS
Letter from the President
Dear Colleagues,
joti samra,
Ph.D., R.Psych.
I hope that everyone is having a happy start to our (semi) summer!
This letter follows on the heels of a protracted, emotionally intense, rollercoaster playoff
season. The ultimate end to the season was one that was tremendously disappointing to
most British Columbians at a number of levels. Despite the dismay at how inappropriately
a small group of individuals reacted to our loss, throughout the process I was struck by
the opportunities that were available to educate others about our profession. The public
was hungry for information on the psychology of group behaviour, the causes of intense
emotional reactions, factors that lead to emotional escalation and behavioural disinhibition,
and contributors that lead individuals to engage in behaviours they otherwise would not
(e.g., rioting, violence). I found there were myriad opportunities that arose to speak about
psychology and human behaviour in the media, with non-psychologist colleagues, and with
friends and families. This highlighted for me the importance of all of us being mindful of
day-to-day opportunities we have to continue to educate others about how psychology is such
an integral part of all of our lives.
Joti is the President of
BCPA. You can reach her
and the rest of the
Board of Directors at
[email protected]
In terms of association activities, moving into the fall the Board will be working on developing
and articulating a strategic plan and identifying actionable priorities, in consultation and
collaboration with the College of Psychologists of BC (CPBC). Strengthening relationships
with the CPBC is in my opinion essential for us to collectively move forward as a profession
in this province, and to this end I and other Board members have had a number of meetings
with Dr. Andrea Kowaz, Dr. Michael Elterman, and Dr. Amy Janeck over recent months.
We recognize that having a stronger voice with our provincial and regional governments is a
key component of us seeing tangible changes in the delivery of psychological services to the
public. To this end, I will be arranging meetings along with Dr. Kowaz to meet with key
government representatives in the fall. Additionally, Dr. Derek Swain has dedicated a number
of days of time over the past months working to compile written and presentation materials
that can facilitate our discussions with government. This information, along with the activities
and documents put together by other board members and Association volunteers is helping to
build a strong base of information that makes a strong “business case” for improved access to
psychological services in our province.
We are working on strengthening relationships with colleges and universities, and would like
to highlight the range of opportunities that exist for undergraduate and graduate students to
be involved. I would very much encourage those of you who work in educational institutions
to inform students of volunteer opportunities that exist.
As always, I look forward to any feedback and suggestions for the Board moving forward over
the coming months. I hope everyone has a great summer!
Respectfully submitted,
Dr. Joti Samra, R.Psych. f
www.psychologists.bc.ca
bc psychologist
5
LETTERS
Letter from the Executive Director
The time is right to make your voice heard
Rebecca Smith
Rebecca is the Executive
Director of BCPA.
She can be reached at
604-730-0501 or at
[email protected]
Hey! What happened to spring? Here I am writing for the summer edition of the BC
Psychologist and I don’t remember having a spring. There was a long wet winter, and then
more winter, then more winter, and now — here it is, July! It is funny how things happen
so quickly and, seemingly without our input or even noticing at all, they change: sometimes
for the better, sometimes not. This is true of the weather and so too, of our professional
and political landscape.
While it is true that we have no control of the weather, it is not true that we haven’t any
control over our professional and political landscape. We hold the power to change these
things in our hands. Whether it is simply by exercising our right to vote, or expending an
all-out lobbying effort, the power is ours. Margaret Mead once said, Never doubt that a small
group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever
has. Let’s pull together and prove her right once again.
Though there are not great numbers of Registered Psychologists in British Columbia and
not all of you are members of the BCPA, we can make a difference if we work together
thoughtfully and with commitment. Indeed, there are already steps being made by BCPA
Committees like the Community Engagement Committee and the Psychologically Healthy
Workplace Awards Committee. With every public event we engage in, every press release,
and every tradeshow we participate in, we are reaching our hands out to others to join us, to
learn more about the value and import of psychology and of the role of mental health in our
lives, our economy, and the very fabric of society. Every time we talk to someone about stress,
anxiety, healthy workplace policies, and lifestyle choices, we are gaining more support to our
efforts — we are growing in number.
There is no denying that the time is right. Our audiences’ ears are ready for the message that
mental health is as important as physical health, and that Registered Psychologists are leaders
in this field. Registered Psychologists have a part to play in building and maintaining the
overall health of British Columbia, from the classroom to the workplace, in families, factories
and fairs. From sporting arenas to the freeways, we are always affected by our mental health
and that of those around us. Our audiences — the people and the politicians of British
Columbia — are aware that something must be done. They are aware that the current way of
doing things is not working, and not sustainable.
Together, we are committed to building a better future: a sustainable and psychologically
healthy future for all British Columbians. I trust you will want to join us, work with us,
have your voice heard, have an impact on the change that is already underway. I am looking
forward to hearing from you soon.
At your service,
Rebecca Smith
Executive Director f
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NEWS
milestones
membership renewals
We would like to share with you the
unfortunate news of one of our members’
passing. Dr. Robert Shepherd passed
away on June 3, 2011. You can read the
full obituary and sign the guest book
online at http://www.legacy.com/Link.
asp?I=LS000151768430X
The membership renewal period for 2011-12
has started. The renewal deadline is August
31, 2011. You can renew your membership
by cheque, or by credit card. To renew by
credit card, log in to our website first, then
fill in our online renewal form. If you have
forgotten your username, please call us. You
can reset your password online. Please be
aware that, if you renew after August 31st,
you will be charged a late fee.
board nominations & elections
This year, five positions will be up for
election on the Board of Directors of the BC
Psychological Association (BCPA).
As specified by a 2010 Special Resolution,
three of the newly elected directors will begin
service of one-year terms, and two will begin
service of three-year terms, in order to achieve
the staggering of Board elections required by
our Constitution.
All the directors of BCPA are volunteers.
Their role is one of governance; to steer
the Association and work towards the
achievement of our goals and purposes,
as stated in the Constitution. They are
responsible for attending monthly meetings,
as well as for serving as Board liaisons by
sitting on one or more committees.
Our online nomination & motion/special
resolution form can be accessed from
this page: http://www.psychologists.bc.ca/
nomination-form-2011. Please log in before
attempting to complete the form.
opportunities to partner with
vancouver agencies
BCPA is currently exploring opportunities to
partner with Vancouver agencies to provide
services to the disadvantaged. In order to
find potential psychologist participants, we
need to hear from you.
Are you interested in:
Expanding or diversifying your
Vancouver practice?
Providing services to underserved
populations?
Willing to work with community
agencies?
Willing to help develop service and
funding proposals?
Please contact Rebecca Smith at
[email protected] to let us know
your interest and availability.
Please be advised that only current BCPA
members in good standing can submit
motions/special resolutions, as well as
nominations to the BCPA Board of
Directors. You are encouraged to review
our Constitution, our most recent Annual
Report, and our Strategic Plan, all of which
are available to members through our
website under “About Us” after logging in.
Workshops & other events
salary survey
We are looking for members interested
in writing short articles for our blog. No
experience with blogging is required. If you
already have a blog, we might be able to repost your articles on the Association’s blog.
Please check your email during the summer
as we will be sending out an invitation to
participate in a salary survey. The results of
this survey will contribute to our advocacy
efforts. Call us if you need to change your
email address.
There will not be any Ethics Salons this
summer. Registrations are open for our
September social media & marketing
workshop — check our website for more
details and to register. Our Annual
General Meeting is scheduled to take
place on November 25, 2011.
bloggers wanted
www.psychologists.bc.ca
bc psychologist
7
news
Member Survey of BCPA’s
Public Outreach Activities
An overview of our May 2011 feedback & opinion survey results
In May 2011, the Board
of Directors of BCPA
decided to look at what
our members think of the
past year’s public outreach
initiatives. All these
initiatives were funded and
run under the auspices
of two committees, the
Community Engagement
Committee (CEC), and the
BCPA Awards Committee,
with the support of the
BCPA staff.
Outreach activities’ return
on investment cannot be
readily quantified as we are
not selling a product, nor
have we run a campaign;
however, a member survey
can give us a good indication
of whether our members at
least support our efforts in
this direction.
This was the most popular
BCPA member survey yet,
with more than 300 people
(about 42% of the entire
membership) answering at
least some questions, and
leaving a large number of
comments and suggestions.
It can be easily seen that,
generally speaking, BCPA
members are very supportive
of the current activities of
the CEC, although a majority
of comments asked BCPA
to put a stronger focus on
government outreach as
well (which would fall under
the purview of the Advocacy
Committee & budget).
The survey also provided
very useful information in
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terms of internal (member)
communication. A majority
of members heavily rely on
printed sources and e-mails
to receive association
and event updates, while
only a minority is relying
on the website, inspite of
the fact that the website
is frequently updated and
hosts a much larger amount
of information.
Many members are also
still confusing the E-mail
Forum (an advertising-free,
member-only discussion
list) with the e-mail
announcements.
Another interesting fact
is that “word of mouth” is
a powerful force among
psychologists: 26.2% of
respondents mentioned
that this was a source
of Association-related
information. We would
therefore like to encourage
you to share news about
upcoming events and
volunteer opportunities
with as many colleagues
as possible. You can easily
do this by using the “Tell a
Friend” function available
through our website
when you register for a
workshop, as well as the
“Forward” function available
for our weekly e-mail
announcements.
In conclusion, BCPA
members are keenly paying
attention to the work and
efforts of their Association,
and they generally support
our current outreach
activities, which should aim
to include a government
outreach program.
www.psychologists.bc.ca
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9
news
Practice Directorate Update
Read the June 2011 progress report
CPAP & the
practice
directorate
The Practice Directorate’s
primary mandate will be
to support and facilitate
advocacy across provinces
and territories. The
Directorate operates under
the oversight of a Council
(known as CPAP) made
up of representatives from
the provincial and territorial
associations of psychology
across Canada. CPAP
operates as a functionally
autonomous body that is
accountable to the CPA
Board for matters relating
to policy and finance. CPAP
is led by a Chair appointed
from among provincial and
territorial representatives.
(from www.cpa.ca)
national survey: the practice directorate has been working with
delta media, an ottawa-based communications firm, to develop a
national survey of canadians’ knowledge of, and attitudes towards,
professional psychology in Canada. The survey will augment data from key informants from
provincial, territorial and federal governments (politicians and officials), the media and
professional associations. The survey will inform a national campaign to improve access to
psychological services, being developed at this time.
Ekos Research Associates, a well respected national polling company, has been contracted
by the Directorate. The survey is currently ‘in the field’ and results will be available in July,
2011. A total of 2800 people will be surveyed and this is considered to be a very strong
sample size for a national survey. The confidence limits will be +/- 2%, 19 times out of 20.
The British Columbia Psychological Association is participating in the survey as a member
of the Practice Directorate Council and has contributed $3,000.00 to increase the number
of respondents in British Columbia.
Delta Media will analyze the data, prepare a report of findings, and provide a presentation
deck that the British Columbia Psychological Association can use to present the data. The
survey data will support a national advocacy campaign (see below). It is suggested that
each association use the survey report as a basis for discussion of the issues with our “allies”
(e.g. patient/consumer groups, other professional associations) in order to determine what
they can support. The consultation information will inform the national campaign and
we hope our allies will carry some of our messages forward as well. The British Columbia
Psychological Association may wish to use the data as part of the association’s advocacy
efforts during upcoming provincial elections.
National Advocacy Campaign: two of the Directorate’s strategic directions are to increase
the use of a common brand, lexicon and set of recommendations to governments across
Canada and to increase access to psychological services. The National Advocacy Campaign
has as its tag line ‘Solutions’ ‘Improving Access to Psychological Services for Canadians’.
It will be rolled out by all provincial and territorial associations and CPA so governments
receive a common message and common solutions. There will be a dedicated web page
on the CPA web site. Psychology’s relationship to primary care will be one focus. The
Campaign is being developed as we speak and will be rolled out in the fall of 2011.
Provincial Elections: several provinces will be having provincial elections in the fall of
2011. There is a desire to collaborate on a web based advocacy strategy similar to the one
used by CPA for the General Election. This is being explored.
Communications: increasing communications to boards of directors and memberships
regarding the activities of the Directorate is a priority. This will enhance the currency of each
association as part of the collective activity. More specific information will be forthcoming.
Marketing: CPA has hired Mr. Tyler Stacey-Holmes as the Director of Association
Development, Membership and Public Relations. He is a marketing professional with
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many connections in the marketing
community. Mr. Stacey-Holmes is working
on Psychology Month, specifically to rebrand the event in terms of developing
a new logo, creating messaging that
resonates with Canadians and developing
marketing packages that each province
can use. He has purchased the domain
PsychologyMonth.ca and expects to develop
a “one stop shop” for Psychology Month
information. He is currently working with
three marketing firms to help develop the
psychology “brand” and is developing
motion stating that the PD supports the
adoption of the doctoral standard as the
required educational level for the licensing
of psychologists across Canada. The motion
was tabled to be discussed at the next
Council meeting in January, 2012. This is
intended to be an aspirational motion since
the entry to practice standard is a matter
for governments and colleges. However,
the associations taking a united position
will have significant political resonance.
In addition, it will demonstrate a national
unanimity regarding the future development
more on the web
CPA Practice Directorate:
www.cpa.ca/practitioners/
practicedirectorate/
BCPA Advocacy Committee
(log in for full access):
www.psychologists.
bc.ca/content/advocacycommittee
Policies endorsed by the Council
Support for the Doctor of
Psychology (PsyD) education and
training model
Canadians, regardless of
income, have a right to access
psychological services
Support the development
of internship and practicum
placements for psychology students,
interns, and residents in Canada
Source: cpa.ca
several potential sponsors in looking at a
“cause marketing” campaign in the future.
Mr Stacey-Holmes will also be available
on a limited basis to assist the Practice
Directorate in its advocacy activities.
Government Relations: CPA is examining
the feasibility of hiring a government
relations specialist as a staff member. The
Practice Directorate has agreed to consider
contributing some money on an annual basis
to be able to access the person’s service on an
as needed basis. This will allow individual
provincial/territorial associations to have
access to these services on a limited basis.
Doctoral Standard: the associations
discussed the possibility of passing a
of the profession. It is not clear at this time if
the associations can all agree.
Individual Manitoba Psychologists
Contribute to the Directorate’s Advocacy:
the Manitoba Psychological Society
provided members with the opportunity to
support advocacy by making a contribution
to the Practice Directorate. A number
took advantage of the opportunity. The
Directorate would like to thank the
Manitoba psychologists and the Society for
their foresight and generosity.
CPA/APA Dues Changes: Dr. Karen
Cohen (CEO of CPA) provided an update
of CPA’s efforts to maintain the status quo
in terms of the current dues arrangement
www.psychologists.bc.ca
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11
The Directorate has contracted with a communications firm to develop to
assist in the development of a common advocacy language and strategy
platform. This will enable the associations to be “talking the same talk”
when working with governments.
The result will be a common message regarding psychological services
across Canada giving the governments the knowledge that psychology is
“on the same page”.
Source: cpa.ca
between the two organizations. Currently,
a member of one can have membership in
the other associations for half price. More
information will be distributed as it becomes
available. This issue primarily affects CPA
and the Canadian jurisdictions that have
affiliate status with APA and the APA return
to CPAP and the Practice Directorate of
part of the advocacy levy paid by Canadians
to APA. These funds help support the work
of the Practice Directorate.
Practice Directorate Council Changes:
the term of Dr. Jennifer Frain, Chair of the
Practice Directorate’s Council has expired
and she is now President Elect of CPA.
Dr. Andrea Piotrowski of the Manitoba
Psychological Society is the new Chair. Dr
Dorothy Cotton (Ontario) replaces Dr Lorne
Sexton (Manitoba) as the CPA representative
to Council. The BC Psychological
Association would like to thank the outgoing
Council members and particularly Dr Frain
who was CPAP and Practice Directorate
Chair for a number of years.
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Insurance
Dr. Rodney Handcock of McFarland
Rowlands Insurance Brokers provided an
update on insurance claims by psychologists
across the country. The insurance company
is considering offering more features as part
of the professional liability package and he
indicated that he will provide a summary of
the considerations which will then be made
available to the associations. Rodney has a
doctoral degree in Social Psychology from
the University of Western Ontario.
Motions: motions regarding concussions
and neck injuries in sports, mental
health parity, recovery in mental health
and patient centered care were adopted
in principle pending rewording by the
Practice Directorate’s Management
Committee. Two of the motions were
carried forward from the Board of the
Ontario Psychological Association. f
NEWS
Comings and Goings
Please welcome our new staff members
as i noted in my letter on page six, time passes and things change
— sometimes far too quickly. this too is the case with the
administration of the bc psychological association.
So, it is with sadness that I bid farewell to my office staff: Jeni Campbell and Giovanna Di
Sauro. After two years service in our office, Jeni Campbell, our Executive Assistant, has
decided that the time is right to go back to school and to work towards the realization of her
dreams of becoming a psychologist herself. During her tenure here, she has made a definite
impact on the efficiency and accuracy of our office systems, accounting and member services.
Rebecca Smith
Rebecca is the Executive
Director of BCPA.
She can be reached at
604-730-0501 or at
[email protected]
Giovanna Di Sauro leaves us after about two years of service in order to move to Kingston,
Ontario, to attend law school at Queen’s University. As our Communications Officer and
Advertising Liaison, Giovanna made visible and effective changes in the way we communicate
with our members and with the public. She was instrumental in developing our social media
presence, and a driving force in the development of our new website.
Both Jeni and Giovanna have left an indelible impression with their dedication and incredible
work ethic. Their personalities and good humour have been integral to creating the
psychologically healthy team that I have been proud to lead. Although I will miss them very
much I am sure you will join with me in wishing them nothing but success and happiness in
the future. We will miss them both!
As with every departure there is an arrival, thus I will ask that you join with me in welcoming
our incoming staff members: Alex Yip, our new Executive Assistant, and Eric Chu, our new
Marketing and Advertising Coordinator. I look forward to working with them, to creating a
new and effective team, and to continuing to offer our members and the public the efficient
and friendly service that they have come to expect from BCPA. f
Please join us in welcoming
our new staff members & send
farewell messages to our outgoing
staff members by writing an email
to [email protected]
www.psychologists.bc.ca
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13
ethics
How to Tell Your Patients That You
Have Cancer
A psychologist’s journey
robin mcgee, ph.d.
(University of Western
Ontario) is a recipient of the
IWK Award for Outstanding
Practice in Clinical
Psychology. She is also Past
President of the Association
of Psychologists of Nova
Scotia. She can be reached
at [email protected].
this is not the article i had hoped to be writing. i would much rather
have written about provincial advocacy, fee schedules, or adhd.
Instead, I must write about what I learned when I had to close my public and private
practices, due to a diagnosis of advanced cancer. I am writing to share my journey, in the
hopes that others may benefit from my experiences.
Cancer will strike 40% of us by the end of our lives. Of those, half are within their working
careers at the time of diagnosis. This means that many working psychologists could
experience this illness, and have to cope with its professional as well as its physical impact. No
one wants to need this article, but some of you unfortunately will.
What are the ethical and practical considerations a psychologist must make when terminating
a practice due to this illness, or any other incapacitating illness? The professional literature
has surprisingly little guidance on this matter: most published work on forced termination is
about managed care or therapists moving to other jobs. These situations do not yield the same
powerful emotions as cancer, either for the patient or the therapist.
When I was diagnosed with Stage III colorectal cancer in May of 2010, I went from someone
who had taken only two sick days in the past five years to someone who would need to take
the entire year off for extensive treatments. I had no experience with being incapacitated. I did
not know how to proceed to turn myself from a fit highly active professional to an invalid, or
how to navigate this disjuncture in the best interests of patients.
CPA ethical standards have relatively little to say about therapist illness. The clearest reference
is Standard 1.42, which addresses incapacitation of a therapist only in terms of security plans
for records: a psychologist must “collect, store, handle, and transfer all private information,
whether written or unwritten…in a way that attends to the needs for privacy and security…
This would include having adequate plans for records in circumstances of one’s own serious
illness, termination of employment, or death”. In contrast, the APA standard 3.12 regarding
Interruption of Psychological Services is more explicit: “Unless otherwise covered by
contract, psychologists make reasonable efforts to plan for facilitating services in the event
that psychological services are interrupted by factors such as the psychologist’s illness, death,
unavailability, relocation, or retirement”. APA standard 10.09 regarding termination of
therapy adds: “When entering into employment or contractual relationships, psychologists
make reasonable efforts to provide for orderly and appropriate resolution of responsibility for
client/patient care in the event that the employment or contractual relationship ends, with
paramount consideration given to the welfare of the client/patient”.
This article was previously
published by the Association
of Psychologists of Nova
Scotia, and included in the
Nova Scotia Psychologist
(2011) Volume 23, n.1.
Republished with permission.
14
bc psychologist
Another ethical consideration for the ill psychologist is the APA standard 2.06 regarding
Personal Problems and Conflicts. It states: “(a) Psychologists refrain from initiating an
activity when they know or should know that there is a substantial likelihood that their
personal problems will prevent them from performing their work-related activities in
a competent manner. (b) When psychologists become aware of personal problems that
may interfere with their performing work-related duties adequately, they take appropriate
measures, such as obtaining professional consultation or assistance, and determine whether
www.psychologists.bc.ca
they should limit, suspend, or terminate
their work-related duties”.
Psychologists must not practice when
impaired by serious disease. However,
most cancers are insidious, and do not
result in functional impairment until well
into the illness or treatment. How can a
psychologist balance his or her need to guard
against impaired practice versus the need to
terminate services judiciously?
The thrust of all these standards is that
it behooves all psychologists to have a
“back up” plan in case of incapacitation or
death. Many provincial regulatory bodies
now require psychologists to identify
alternative psychologists those who will
assume practice responsibilities in such an
eventuality. And yet, the CPA and APA
standards give scant guidance on how
to manage the communication aspects
of one’s personal tragedy in the context
of delivery of psychological services,
particularly psychotherapy.
The core ethos of the CPA ethical principles
is communication. Careful communication
is the mainstay of most competent practice.
Ethical principles governing communication,
and of careful planning of service delivery
and treatments, are the basis for ethical
practice when confronted by the threat
of incapacitating illness. Application of
the spirit of CPA ethical principles and
standards helps to shed light on how to
negotiate one’s exit from psychology work
under such dreadful circumstances.
I was of course staggered by my diagnosis.
How could this be true? I was a fit, highly
active professional in my 40s. I worked
over 40 hours each week, happily and
industriously. I loved my work, my family,
my friends, and my community. I had
just finished a term as the President of my
professional association. And yet, I had
to absorb the realization that I was in the
grip of a lethal disease, and that my life as
I knew it was about to take a radical and
sudden departure.
My first obligation was communication with
those to whom I provide service. I made
my first calls within hours of the fateful
appointment that gave me my news. In
retrospect, I was so aswim with shock that I
ought to have waited. My first call was to my
supervisor at my public job, the Coordinator
of Student Services at the regional
school board. Fortunately (or perhaps
unfortunately) she was well experienced with
cancer and its debilitating impact on staff.
I was naively trying to reassure her that I
would be able to meet some of my upcoming
work commitments – my mind had not
fully grasped the truth of my situation.
But she knew. She was supportive but firm
– she would put me off work as of that
moment. She would make all the necessary
arrangements with Human Resources. I
would need to cease my direct service work
in schools effective immediately.
Disclaimer
If you are facing an
ethical dilemma, you are
encouraged to refer to the
College of Psychologists
of BC’s Practice Support
service for more information
on ethical guidelines. This
article is not meant to
provide, and should not be
considered as, legal advice.
If you need legal advice,
please consult a lawyer. We
kindly ask that you do not
contact the author of this
article for the purposes of
receiving legal advice.
A public service job has the benefit of
infrastructure. My work with the school
board primarily entailed consultation to
schools regarding students with behavioral
or mental health issues. Now, my
responsibilities would have to be transferred
to other school board staff. I attended several
meetings with my school board colleagues
to determine how my services would be
delivered by others. I had some unique
aspects to my practice that could not be
assumed by other staff, given the rare nature
of the skills involved. For example, I was the
only staff person trained in the diagnosis
of Autistic Spectrum Disorder. As a result
of my illness, and a concurrent maternity
leave of one other specialist from public
mental health, screening and diagnosis of
school-aged children suspected of Autistic
Spectrum Disorder had to be suspended.
We worked with our mental health partners
to craft a memorandum to the doctors and
other agencies, informing them of the new
limitations to public psychology services.
My next concern, and my biggest challenge,
was how to inform my private patients.
Over and above my public sector job, I
maintained a small but thriving private
practice. The practice was limited to
— continued on page 22
www.psychologists.bc.ca
bc psychologist
15
features
Kwantlen’ Students Psychology
Public Outreach Efforts
jocelyn
lymburner,
ph.d., r.psych.
Dr. Jocelyn Lymburner
has taught psychology at
the undergraduate and
graduate level for over a
decade, joining the faculty
of Kwantlen Polytechnic
University in 2004. She is a
strong advocate of service
learning, working to increase
relevancy in education
and to build strong ties
between academia and the
community. In addition to her
role as an educator, Jocelyn
is a Registered Psychologist,
working with adults and
couples on the North Shore
(www.drlymburner.com).
kwantlen polytechnic university offers three unique psychology
degrees — a bachelor of applied arts in psychology, a bachelor of
arts in psychology, and a bachelor of science in applied psychology.
As a polytechnic university, Kwantlen focuses heavily on applied learning and the psychology
department has been at the forefront in terms of innovative course offerings and assignments.
One such example is a third year Advanced Topics in Psychopathology course. Students
in this course are tasked with working in conjunction with a community organization to
produce a resource on the topic of mental disorders for a population outside their class. Over
the past few years, students have created a wide variety of useful tools for their communities,
including informational YouTube videos on various forms of psychopathology, board games
designed to increase awareness about mental health, pamphlets and posters on the coping
with anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, and educational presentations for highschool
students designed to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. For the past two years,
the BCPA Public Education Committee has generously agreed to offer awards to the top
projects emerging from the class. In the following article, the talented 2011 student recipients
of this award, Rahul Abedin and Robin Elson, present their projects.
Website on Depression & AIDS (by Rahul Abedin)
According to the 2009 United Nations AIDS report there are over 33 million people in
the world living with HIV/AIDS. In Canada there are 21,000 individuals diagnosed with
AIDS and in BC alone over 4000 individuals have tested positive. Within these statistics it is
imperative that we remember the human perspective. Each diagnosed individual, depending
on which part of the world they come from and a multitude of other factors, has her or
his own unique circumstances and challenges. Depression is the most common comorbid
mental disorder diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and the combination of the two can create fatal
circumstances for many individuals.
My goal in creating the website DepressionAIDS.net is to provide a resource centre focusing
on HIV/AIDS related depression that can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection,
free of charge and available 24/7. As a university student I am always trying to stay up to
date with academic research. I wanted to present this same empirical information, in an easy
to understand format, to those who may not have access to academic journals. Therefore,
the backbone of DepressionAIDS.net is the article analysis section, consisting of academic
research on depression and HIV/AIDS. Each posted article is broken down into a simple
and non-intimidating format: who the researchers and participants are, the length of the
study, the methodology of the study, and its findings. In addition to the 24 article analyses,
visitors to the website have access to general resources on depression and HIV/AIDS, BC
crisis line information, a calendar of relevant community events, and can exhange ideas on an
anonymous forum. Future plans include the addition of a section dedicated to statistics and
videos of clinicians talking about different facets of treatment. To date, DepressionAIDS.net
has had over 500 visitors, with most visits targetted toward the article analyses. My hope is to
continue promoting the website as a free resource containing essential information that can be
16
bc psychologist
www.psychologists.bc.ca
BRITIsh COLumBIa sChOOL OF PROFessIOnaL PsyChOLOgy
406-1168 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 2S2 | Ph: (604)682-1909 | Fx: (604) 682-8262 | E-mail: [email protected]
The BC School of Professional Psychology is presenting a Basic Training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This course is
approved by the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association (EMDRIA) and will cover the material of Part One/Level I
and Part Two/Level II training.
Objectives of Course
Participants will learn to use EMDR appropriately and effectively
in a variety of applications. Such use is based on understanding the
theoretical basis of EMDR, safety issues, integration with a treatment
plan, and supervised practice. Part One/Level I EMDR training is
usually sufficient for work with uncomplicated PTSD in most clients.
Part Two/Level II is necessary for working effectively with more
complex cases, special populations and more severe, long-standing,
or complicated psychopathology.
The course will be in two parts. Qualified applicants will have a
minimum of Master’s level training in a mental health discipline and
must belong to a professional organization with a code of ethics, or
be a graduate student with appropriate supervision.
Approved for Continuing Education Units
by the Canadian Counselling Association.
Register online at www.emdrtraining.com (see Vancouver page)
For more information, please contact Alivia Maric, Ph.D., R.Psych.
at 604 251-7275 or at [email protected]
Instructor
Marshall Wilensky, Ph.D., R.Psych.
EMDRIA Approved Instructor
Format
Lecture, discussion, demonstration, video: 20 hours.
Supervised practice (during the training weekends):
20 hours. Consultation: 10 hours (live, online)
Dates
Session One: October 21 – 23, 2011
SessionTwo: January 27 –29, 2012
Times
Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday 9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Consultations Wednesdays, November 16, December 14, 2011,
February 15, 2012, 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Location
Vancouver School of Theology (UBC Campus)
Tuition
Full course: $1,850 before September 10, 2011; $1,950
after September 10, 2011. Previously trained EMDR
clinicians can get updated for half price.
accessed by anyone. Please feel free to pass
this website link along to any one whom you
feel may benefit.
of these presentations is on the decrease of
prejudice and myths associated with mental
health matters.
About the author: Rahul Abedin is currently
completing his Bachelor of Arts Degree
in Psychology at Kwantlen Polytechnic
University. He has experience working with
HIV/AIDS patients at the rural St. Francis
Xavier Hospital in Assin Foso, Ghana. His
goal is to complete a Clinical Psychology
degree and work with war effected
individuals around the world.
These presentations are effective, but I began
to wonder how much of this important
information the youth could retain two or
three days afterwards. I also realized that
only a small percentage of the pertinent
information could be given to the youth
before either the presentation ran out of
time or became so full of facts and figures
that it became overwhelming to the average
high school student. I wanted to create a
simple, effective, and relatively cheap way of
reaching youth and giving them a resource
that they were likely to look at and use.
Posters and pamphlets have limited use
as they tend to be ignored in the media
saturated world of youth today, and websites
can be a daunting and confusing medium
that may not be accessible to every youth.
Mental Health Education for Youth:
Playing Cards (by Robin Elson)
Recently I began volunteering with an
organization known as Bluewave, which
is aimed specifically at educating youth
(12-20yrs) on mental health matters.
The organisation primarily conducts
presentations in high-schools. During
presentations, young volunteers speak about
mental health issues they personally suffer
from or are familiar with through family
and friends. The volunteers share their own
experiences and answer questions. The focus
To this end I decided to create educational
playing cards, with each suit representing
the four most common mental health issues
concerning youth in Canada (Depression,
www.psychologists.bc.ca
bc psychologist
17
Addictions, Eating Disorders, and Suicide). The cards are completely functional and can be
used as a normal set of playing cards, however each card contains information relating to
mental health issues. For example, in the suit of hearts (i.e., Depression) some cards contain
information debunking commonly held myths about depression, others outline steps on
how to talk to friends or family members who might be suffering from depression, while
still others detail common signs and symptoms of the disorder. The other suits also follow
this pattern with some cards presenting a simple statistic on prevalence, and others detailing
how to communicate effectively with a loved one suffering with a mental health issue. The
idea is that as the youths repeatedly use the cards the information will begin to sink in. The
language is purposely assessable to the age group and avoids the use of technical terms. There
are also two joker cards that contain more websites that people can access if they wish to
find further information on a specific issue, as well as information on issues not presented in
the cards (e.g., Schizophrenia or stress from bullying or school work). The central idea is the
reduction of stigma through the education of youth and the elevation of mental health issues
to the level that they deserve in the education system of Canada.
About the author: Robin Elson is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at
Kwantlen Polytechnic University. He also works part time for a private organisation Bluewave
that is aimed at promoting youth education of mental health issues. He spends most of his
free time travelling and, as a result, is most interested in cross-cultural implications and
applications of psychological research. f
18
bc psychologist
www.psychologists.bc.ca
features
The Economic Sensibility of Full
Public Mental Health Coverage
UBC Okanagan student offers argument for public health
coverage of psychological interventions
the impact of mental illness on
society is often overlooked due
to the seemingly individualistic
nature of mental illness;
it is hard to associate the sufferings of an
individual with the suffering of society as
a whole. It is estimated that, in Canada,
the yearly economic losses stemming from
mental illness exceed $14 billion (Hunsley
& Lee, 2010). To put these losses into
perspective, $14 billion accounts for 6%
of the national budget, and 2.6% of the
national debt (Department of Finance
Canada, 2010).
Of the $14 billion in mental health
related losses, much can be attributed
to workplace difficulties. For instance,
Gewurtz, Kirch, Jaconbson, and Rappolt
(2006) found that individuals who suffered
from mental illness felt as though they
had no future in terms of their work.
This lack of career aspiration, combined
with difficulties concentrating and, for
individuals with a previously diagnosed
mental disorder, a fear of relapse, led to a
reduction in productivity. This study also
found that the stigma surrounding mental
illness affected not only people’s ability to
work, but also limited their perceptions
regarding options in obtaining work. In
a similar vein, it has been demonstrated
that, for individuals with certain mental
illnesses, 80% of employment terminations
are attributable to social and character
related issues (Hanley-Maxwell, Rusch,
Chadsley, & Renzaglia, 1986). However,
despite substantial economic losses at the
hands of mental illness, and despite the
release of Toward Recovery and Well-Being:
A Framework for a Mental Health Strategy
for Canada (2009) by the Mental Health
Commission of Canada, this country does
not have a national mental health strategy
yet (Hunsely & Lee, 2010), unlike twothirds of the world’s countries.
Any strategy aimed at reducing the
economic losses attributed to mental
illness must actively involve psychologists,
as their skill set is essential in treating
mental disorders. The main reason why
psychologists are essential in treating
mental disorders – as opposed to
psychiatrists or general practitioners – is
due to their therapeutic approach. Whereas
psychiatrists and general practitioners
primarily rely on drug-based interventions
(pharmacotherapy) when treating mental
disorders, psychologists primarily rely on
psychotherapy. Although pharmacological
therapy is the best choice for certain mental
disorders (e.g. schizophrenia), a combination
of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy is
preferable for most mental disorder as it
is the most cost-effective (e.g. Domino et
al., 2009; Mitte, 2005; Sava et al., 2009).
Further, meta-analyses have revealed
that, relative to specific mental disorders,
combined psycho-pharmacological
therapies are highly effective in treating
mental disorders (e.g. Eddy, Dutra,
Bradely, & Westen, 2004), and that, in
combined psycho-pharmacotherapies,
pharmacotherapy makes a small, but yet
still significant, contribution to the overall
www.psychologists.bc.ca
sean n. riley
Sean Riley is currently an
undergraduate student at
the University of British,
Okanagan. When not in
class, Sean spends his time
conducting research with
various faculty members in
both forensic psychology
and cognitive psychology.
This paper was written
as part of a class project.
Course instructor: Dr. Mike
Woodworth, R.Psych.
Mike Woodworth is an
Associate Professor at UBC
Okanagan. He received
his Doctor of Philosophy
in 2004 from Dalhousie
University. His primary
areas of research include
psychopathy, criminal
behaviour, and deception
detection.
bc psychologist
19
effectiveness of treatment (Cuijpers,
van Straten, Hollon, & Anderson,
2010). Additionally, psychotherapeutic
interventions have significantly smaller
relapse rates than pharmacological
interventions (e.g. De Maat, Dekker,
Schoevers, & De Jonghe, 2006).
In essence, these studies indicate that
combined psycho-pharmacotherapies are
highly effective and cost-efficient when
it comes to treating mental disorders.
However, due to the small effect size
of pharmacotherapy in combined
psycho-pharmacological therapies, and
the superiority of psychotherapy over
pharmacotherapy in reducing relapse rates,
mono-psychotherapies are a highly suitable
alternative when combined therapies
are not available. In relation to a mental
health strategy, these findings highlight
the importance (and effectiveness) of
psychologists when it comes to treating
mental disorders.
Any attempt to sway policy makers in the
direction of full mental health coverage for
those suffering from mental illness must
outline the economic sensibility of such a
20
bc psychologist
losses per person, and was calculated by
dividing the $14 billion in economic losses
by the number of people who suffer from
mental illness. Further, ∆P, ∆X, and ∆T
respectively represent the predicted changes
in the total population, percentage of
people suffering from mental illness, and
the percentage of mentally ill persons who
seek treatment.
The first equation (A) models the increase/
decrease in revenue for any given year by
calculating the cost of providing therapy,
and then subtracting the reduction in
economic losses attributable to mental
illness. A positive solution indicates that the
reduction in economic losses is less than the
cost of covering mental health services – and
thus is not economical – while a negative
solution indicates that the reduction in
economic losses is greater than the cost of
covering mental health services – and thus
economically sensible. The second equation
(B) models how revenue gains compound
over time. This equation also factors in how
variables change over time.
Using the most recent statistics available to
us, our first equation was used to calculate
program. To do this, we have created two
simple equations that estimate the increase
in revenue resulting from the coverage of
mental health services (see box below).
how much revenue would have been created
this year had mental health services been
covered under provincial health care. We
used 5 as the average number of hours in
Here, Y is the increase/decrease in revenue,
N is the average number of hours patients
will spend in therapy, C is the cost per
hour for therapy, P is the total population,
X is the percentage of the total population
that suffers from mental illness, T is the
percentage of mentally ill persons who
will seek treatment, R is the percentage
of mentally ill persons whose symptoms
undergo remission, F is the percentage
of mentally ill persons who experience
symptom relapse within 12 months, and
4375 is the dollar amount of economic
therapy (Huygen & Smits, 1983; Kenardy,
et al., 2003), a $175/hour therapy rate (as
suggested by the BCPA), a population total
of 34, 278,400 (Statistics Canada, 2011),
a mental illness prevalence rate of 10%
(StatsCan, 2003), a 9.5% (1) treatment
seeking rate (StatsCan, 2003), and
remission-relapse rates of 52% and 24%
respectively (2) (de Bruijin, van der Brink,
de Graff, & Vollebergh, 2006; De Maat,
Dekker, Schoevers, & De Jonghe, 2006;
Keller, et al., 1994).
www.psychologists.bc.ca
Our calculations revealed that it would have
cost $284,938,500 to cover mental health
services, and that the reduction in total
economic losses stemming from mental
illness would have been $562,839,375,
which ultimately translates into a
$277,900,875 increase in revenue.
We hope that this information could help
shed light onto an issue that is of the utmost
importance not only to individuals suffering
from mental illness, but also to society and
our economy as a whole.
Notes
(1) The 9.5% treatment seeking rate is
derived from Statistics Canada’s data
regarding the number of people from the
total population who have had contact
with mental health services in the past
12-months. Although Statistics Canada’s
numbers (9.5%) reflect the percentage
of the total population, we applied this
percentage to the mentally ill subset as
data for treatment seeking rates of mentally
ill persons was non-existent. The 9.5%
treatment seeking rate is, most likely, a
conservative number; however, because the
ratio of cost to revenue gained per person
is 875:4375, ((PX)T) is only important
in determining the magnitude of revenue
gained (the larger the T value, the greater
the increase in revenue), not whether
mental health coverage is economically
sensible. As such, it is not overly
detrimental to use the 9.5% treatment
seeking rate in our equations.
Craving Withdrawal Model. Addiction, 101, 385-392. doi:
10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01327.x
De Maat, S., Deeker, J., Schoevers, R., & De Jonghe, F. (2006).
Relative efficacy of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in
the treatment of depression: A meta-analysis. Psychotherapy
Research, 16, 562-572. doi: 10.1080/10503300600756402
Department of Finance Canada. (2010). Annual Financial
Report of the Government of Canada Fiscal Year 2009-2010.
Retrieved from http://www.fin.gc.ca/afr-rfa/2010/index-eng.asp
Domino, M. E., Foster, M. E., Vitiello, B., Kratochvil, C.
J., Burns, B. J., Silva, S. G., March, J.S. (2009). Relative
cost-effectivenes of treatments for adolescent depression: 36week results from the TADS randomized trial. Journal of the
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 48, 711720. doi: 10.1097/CHI.0b013e3181a2b319
Eddy, K.T., Dutra, L., Bradley, R., & Westen, D. (2004).
A multidimensional meta-analysis of psychotherapy and
pharmacotherapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Clinical Psychology Review, 24, 1011-1030. doi: 10.1010/j.
cpr.2004.08.004
Gewurtz, R., Kirsh, B., Jacobson, N. & Rappolt, S. (2006).
The influence of mental illnesses on work potential and career
development. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health,
25, 207-220.
Hunsley, J. & Lee, C. M. (2010). Introduction to clinical
psychology. Missassaga Ontario: John Wiley & Sons Canada
Ltd.
Huygen, F.G. & Snits, A.J. (1983). Family therapy, family
somatics, and family medicine. Family Systems Medicine, 1,
23-32. doi: 10.1037/h0089632
Keller, M., Yokers, K.A., Warshaw, M.A., Pratt, L.A., Gollan,
J.K., … , Lavori, P.W. (1994). Remission and relapse in subjects
with panic disorder and panic with agoraphobia: A prospective
short interval naturalistic follow-up. Journal of Nervous and
Mental Disease, 182, 290-296. doi: 10.1097/00005053199405000-00007
Kenardy, J.A., Dow, M.G.T., Johnston, D.W., Newman, M.G.,
Thomson, A., & Taylor, C.B. (2003). A comparison of delivery
methods of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for panic disorder:
An international multicenter trial. Journal of Consulting
and Clinical Psychology, 71, 1068-1075. doi: 10.1037/0022006X.71.6.1068
Mitte, K. (2005). A meta-analysis of the efficacy of psychoand pharmacotherapy in panic disorder with and without
agoraphobia. Journal of Affective Disorders, 88, 27-45. doi:
10.1016/j.jad.2005.05.003
(2) Remission and relapse rates for mental
illness as a whole were unattainable. As such,
rates were estimated by taking the remission
and relapse rates of the three most prevalent
mental disorders (depression, panic disorder,
and substance use disorders) (StatsCan,
2003) and averaging them. f
Sava F. A., Yates, B. T., Lupu, V., Szentagotai, A., & David, D.
(2009). Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of cognitive therapy,
rational emotive behaviour therapy, and fluoxetine (Prozac) in
treating clinical depression: A randomized clinical trial. Journal
of Clinical Psychology, 65, 36-52. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20550
References
Statistics Canada (2011, March 24). The Daily. Retrieved from
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/110324/dq110324beng.htm
Cuijpers, P., van Straten, A., Hollon, S. D., & Andersson, G.
(2010). The contribution of active medication to combined
treatments of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for adult
depression: A meta-analysis. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica,
121, 415-423. doi: 10.1111/j1600-0447.2009.01513.x
Statistics Canada. (2003). Canadian Health Survey: Mental
Health and Well-being (StatsCan publication No. 82-617XIE). Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-617x/4067678-eng.htm #1
De Bruijin, C., van der brink, W., de Graaf, R., & Vollebergh,
W. M. A. (2006). Three year course of alcohol use disorders
in the general population: DSM-IV, ICD-10, and the
www.psychologists.bc.ca
bc psychologist
21
Cancer — continued from page 11
psychotherapy, mostly with adults.
Although I only saw three patients a
week, I had been practicing this way
for nearly 15 years. Consequently, I had
many longer term patients, and some
with very significant diagnoses (Bipolar
midtreatment. Sadly and ironically, I was
seeing several patients for cancer-related
bereavement. I was deeply concerned with
the impact of my departure on my private
patients, particularly the very vulnerable.
During my graduate years, I had been
schooled in a psychodynamic approach
to therapy dynamics. The approach I had
been trained in clearly emphasized very
firm boundaries with clients. Self-disclosure
was something I had almost never done.
How could I share my news sensitively?
How would I handle their understandable
reactions? How would I manage the
transference (and countertransference)
issues? How would I manage the issues
involved in transfers to other therapists?
As another consideration in my case, I
practice in a semi-rural area. In small town
Nova Scotia, word gets around. I was
concerned that my private patients would
learn the truth before I could tell them
myself. If I worked in a major city, I could
perhaps simply announce I was closing my
practice for health reasons and share no
further. But where I live and work, that
approach might not be sufficiently sensitive
or even feasible. Moreover, my cancer
treatment would oblige me to continuously
wear a slow infusion bottle clearly labeled
“chemotherapy”. My patients who required
a few more sessions to terminate therapy
would clearly see it. Should I, or could I,
keep the reason for my departure from
practice away from patients?
Tomasz Kobosz/sxc.hu
Disorder, Complex PTSD, OCD). At the
time, I had several patients in the middle
of protocols for EMDR (Eye Movement
Desensitization Reprocessing) therapy
for trauma. For those of you who do
not know EMDR, the protocol does not
lend itself to transfer to another therapist
22
bc psychologist
www.psychologists.bc.ca
One of my first steps was to call my
professional psychology association. Not
only did I need to inform them as part
of my obligation as Past President on the
Executive, I needed guidance. I asked the
executive director: did she know of any
other psychologist in Nova Scotia who had
undergone cancer and possibly faced these
same dilemmas?
She was indeed able to connect me with a
senior psychologist who had experienced
cancer in the past – same cancer, same stage.
This mentor shared with me that she had
been forthright with all her patients, and
gave them three options: to wait for her to
recover, to transfer to another therapist, or
to stop therapy. She wisely counseled me
to anticipate that my patients were human,
and that I could anticipate all the range of
human reaction. They will surprise you, she
said. She was right.
I made a list of all my cases. With each case,
I weighed the best approach to the forced
termination. There were many to consider:
how fragile were they? How strong was the
therapeutic alliance? How long had I seen
them for? Were they in active treatment, or
was their next appointment far off? How
close was the client to a natural termination:
could I reasonably finish with them in the
few weeks I had before my daily radiation
therapy began? Were their issues and
presenting problems such that they would
need extra support? For those needing
transfers, who would be a good match
for them? APA standard 10.10 states that
“prior to termination psychologists provide
pretermination counseling and suggest
alternative service providers as appropriate”.
I only had a few weeks before my daily
radiation treatments would start – I did not
have the time to see each client personally. I
resolved to place patients in three categories:
those who could be redirected by phone,
those who needed a personal session to
prepare them for transfer, and those I could
reasonably finish with within a few weeks.
I was able to reach many by telephone.
These patients were those on my waiting
list, those I who had only one session, or
those whose return appointments were
far into the future. I was able to tell them
that I need to close my practice for “health
reasons”. It was difficult to hear the note
of curiosity and bewilderment in their
voices; however, most were satisfied with
the list of alternative therapists I provided.
For those I needed to redirect with a new
referral, I arranged consent to forward my
records to the relevant service provider.
The second group were those with whom I
had a longstanding treatment relationship
for serious diagnoses. With each patient I
arranged a session in which I told them I
had to close my practice, and I told them
why. Although this degree of self-disclosure
went against my grain, it seemed to me to be
the only genuine thing to do. I reasoned that
these individuals needed to know that I was
not leaving them for any lesser reason than
cancer. Also, I did not want them to hear
my news from elsewhere. One patient had
that misfortune, and was badly shaken by it
before I could reassure them in person. Out
of respect for the work we had done together,
I felt it best to be straightforward with these
individuals. Prior to these sessions, I was in
touch with other therapists who I considered
good matches, and thus was able to offer an
alternative therapist. I was able to reassure
them that I had taken every possible step
to ensure continuity to their care, and I
offered a joint session between us and the
new therapist to facilitate handover. They
had the option of finding their own therapist
or terminating; however, each one of these
patients accepted the transfer I had arranged.
I was indeed surprised by many of my
patients’ reactions. Instead of crumbling,
or crying, or becoming angry, most were
wonderful. Some reacted with genuine shows
of affection (“But I love you!” one said, as
she jumped from the chair to hug me). Some
were stunned, and needed several repetitions
of my news to absorb it. Some responded
with a kind of sober awe. Some patients
announced with confidence that they were
well enough to wait for me to recover to
resume treatment. My mentor was right:
many of those I thought would fall apart
were strong and brave. Only one patient
betrayed impatience and fear, but was
reassured by an alternative referral. And my
own reactions? I was genuinely touched and
impressed with the degree of compassion and
maturity my patients demonstrated, even
though it felt so odd to be on the receiving
end of their concern.
The next step involved transferring patients
to other therapists. I was blessed with
caring colleagues who came, pro bono, to
joint sessions that I arranged to facilitate
transfer. Because the patients had been
www.psychologists.bc.ca
bc psychologist
23
prepared by my individual session with
them, the focus of the transfer sessions was
to meet and share with the new therapist.
Their relief and mine was palpable, and
our partings were dignified by the warmth
and support of the incoming therapist.
The third final category was those
patients who were very close to a natural
termination, but had a few important
aspects of their protocols to complete. Most
of these were EMDR patients. I had several
concerns with my remaining patients.
Would they feel they needed to take care
of me, and hence not be forthcoming with
their issues? Would they “fly into health”
prematurely? Would they deem their own
issues to be insignificant against what they
knew of mine? Was I truly able to focus on
them, given the distress and preoccupation
that I was experiencing? With each case,
the best solution to these concerns was
the negotiation of a very clear treatment
plan and goals. Fortunately, EMDR has
a very structured protocol. But with all
patients, the clearer the plan from the onset
of therapy, the clearer the path towards
mature conclusion. The specificity of the
plan allowed both me and the patient to
hone in on the work that had to be done.
I was pleased and relieved to see that each
of my remaining patients was able to adopt
a focused approach to their remaining
therapy. I may have been aided in this by the
fact that I continued to feel well, and that I
had no side effects from my chemotherapy,
so that they were reassured by my apparent
health. Each one of the remaining patients
completed therapy with flying colours.
When the time came, I was able to embark
on my daily radiation treatments with a
clear conscience and a clear schedule.
The final challenge arose with regard to
former patients who wanted to do things
for me. Once the word of my illness spread
throughout my semi-rural community,
several patients contacted me to offer
me concrete help: lawn-mowing, food,
drives to medical appointments. How to
handle their kind, well-meaning offers
of tangible help? Would such help cross
24
bc psychologist
www.psychologists.bc.ca
important boundaries better left in place?
Would they be injured or hurt if I refused
their assistance? Would I deprive them of a
meaningful act of closure or respect? Once
I came home from a medical appointment
to find that my lawn had been mowed
by a former patient, who had left a note
explaining her good deed. For most of
these situations, I was able to suggest
alternative arms-length gestures that seemed
appropriate. If I could match these gestures
to a meaningful aspect of the patient’s
therapy with me, this seemed to satisfy all
requirements. For example, one of my PTSD
patients, who I had transferred to another
therapist, had identified “70s music” as a
resource and a “safe place” for himself during
his work with me. When he offered to drive
me to appointments, I asked him instead
if he would make me a CD of his favourite
70s music. “That way,” I told him, “when
we each listen to it, you can think of me
getting better, and I can think of you getting
better”. I accepted with grace all the gifts
I was given, especially the homemade “get
well” cards made by my child patients, and
thanked the donors with genuine gratitude.
How to summarize what I learned?
Although it is difficult to keep one’s
composure when surprised by cancer, there
are others out there who can assist you to do
so. Your professional association can help.
I learned again the importance of service
delivery and therapy planning, both before
and after a diagnosis of cancer threatens
that plan. I learned about the generosity of
colleagues. I learned about the importance of
frank and genuine interaction with patients
when both of us are humbled by fate and
the human condition. All of my experiences
underscored for me the beauty and value of
what we do as psychologists, and confirmed
for me that our work has been one of the
most proud purposes of my life. God willing,
I will return to that work someday. f
opinions
Crowd Psychology & the Stanley Cup Riot
as i sit to write this article
many opinions abound as to what
occurred on the night of june 15,
2011. chief among them seems to
be the idea that the mayhem was caused by
“criminals”, “thugs”, and “anarchists”. this
opinion was publicly stated by the premier of
the province, the Mayor of Vancouver, and
the Chief of Police.
Three days later by June 18, 2011, several
people had turned themselves in to the
police, some had gone “on line” and offered
an apology for their behaviour; and most
noteworthy was the identification of Nathan
Kotylak, an up and coming elite water polo
player. Criminals? Thugs? Anarchists?
I would venture to say that most of these
people were unknown to the police and
couldn’t even define the term ‘anarchism’.
This seems to run counter to the prevailing
opinion of who was responsible for all the
violence and destruction. What is going
on here? The events of June 15, 2011,
constitute a serious conflict that very
quickly degenerated into a violent tragedy.
I will attempt to explain several social
psychological principles that are critical in
the understanding of crowd behaviour.
Group Behaviours
We often use the behaviour of others to
guide our own. This is the Principle of
Social Proof (Cialdini, 1993), or imitative
effects. If a particular style of clothing is in
vogue, without fail a significant portion of
the public will adopt the style. The fashion
industry, for example, relies heavily upon
this principle of human behaviour. It knows
that we often use the preferences of others
as (social) proof that we should be doing
the same thing. This tendency to use other’s
behaviour as a standard for our own can
have tragic consequences, as it did on the
night of June 15, 2011.
The pressure we experience to conform,
or fit in with the crowd, is present during
demonstrations of public disorder. Ordinary,
well socialized individuals can become
violent, and/or law breaking, in response to
their perceptions of group norms that run
contrary to their own private preferences.
This seems incredulous, doesn’t it? Why
would a responsible, law-abiding person act
in such an irresponsible and illegal manner?
As presidential counsel John Dean III
testified during the Watergate trial, “To get
along, you go along”.
mike webster,
ed.d., r.psych.
Dr. Webster is a consulting
police psychologist in private
practice. He specializes in
crisis management and has
worked with the RCMP
for over thirty years.
You may remember Philip Zimbardo’s
famous prison role-play study (1982) that
took place in the basement of Stanford
University’s psychology department. A
group of normal young male psychology
students were randomly assigned roles
as either prisoners or guards. Both the
prisoners and the guards were provided with
impersonal uniforms. They were able to hide
behind their uniforms (including mirrored
sunglasses for the guards) and lose their
individuality, thus reducing their awareness
of both their public and private identities.
Six days into the experiment it had to be
terminated due to the excessive brutality of
the guards and the emotional effect their
behaviour was having on the prisoners.
The most interesting aspect of this aborted
study was that the effects were obtained
in a group of normal, well socialized
individuals participating in a simulated
situation. Their loss of personal identity
and reduced self awareness had dramatic
effects on their behaviour. In effect, the role
the guards had been assigned overrode their
www.psychologists.bc.ca
Disclaimer
The views expressed in the
“Opinions” section of this
publication are those
of the authors alone, and
they do not reflect the views
of the BC Psychologist, nor
of the BC Psychological
Association and its Board.
bc psychologist
25
personal characteristics. Moreover, in tests
of related dynamics it seems that social
conditions conducive to punitiveness have
more influence over aggressive behaviour
than individual characteristics (Larsen
et al., 1971).
Passive participants at large events like
the Stanley Cup gatherings, in downtown
Vancouver, can succumb to conformity
pressure and behave in ways that they
would normally not choose to. In addition,
there is a related consequence of lowered
self awareness on individual behaviour in
group situations. Behavioural contagion
(Wheeler, 1966) is a common disinhibiting
effect that can influence individuals into
engaging in behaviours that they previously
may have fantasized but never acted upon.
Some of those looting stores during the
Stanley Cup riot may have been motivated
by this effect. Individuals who have only
wished they had a new BlackBerry see
others looting an electronics store and
walking away, so they do the same.
The combination of the highly arousing
nature of the riot and their identification
with the group lead to deindividuation;
where individuals lose the sense of, or pay
less attention to, their own moral standards.
The chaos of the riot and the anonymity of
the crowd reduce individual self awareness
and minimizes fears of being caught.
The effects of deindividuation within a
group can specifically influence individual
aggressive behaviour.
A complete understanding of the previously
noted dynamic necessitates a review
of excitation transfer theory (Zillman,
1983). The gist of this theory states that,
however produced physiological arousal
dissipates slowly over time. Consequently,
as individuals move from situation to
situation a residue of that arousal may
persist. So during the Stanley Cup riot,
some of the arousal generated in individuals
early in the evening could still have been
present in them later in the evening. If they
now encounter even a minor annoyance,
or frustration, this could produce an
intensified emotional reaction; rage may
result rather than mild irritation.
These transfer effects are most likely to
Jason Antony/sxc.hu
26
bc psychologist
www.psychologists.bc.ca
occur under a couple of conditions. First,
they are more likely when people are
unaware of the residual arousal. This is not
uncommon as small elevations in arousal
are difficult to detect (Zillman, 1988).
Second, these transfer effects are more likely
to occur when we are aware of our arousal
and we attribute it to events occurring in the
immediate situation (Taylor et al., 1991). So
during the evening of June 15, 2011, some
of those present could have been carrying
residual arousal, generated earlier in the
evening, but attributed it to the events they
were witnessing and responded by joining in.
Deindividuation re-enters the equation at
this point. Excitation transfer effects are
most likely to occur when we deindividuate,
that is when we experience reduced self
awareness and reduced awareness of our
moral standards. And of course, individuals
are more likely to deindividuate when they
are an anonymous part of a large crowd.
At these times, participants may be less
aware of residual arousal and more likely
to attribute it to the external cues of their
present situation. The potential result
being an instance of excitation transfer and
increased aggression.
Finally, some ask if passive participants
outnumber active participants why don’t
they interfere when they see someone,
for example, damaging property. The
answer lies in the concept of diffusion of
responsibility. Observation and research
suggest that as the number of by-standers
increases, the diffused responsibility results
in a decrease in pro-social behaviour. This
bystander effect finds individuals in a
crowd waiting for someone else to make a
move. What is overlooked is that everyone
else is doing the same thing, creating an
example of pluralistic ignorance.
inherent in being a part of a large crowd.
In other words, those responsible for the
Stanley Cup riot of 2011 could include some
well socialized and responsible individuals.
As the public is not likely to accept the
banning of large gatherings (e.g. Celebration
of Light, Olympics, Stanley Cup), or the
substitution of bears for police dogs, what
are the police to do? The answer to this
question is really a topic for another article; I
will provide a brief opinion here.
The Vancouver Police Department did
a very good job with what they had.
The management of well over 100,000
people in the downtown core requires an
overwhelming police presence. (You need
“meet and greet” on the street and “hats
and bats” waiting nearby). The numbers
necessary to manage such a large crowd
will only come from a Regionalized Police
Service. It is much easier to stage and deploy
your own personnel than beg and borrow
from other police services. The Stanley
Cup riot of 2011 was yet another cry for
regionalized policing in the Lower Mainland
of British Columbia. f
References
Larsen, K.S., Coleman, D., Forges, J. & Johnson R. (1971). Is
the subject’s personality or the experimental situation a better
predictor of a subject’s willingness to administer shock to a
victim? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 22,
pp. 287-295.
Taylor, S.L., O’Neal, E.C., Langley, T. & Butcher, A.H. (1991).
Anger arousal, deindividuation, and aggression. Aggressive Behaviour, 17, 193-206.
Wheeler, L. (1966). Toward a theory of behavioural contagion.
Psychological Review, 73, 179-192.
Zillman, D. (1988). Cognition-excitation interdependencies in
aggressive behaviour. Aggressive Behaviour, 14, 51-64.
Zimbardo, P.G., Haney., Banko, W.C. & Jaffe, D. (1982). The
Psychology of Imprisonment. In J.D. Brigham & L. Wrightsman (Eds.), Contemporary Issues in Social Psychology
(4th ed., pp. 230-245) Monterey Ca: Brooks Cole.
Conclusion
It seems after a brief perusal of the pertinent
psychology that the threats to public order
and security, during large scale public
gatherings, come not only from a few
“criminals, thugs, and anarchists” but
also from the psychological vulnerabilities
www.psychologists.bc.ca
bc psychologist
27
BCPA Disaster Response Network
Disaster Psychosocial Services in British Columbia
BCPA is a member of APA’s Disaster Response Network. One key difference is that
while most DRN members in the states participate through affiliations with their local
Red Cross, BCPA’s DRN volunteers primarily serve through Disaster Psychosocial
Services (DSTRS) under the Ministry of Health.
The DSTRS Network is comprised of professional therapists/clinicians who are willing
to volunteer their time in the event of a disaster. The Network presently consists of
approximately 600 volunteers from the B.C. Association of Clinical Counsellors, the
B.C. Psychological Association and the B.C. Association of Social Workers. As these
three professional associations are provincially based it is possible to provide local,
community-based psychosocial support when the need arises.
The psychosocial services that DSTRS and BCPA DRN members may provide include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Coordination of Disaster Behavioural Health Volunteers
Collaborative Assessment of Community Needs
Psychological First Aid
Brief Assessment
One-to-One Support
Brief Crisis Counselling
Crisis Line Response
Psycho-educational Interventions
Development/ Distribution of Materials
Worker Care
Consultation
Group Presentations
Psychosocial response involves a range of supportive services with those who are
affected by an emergency or disaster, including the promotion of individual, family
and community resiliency. These various services are used to help diminish long term
psycho-social effects, to clarify the current situation, and to improve adaptive coping
strategies.
If you are interested in participating or finding out more
about BCPA’s Disaster Response Network, please contact us
at [email protected] or 604-730-0501.
HELP US HELP THOSE IN NEED
opinions
Do You Really Need an Ad Agency?
Get what you want without paying for their fancy lattes
Arjun Kartha/sxc.hu
even print
is not “the man”
anymore when it
comes to ad dollars
and marketing
outcomes
after having spent two years as communications officer for the bc
psychological association, i would like to give you my two cents
regarding the perennial search of the silver bullet, that is
the advertising agency that will miraculously solve all of our outreach headaches, and that
will have the stroke of genius of instilling the subliminal desire of seeing a psychologist in
the public’s subconscious.
Just kidding… the message I would really like to send is a simple one: no advertising guru
can cause a sudden change in public awareness, nor can a super-expensive flash campaign
achieve this. Causing a change in public awareness takes time and constant effort more than
it takes money and, because of this, it requires two things: qualified staff and, maybe most
importantly, fully-formed, simple, clearly enunciated, and measureable objectives.
GIOVANNA DI SAURO
Giovanna is the
Communications Officer
& Advertising Liaison
for the BC Psychological
Association. You can find
out more about her at
www.gdisauro.com.
Additionally, something needs to be made exceptionally clear: the future of ad campaigns
does not lie in traditional media, but in the non-traditional sphere of social media. Let’s
crunch some numbers. While this is not the case for psychologists (who are mostly boomers),
the median age of the Canadian population is 39.5; simply put, this means that millions of
Canadians are not buying newspapers anymore, but logging into Facebook multiple times a
day. You might not be doing this, but many of members of our audience are. Surely enough,
www.psychologists.bc.ca
bc psychologist
29
outsmart
them, don’t
outspend them
— Terry O’Reilly
The Age of
Persuasion
about 83% of Canadians watch TV, but you need to consider both the costs of advertsing
on TV and their engagement level. A well-run Facebook campaign that reaches an engaged
audience costs about zero dollars, while advertising in the Shaw TV listings channel (the
one nobody watches) for three weeks costs about $50,000. Keep in mind that a successful
campaign may run in excess of $100,000.
Research shows that four out of five online Canadians use social media. And given
that two thirds of Canadians in 2005 were already surfing the web, we can deduce
that social media safely reach about 60% of the population. Unlike TV viewers, social
media consumers are highly engaged and can be targeted more effectively. Members
of our audience could skip TV advertising using PVRs, but they will visit and interact
with a Facebook page “liked” by their friends; additionally, they may actively promote it
to other networks.
Now ask yourself this question: would you pay $50,000 for insufficient TV advertising, or
about $0 to reach millions of Canadians who willingly log into their social media accounts
every day? Keeping in mind that BCPA is a very small non-profit organization with a tiny
budget, the second option is quite obviously best suited to our means. If that is the case, BCPA
should plan a full-blown, long-term social media campaign to promote public awareness , and
the benefits of increased access to psychologists.
To do that, we can either pay dedicated staff (which we already have), or hire an agency. Before
making a decision, let’s ask ourselves these questions:
hat do we think hiring an agency will achieve?
W
W hat skills are we looking for? Do we already have them in-house?
Here is some useful information to consider while formulating the answers to those questions:
An advertising agency cannot tell us what we want. Only we can determine that.
Advertising will increase awareness of psychology/psychologists, but it will not increase our
returns if there are major barriers to access (e.g. if people cannot afford these services).
BCPA staff is highly trained and qualified for their positions, and all BCPA hires have
university degrees; incoming staff is also trained by their predecessors. Additionally, unlike
an ad agency, staff members have a vested interest in seeing your campaign succeed, and
they do not have multiple clients competing for their time and attention.
We need to review the current strategic plan of the Association, take another look at our
finances by re-reading last year’s annual report, and come up with some measureable
objectives: what exactly do we want people to know about and think of us? If we cannot
formulate some good answers to these questions, but still decide to venture into advertising
without any measurable action items, we will risk wasting a lot of money without achieving
much — money which could eventually be used on a well thought-out campaign.
Disclaimer
The views expressed in the
“Opinions” section of this
publication are those
of the authors alone, and
they do not reflect the views
of the BC Psychologist, nor
of the BC Psychological
Association and its Board.
30
bc psychologist
It is time for all psychologists in this beautiful province to join BCPA, become active
members of our committees, and seriously get involved. Paying membership fees can fund
the BCPA office, but this is just the beginning. f
For some marketing wisdom & more information
Terry O’Reilly & Mark Tennant (2009) The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our
Culture. Knopf Canada.
BCPA’s current strategic plan: http://is.gd/BkQqPE
Last year’s annual report: http://is.gd/mkOL9O
www.psychologists.bc.ca
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community & psychology
PHWA Committee Accepting
Nominations for 2012 PHW Awards
psychologically healthy organizations demonstrate greater
resiliency and benefit from reduced operating costs, less lost time,
improved productivity and stronger customer/client relations.
The British Columbia Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards Committee, a standing
committee of the British Columbia Psychological Association, is acknowledging and awarding
organizations that recognize and excel in ensuring a healthy workplace for their employees with
the 2012 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards. The award is open to all BC companies
that demonstrate excellence in the following five criteria for a psychologically healthy workplace:
Employee Involvement; Work- Life Balance; Employee Recognition; Employee Growth and
Development; and Health and Safety. The deadline for nominations is October 14th, 2011.
Winners will be recognized at an awards event on February 16th, 2012.
more on the web
This is a press release
recently ditrsibuted to the
media through the CNW
Group newswire. All of
our press releases are
available through the CNW
website, as well as through
our website under News &
Events > Press Releases.
The impact of the downturn in the economy has affected all sectors in British Columbia.
However, research shows that engaged, satisfied and involved employees help companies improve
their bottom line and thrive, even in difficult times. As Barry Forbes, President and CEO of
Westminster Savings Credit Union noted: “We recognize the vital link between the well-being
of our employees and the success of our credit union. Westminster Savings’ track record of low
turnover and strong organizational performance demonstrates the positive benefits of investing
in programs that promote a psychologically healthy workplace.” Westminster Savings Credit
Union was a 2007 and 2009 winner of the BC Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards and
went on to be recognized at the international awards event in Washington, DC.
The Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award was founded by the American Psychological
Association in 1999, brought to Canada in 2004, and last awarded in 2009. British Columbia
was the first province to offer this award in Canada. Today, 52 states, provinces and territories
across Canada and the United States participate in the award. For an application or more
information on the awards, interested organizations can go to www.phwa.ca. Additional
information is available by contacting the Committee Chair, Dr Joti Samra, by emailing
[email protected]. f
Complement HealtHCare, a multidisciplinary clinic
located within the West Vancouver Community Centre, is seeking
a psychologist to join our team of practitioners that includes Chiropractors, Naturopaths, Massage Therapists, a Dietitian, Psychologists and a Counsellor. We currently have availability for Thursdays
or Fridays in a full-service office in a great
location. For more information, please
email [email protected].
www.complementhealthcare.com
www.psychologists.bc.ca
bc psychologist
33
About the Presenter
q
I will attend Dr. Ballard’s workshop
David W. Ballard, PsyD, MBA, currently serves as Assistant Executive Director for
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Connected: Effective and Ethical Marketing
Strategies for Psychologists
Marketing and Business Development at the American Psychological Association
and the APA Practice Organization. In this capacity, he designs and directs
Name:
efforts related to health and well-being in the workplace, works to enhance
psychology’s position in the marketplace, provides research and development
Address:
and strategic consultation to further the Practice Directorate’s marketplace
agenda, and oversees the development of resources to help psychologists build,
manage, market, and diversify their practices. Dr. Ballard also spearheads the
City:
Psychologically Healthy Workplace Program.
Postal Code:
Learning Objectives
Phone:
•
Identify emerging needs and challenges by conducting internal and external
environmental analyses
•
Apply marketing and communication strategies that are effective, yet ethically
Email:
and professionally appropriate
•
Explain how the appropriate use of web-based communication technologies
can benefit psychologists, the profession and the general public
•
Explore the clinical, legal and ethical issues that may arise when psychologists
use social media technologies and describe risk management strategies
•
Identify communication channels and techniques to fit their client population
and professional activities
•
Create an action plan for starting to apply new marketing and communication
strategies to their professional activities
About the Workshop
This session will focus on current market trends and the practical, concrete
Early bird registration (June 14 - July 31, 2011)
q
q
Regular price
$263.20 (incl. HST)
BCPA Members and Affiliates
$184.80 (incl. HST)
Regular registration (August 1 - September 16, 2011)
q
q
Regular price
$288.96 (incl. HST)
BCPA Members and Affiliates
$210.56 (incl. HST)
Meal requirements
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q
q
Regular meal
Vegetarian meal
Special needs or allergies (please include details below)
skills psychologists need to reach potential clients and connect with referral
sources who could benefit from psychological services. Participants will learn
how to use basic marketing principles and techniques to build relationships,
communicate relevant information that can facilitate effective healthcare
decision-making, develop new services to meet emerging community
GST/HST # 899967350. All prices in CDN funds.
needs, and make the best use of resources to remain viable in the evolving
Mail this form to 204-1909 West Broadway, Vancouver BC
marketplace. Special attention will be given to multi-channel communication
V6J 1Z3; include a cheque for the right amont, not post-
and how practicing psychologists can use websites, social media, and other
dated, and made out to BCPA. Please register online at www.
electronic tools to create a win-win-win scenario, benefiting psychologists, the
psychologists.bc.ca if you prefer using a credit card.
profession, and the general public. Dr. Ballard will provide specific examples of
The workshop fees listed above includes printed handouts,
how practitioners can use social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook,
morning & afternoon coffee, and lunch. All participant
and Twitter, the opportunities and challenges these technologies present, and
information is protected under the Personal Information Act.
that may arise.
Friday September 23, 2011 in Vancouver, BC. Six CE credits.
Cancellation policy: cancellations must be received in writing by September 12,
2011. A 20% administration fee will be deducted from all refunds. No refunds will
be given after September 12, 2011.

risk management strategies for addressing clinical, legal, and ethical issues
in this world
there’s two
kinds of people,
my friend:
Those with blogs,
and those who dig.
You dig.
stop diggin’.
fill in that form.
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