Meeting for name change decisions in Georgetown - Pastoral Counselling

Well I had another opportunity to get out of the city and was transported there along with three other colleagues, one being my mentor and previous professor. We shared the gas money and after our meeting went out to lunch in a fifties type restaurant. It was going back into time in all sense of the word. The town is small and cute and the hospital is small and cute, built like a maze to confuse patients so they can't escape. I have some big decisions I am going to make in the next several or perhaps more years. I will decide if I am going to move away from Toronto and where that will be. I will decide which Associations I am going keep or belong to. Presently I am a Registered Psychotherapist, a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist and a Specialist Pastoral Counsellor. I have to pay to belong to each, I must meet the qualifications, education, and ethics requirements of each, but the most important consideration is the cost. The American Association of Familty Therapy will remain the same, with its divisions. That means I do not have to decide if I will let go the Ontario branch and keep the American or vice versa. I voted for this to remain the same and it appears that I was part of a majority of therapists who thought the same. The College of Psychotherapy is a no brainer. That is a requirement to practice in my province. The college regulates us and protects the public. That is my priority. With members of the Ontario branch of Family therapy I meet up with and am kept up to date with changes, education, conferences, peer reviews. They are working hard now to work for us by letting the public know the validity and importance of Couple and Marriage Family. I had already decided to keep them regardless of the vote with the hope of restructuring for the powers to be, due to concerns of money. With Pastoral Counselling, I think they have a wonderful education system, but aside from being on their web site, I am giving much more than I am getting. I have been asked once again to assist for advancement review of a student. I have been asked to be part of the advocacy committee and of course I did accept all requests. Why do I accept? Because we only have 45 Pastoral Counselling Specialists in all of Canada from various religious denominations. I never received any type of assistance for schooling. I was informed by one student that I was too honest. No, I do not live on tuna. I eat well and always have. My dad taught me that. I do not intend to lie to get any bursaries, scholarships etc... I received assistance from the University of Toronto, Masters program, and just recently gave them a tiny (very very tiny) cheque for others. York University also provided me with a scholarship for academic achievement one year and I never paid to go to school there. There were some that thought I should not have accepted the scholarship money. What I say now is too bad, so sad. I earned it by studying so hard and holding a full time career. So, the great strain because I was somehow doing three programs at the same time was Pastoral Counselling Education. I learned very much. There is money and students do get assistance but I am weighing everything myself as I have to decide what I am going to keep. Most of my peers work in hospitals; a few working from a hospital and private practice, others in prisons. I do not work in a hospital. They have just begun having an occasional dinner which I admit I have not been to because of seeing clients etc. I would never not see clients because of a social dinner during the week. That is the problem, it is during the weekday evenings. In a hospital there are regular hours even if it is shift work. I have clients who need to see me during the evenings or Saturdays because they are working so it is not practical for me to take time off during the week. Education in Toronto is retricted to a day here or there. Mind you the discussions are important, the education is important. So yesterday was the first day this year that I met my peers and many I saw for the first time in a few years. They do not all belong to my other associations. Many in the program are ministers from different religions or instructors. The morning was interesting and we were discussing the scope of our practice. There was debate on individual names, concepts, etc...It was interesting because I saw how many variations of thought there are for what we do. We have different concepts but deep down we have one main determination and that being what is best for our clients/patients. We disected words, phrases and objectives. Some were more passionate than others. Some were mainly observers. I have the gift for gab so never mince my words. The hospital setting was very warm feeling which is unusual. Perhaps it was because it is so small. I have to admit I am scared of small town hospitals. I was bit by a dog once in a town and when I went to emerg the duty physicians gave me meds that was ineffective because he did not give me the proper amount. Once my finger began to swell, I went into a walk in clinic here at home to save time, and the physician was furious. He wanted to know who the doctor had been. I certainly couldn't remember his name, but after that I became frightened of small towns when it came to medicine. I know we have great hospitals here at home. During one quick break, I put up my business cards on a board. Who knows I may get a call. It was nice having lunch together. More important it was nice connecting with mentor and previous fellow students. I had missed them all. I am glad that they are each doing well either at a hospital and a few through the educator/supervisor arena. If I move from Toronto to Niagara I will no longer be with this group. There is another division. So, did I decide? No I have not. Spirituality is important. However, my Masters in Ministry and Spirituality can never be taken away. It has grounded me. I have learned more about my own spirituality. I have learned about the various philosophies. I have learned about different religions. I have learned about ethics when it comes to difficult decisions. My Masters, and studying from the Jesuits was like going home. I do not impose spirituality or religion or even my own ethics. I try to provide a safe place for clients and to help them with what they want to achieve, not what I want them to achieve. I feel that to truly help people I need to understand all of them and that includes their spirituality. So, have I decided if I am going to give something up and to move where I can afford a home office and a pool? No, not yet. I need to think carefully before I make big decisions. I need to think how my decisions impact me, my lifestyle, my professional development, my family and my friends. I am fortunate that I have an occupation where I can go anywhere here in Canada and the States to practice. I am fortunate to be able to do what I love. There is no better feeling for me than when someone feels better after working so hard in therapy. Therapy is hard work. It is difficult for people to really look at themselves objectively. It takes time and it takes patience. So, by writing this today, I hope it helps you to examine how you make decisions? Do you make plans? Are you spontanious? How do you prioritize? May I suggest something like this: Write something you are thinking about and have not decided. In my case it was shall I move? First you need to think where you want to move to. Write down where that is. It may be a transfer. Draw up some lines of pros and cons. How will it effect your partner? How will it effect your family, children etc....Maybe it is a big promotion that requires you to go to another country? Would you have a better life style? If this is a decision that effects more than you, perhaps you can have a family plan to decide the pros and cons from everyone's perspective? What do you think? Oh by the way I got a Zero score for views at my web site, www.silva.redigonda.com. Books I can write anywhere in the world unless I am being shot at, that is, and those countries I avoid with a passion. I also avoid countries where women are not appreciated for our wit, intelligence and humour. So that is a no brainer decision of where to live or not. Have a nice week. Think about those decisions you have to eventually make. Why not start a chart today with what you want? What do you think?