The issue of forgiveness is big in the counselling business. To say that some of our clients have been a little hurt is like saying the pope is a little Catholic. There are times when an important part of what I do is bear witness as a human being to the horrors of another…to allow …
R E S P E C T
Aretha Franklin spelled these letters in a song that most of us can hear in our heads just as we spell the letters ourselves. While these words are often associated with deference given to authority, or something you have to provide to those who are older, wiser, stronger, or more intimidating, I think of respect …
TeamWork
I watched a video this morning during a workshop I was attending that was about leadership and group/team development…the video followed a pair of runners during the race. One of the fellows was clearly blind. The other was sighted. Both were clearly trained and seasoned runners. They ran a race…not a road race, but a …
Easy Does It
During the recent cold snap, my garage door started acting up. It responded with even less consistency than usual. To get in, we punch in a 4 digit code to get the door to automatically open. When it is cold, it often takes two or three tries. When it is really really cold (as it …
Whew–family gatherings are over
While many people enjoy the relaxed pace over Christmas, with the chance to go sledding, watch movies, play games, sleep, and generally take a break from the race of the weekly grind, others did not find it as pleasant. Why? Well, for the same reasons why some long distance truck drivers choose to do long …
Forgiveness
Is Michael McCain married? His wife is a lucky woman. This is the Michael McCain who is responsible for Maple Leaf foods, the company that recently was the focus of media attention for people eating bad meat with huge consequences. I was listening to yet another one of the endless round of year end programs …
Look for the hidden
I was driving along yesterday listening to CBC when I heard an interview with Don Cherry…the outspoken commentator on Hockey Night in Canada. The guy says what he thinks, and isn’t always very tactful about it. I suppose that’s his shtick…he is so brazen in his comments that he really gets a reaction out of …
Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic
Prorogue…did any of us know what that word meant 2 weeks ago? The government will apparently spend the next several weeks in limbo, as all the politicians stick out their chests and proclaim themselves most capable of leading, and point their fingers at the opposition and criticize. Weeks of huff-puffery where politicians are all spending …
Are ya listening??
David Martin, in his book, Counselling and Therapy Skills, says that evocative empathy is the, “communicated understanding of the other person’s intended message, especially the experiential part”. That is such a loaded definition… Empathy that evokes a response in the other needs to not only be felt by the listener, but then communicated to the …