CLINICAL CONSULTATION FOR THERAPISTS

VALERIE SPIRONELLO

Clinical Consultation for Therapists

(Click here or on image below to view PDF version)

Andrea Liss, MSW, RSW 

After completing high school in Orillia, Ontario, Andrea received her Piano Performer Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto in 1988.  Andrea graduated with a B.A. in modern languages and literature from the University of Toronto in 1992, worked for several years, then decided to return to U of T to pursue training in psychology.  While studying psychology part-time, she worked as a research assistant for Dr. Martin Antony at the then Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, eventually moving to Hamilton in 1999 to continue her training in cognitive behaviour therapy at the Anxiety Treatment and Research Centre, St. Joseph’s Healthcare.  Andrea received her Master’s Degree in Social Work in 2003 from Wilfrid Laurier University.   

Andrea worked for five years at the Centre for Student Development, McMaster University.  Currently, she is on the Mental Health Team at McMaster Family Practice, where she maintains a clinical case load as well as supervises residents.  Andrea holds teaching appointments with McMaster University in both the Department of Family Medicine and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences. 

Trieneke Niemeyer

Trieneke (pronounced Trinekah) is a graduate of McMaster University with both a BA in Religious Studies and a BSW. She graduated from the University of British Columbia with an MSW in family therapy and group studies. She has 15 years experience in outpatient mental health. Additionally, she spent 14 years with the Hamilton Family Health Team as Mental Health Therapist. Her current roles include Mental Health Coordinator with the Upper Grand Family Health Team and Mental Health Therapist with McMaster Family Practice. She has had many experiences supervising advanced level students seeking an MSW or an MA in mental health counselling or in counselling psychology. Lastly, she is Assistant Professor (Part time) in the Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University where she teaches family practice residents Behavioural Sciences (the psychiatric rotation for family practice residents).

Philosophy and Approach to Consultation

Therapists must be able to deal with a wide set of issues that their clients present with. Additionally, when people seek therapy there are often complicated issues for which they seek help. By undertaking clinical consultation, therapists are expressing that they have a wish to be as helpful to their clients as they can be. As in all human relationships, the nature of the therapeutic relationship is complex. Within the therapeutic encounter many unconscious transactions take place that we cannot always track in the here and now. This may hinder the clear formulation of the client’s needs and we may then miss the rich nuances that allow us to reflect accurately the client’s struggles. We believe that clinical consultation helps us to ‘see’ the problem outside ourselves as well as to benefit from the differing perspectives group members bring. It encourages us to broaden what we can offer to our clients and incorporate new skills into our practice. Clinical consultation also gives us a place to inspect and evaluate our ‘blind spots’ or to review our own unresolved issues by exploring transference and counter-transference emotions.

What to Expect

We see seminar members being active in demonstrating their work- to bring a therapeutic question they would like help with to each seminar. Each member will have equal access to feedback from both the consultants and the participants so that no one person will dominate the discussion. We will be clear if we think that a proposed or current intervention will be/not be helpful. We will also teach particular interventions at the request of members and with consensus. As all groups have a process, how the group is evolving within the seminar will be addressed, as this can be a rich learning experience. Observations about group process, may, at other times, move the group into a more helpful direction. Feedback will be solicited and given at each seminar so that each meeting can be as informative, instructional and supportive to your work as possible. Organizational challenges will be dealt with, within the context of collaboration and cooperation, and with an understanding of when and how they may present roadblocks to your work.

Standards of Clinical Practice

Clinical consultation, life long learning, and professional competency are supported by the College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and no doubt, other licensing bodies. The following is a summary of relevant Standards of Practice articles (in OCSWSSW) :

College Members assist in the enhancement of client functioning and strengthen the capacity of clients to adapt and make changes. (article 1.1.1). College members are committed to ongoing professional development and maintaining competence in their practice. As such members are responsible for being aware of the extent and parameters of their competence…and he or she ensures that the services he or she provides are competently provided by seeking additional consultation/consultation and/or education (article 2.1.1.i). Members demonstrate their commitment to ongoing professional development by engaging in any continuing education…(article 2.1.2) and as part of maintaining competence…members engage in the process of self review and evaluation of their practice and seek consultation…(article 2.1.5).

Self Guided Professional Competency Program via the OCSWSSW
The OCSWSSW supports ongoing consultation. These seminars may be counted towards the competency requirements for Social Workers. These seminars may also meet similar professional competency requirements for clinicians in other professional colleges.

If You Have Any Questions

Please call us: Trieneke Niemeyer 519 843 3947 x 103 (Guelph) or Andrea Liss 905 525 0810 mailbox 2 (Hamilton).

[CALL BACK FORM]