This conference will expand upon the Inaugural Canadian Counselling Psychology Conference held in Montreal, QC in 2010. This event included a strong focus on community engagement, helping us improve the manner in which we may want to reach out to the different groups that we work with. The CCPC aimed to unite counselling psychologists across various disciplines and settings. It centered on areas of interest and concern that are currently impacting different members within our profession. Dr. Miller’s presentation was well received – Post-Secondary Systems and Student Success: Trending Discourses as seen from a University Counselling Practice
ABSTRACT
This paper focuses on trends impacting emergent adults within a post-secondary context. Drawing from twenty years of experience as a counselling psychologist within a university setting, this paper outlines three pervasive areas of discourse impacting this population. The realm of health as been dominated by a mental health discourse although shifts towards a more holistic model are underway. Identity conversations have become increasingly fluid, broad and multifaceted, including exploration intersectionalities, borderlands, spirituality, and language. Conversations about student engagement and its link with academic success include discourses on the characteristics of the student and institutional obligation for outreach and integration. Developments in each of these domains challenge the status quo and invite consideration when working with this dynamic, heterogeneous population of emerging adults.
