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GlenoraRP

Building Resilience in Children of Divorce

By Separation and Divorce

Stephen Carter, Ph.D., C.Psych. Carol Chandler, M.Ed., C.Psych. Leonard L. Stewin, Ph.D., C.Psych. March 20, 2002 Presented at the inaugural meeting of the Alberta Roundtable on Family Law Helping Children and Their Families   Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even significant sources of stress – such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. It means “bouncing back” from difficult experiences. (American Psychological Association, 2002)   The Concept of Resilience According to the American Psychological Association (2002) resilience is an ordinary characteristic of individuals, not an extraordinary one. Resilient children are those who do not develop psychological symptoms and mental health problems when faced with stress (Pearce & Pezzot-Pearce, 1997). Many factors are seen to contribute to individual resilience that are both inherent to the child and come from their social support network/environment. Parents…

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Workplace Harassment

By Workplace

Employees are entitled to work in an environment that is free of discrimination, offensive behavior and harassment. While organizations endeavor to provide an environment that supports the achievement of corporate goals, they also recognize each employee’s right to be treated with fairness and dignity. Many organizations publish clear policy statements regarding harassment in the workplace and have well-established procedures for dealing with complaints. Workplace harassment is usually defined as any improper behavior by an employee that is directed at or is offensive to another employee or endangers an employee’s job, undermines the performance of the employee, or threatens the economic livelihood of the employee. Harassment also includes any behavior that demeans, belittles, or causes personal humiliation or embarrassment to the employee. All forms of employment related discrimination that are prohibited by the Canadian Human Rights Act may also be considered as types of harassment, i.e. harassment based on race, national or…

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Is Your Psychological Portfolio Ready for Retirement?

By Workplace

A successful retirement takes more than just enough money. You will likely live a long time after you retire and the most important factor of your retirement is going to be the quality of your life during all of those years. Not only will you need sufficient financial resources to sustain a lifestyle that support your needs and interests, you will also want to be healthy, happy, and engaged in life. Most people look forward to the time when they can leave the structure, responsibility, and demands of their daily work and enjoy the freedom of being able to do what they want to do, when they want to do it. Retirement seems as simple as setting a timeline, quitting work, and receiving your pension. If you want to enjoy the last third of your life, you have to do more than just financially plan for retirement. And this planning…

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Gossip in the Workplace

By Workplace

Most people view gossip as a necessary evil and immediately think of the local busybody who spends most of his/her time spreading half-truths or whispering nasty little tidbits into someone’s ear. While gossip does have its ugly and malicious side, it is much more than that. Gossip is a normal, necessary, and healthy activity and is a vital thread in the fabric of our social world. If you don’t believe this, pay attention to your communications for a day and notice how often you talk about and share personal information about yourself and others with the people you encounter. Notice the popular programs on TV; whether the programs are about movie stars, situational comedies or dramas, or “reality” shows, the focus is on human relationships and interactions. Electronic news programs and newspapers tell us about what is happening among our fellow human beings in our community and in the world….

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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Dealing With Conflict in the Workplace

By Workplace

Many people work in very complex, demanding, and fast-paced work environments. An employee’s work is frequently conducted in relatively confined spaces with several coworkers, and with competing demands from employers, various stakeholders, and the general public. The intricate nature of a work environment can be invigorating and can inspire employees to creatively meet the challenges of their job. On the other hand, many complex work environments can also be susceptible to the damaging effects of workplace conflict. The Potential Costs of Conflict The lack of willingness and/or the inability to effectively manage conflict in the workplace has a detrimental impact on business owners, government organizations, and employees. Unresolved or destructive conflict can cost employers in terms of productivity, sick leave, long-term disability claims, employee resourcefulness, and employee turnover. Most people find conflict difficult to deal with and experience great distress when they are exposed to or involved in conflict with…

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Generational Diversity in the Workplace

By Workplace

Psychology has long studied “ages and stages” we all go through during our lifespan, although social psychologists are now finding interesting differences between the generations. Differences between different “eras” of workers can lead to differing work and managerial styles, as well as to conflict in the workplace. Keeping in mind that any study of ages/stages or group characteristics speak in general terms, and exceptions are the norm. The following chart illustrates some key differences in work ethics and values within the work place: Traditionalists 1925-1945 Baby boomers 1946-1960 Generation X 1961-1980 Millennials 1981 – present PracticalPatient, loyal, and hardworking Respectful of authority Rule followers OptimisticTeamwork and cooperation Ambitious Workaholic ScepticalSelf-reliant Risk-taking Balances work and personal life HopefulMeaningful work Diversity and change valued Technology savvy   Each generation is influenced by the social, political and economic times in which they are raised. Examining the above chart shows each generation has positive…

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Workplace Bullying: Causes, Costs and Correction

By Workplace

Dr. Stephen Carter, R.Psych. Dr. Shirley Vandersteen, R.Psych. Definition: Workplace bullying is a form of violence in the corporate world. While workplace bullying rarely involves acts of physical aggression, the most extreme form can result in serious physical injury or death. Most adults know that it is a criminal act to physically assault another person so the majority of office bullies use non-physical means to threaten or intimidate subordinates or co-workers. Corporate bullies primarily engage in psychological violence. Workplace bullying is defined as “interpersonal hostility that is deliberate, repeated and sufficiently severe as to harm the targeted person’s health or economic status” (Gary Namie, 2003). Bullying includes those physical and emotional behaviours that are aggressive, often intentional, controlling, and hurtful. These behaviours include verbal or non-verbal forms of communication, deliberate acts of character assassination or sabotage, or other strategic acts of covert or overt hostility. Bullying creates a climate of…

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Why Do So Many Relationships Fall Apart?

By Relationships

Building and maintaining satisfying relationships is one of the hardest things we do in life. Strong and healthy relationships require dedicated effort, a willingness to learn some essential skills and attitudes, and an ability to change and grow over time. Too many relationships fall apart because people take them for granted and don’t pay attention to them. Once the initial courtship is over and the relationship is secured, it is too easy to fall into a routine with your partner and focus on other aspects of life. Many relationships fall apart because people simply do not understand what it takes to keep a relationship working for both partners. A relationship is a living thing and like any other living thing, it must be tended to, nurtured, and provided with the essential ingredients for survival. Tending to a relationship means that you notice when there is a problem and then you…

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The Value of Friendship

By Relationships

Good friends are vitally important to your mental health and to the quality of your life. To live and to love are inseparable from each other. Friendship is an opportunity to love, to learn about yourself, to mature as a human being, and to open up to the full experience of life. To seek true friendship, you must have the courage to risk all that you are. You must have the courage to walk through your fear of emotional intimacy and let another person know who you really are on the inside. On a very practical level, you must be willing to invest the necessary time and effort to develop, nourish, and maintain the bonds of a strong relationship. Here is what you have to do if you want to turn an aquaintance into a friend and a friend into a close friend. The eight key qualities you must demonstrate…

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Think Before You Speak

By Relationships

Speaking before you think is a bad habit that can get you into trouble and hurt you in the most important areas of your life. Relationships will suffer or end, your career will be stalled at a level far below your talents, and most importantly, you will have little confidence in yourself. Your speech shapes your life. Time and again you find yourself in situations where the outcome depends on what you say and how you say it. Your words are a reflection of who you are. If your words are getting you into trouble, you’re showing others the very worst parts of you. You’re presenting yourself as being thoughtless, careless or just plain hurtful. Not only do your words create a positive or negative reaction in the world around you; your speech influences your thinking and can alter the course of your future. Your words are a way of…

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