Unique Pedagogical Approach
At the Ontario Psychotherapy and Counselling College (OPCC), we foster an ethos of openness, integration, and vibrant educational spirit.
Our faculty recognizes that emotional, spiritual, intellectual, and psychological energies propel the learning journey for both students and mentors. We firmly believe that individuals who feel called to become psychological healers already possess the inherent ingredients necessary for this vocation. Through heightened awareness, understanding, and skill development, students become more adept at addressing their clients’ needs and enhancing their effectiveness in practice.
Students choose OPCC to engage in the ongoing therapeutic dialogues essential for achieving inner and outer equilibrium for themselves and their clients. We emphasize “ongoing” because we understand that learning about therapeutic communication and refining the therapeutic process is a lifelong endeavor extending far beyond the confines of our program. As both faculty and students continuously acquire new insights, OPCC evolves and adapts. Through client-therapist relationships, learner-teacher dynamics, and group processes, we expand our capacities through reciprocal influence, reflections, and insights. These are further explored within reflective writing, learning groups, and supervision sessions.
OPCC embodies an educational spirit that encourages harnessing the unique wisdom and intuition inherent in each individual
We refer to our students as Associates to underscore our shared belonging to a collective community, wherein we are all interconnected. Our common objective is the promotion of increased health and healing within our clients, communities, the planet, and ourselves. While some students may have already engaged in personal therapy before joining OPCC, all students are required to prioritize their personal growth and engage with a psychotherapist throughout the program.
OPCC students focus on ongoing understanding and healing of their inner and outer worlds through the exploration of new ideas, theoretical understandings, self-reflection, and respectful sharing within the OPCC community. Through this process, wounded feelings can be transmuted into strengths, and knowledge can be translated into practice. This transformative experience serves as a model for working with future clients. Various techniques, modalities, and study areas are explored within the program to serve as helpful tools in guiding the therapeutic and healing process.
We believe in the potential and courage inherent in deep exploration, recognizing that it often necessitates openness and hope until new knowledge is assimilated. By dismantling barriers to learning, we unleash new psychological strengths, insights, and knowledge, thereby unlocking our human potential through innovative pathways. Grounded in the understanding that our body, mind, heart, and spirit are interconnected, we advocate for “embodied learning from the inside out.” As internal blocks are dissolved, intuition awakens, fostering new coping mechanisms and avenues for growth. With intuition and knowledge becoming increasingly accessible, space emerges for further development and creative exploration.
The faculty and supervisors of OPCC collaborate with students as their unique intellectual, spiritual, emotional, and creative selves unfold. We adhere to the belief that all relationships within OPCC are inherently co-creative, forming the cornerstone of reflective, appreciative, scholarly, and shared inquiry within the College and its various learning approaches.