Show Notes

Kayla: Welcome back to the Designer Practice Podcast, and I’m your host, Kayla Das.

Has trying to fit professional development into your life ever felt like a challenge? Maybe you want to learn a new therapeutic technique or modality, but you just don’t seem to have the time to fit it in.

Or maybe the clock is ticking on getting your end of the year continuing education credits completed, but you just don’t know where to find the time.

Well, in today’s episode, Charity Lui, Registered Clinical Social Worker and private practitioner, will discuss how to prioritize professional development to fit your busy life.

Hi, Charity. Welcome to the show.

Charity: Thank you, Kayla.

Kayla: It’s great to have you back here again. For listeners who haven’t heard your last episode, Charity, you were here about two weeks ago to discuss how to recognize stuckness in clients who have experienced trauma, which was episode 95. So, if you didn’t get a chance to listen to it, head back and listen to that episode.

So, Charity, for anyone who hasn’t heard your introduction before, please introduce yourself, where you’re from, and tell us a little bit about your own practice journey.

Charity: So, I’m a registered clinical social worker and mental health therapist. I have my own practice, Calm River Therapy. And I live in Edmonton. So, when I think about my journey into private practice, it really starts as my journey into social work. And so I thought I would just quickly touch on that a little bit.

So, I’m from Winnipeg, Manitoba and had the opportunity to go to university later in life. I graduated with my bachelor degree in 2006 and had the opportunity to work with a lot of different kinds of clients, a lot of different situations. And I think that has really helped me in terms of relating to people and even my own journey and deciding what I’m really passionate about.

So, I moved to Edmonton and worked here, in non-profit, working with newcomers, and just found that there weren’t as many opportunities here for me as there were in Winnipeg. And so, then I had the opportunity to go back to school, and I took the clinical MSW program.

And it’s really interesting the ways that life comes together, just as I had started that program, a job advertisement came out with the Alberta College of Social Workers for a very specific niche kind of position. And I looked at that and I was like, wow, this looks really interesting. And I decided to put my name in. And in the end did end up getting the job. And so, I did finish my MSW in clinical work, but that kind of went to the side as I focused on this other opportunity that I had working with the college.

And then that brings me to, well, how did I get into practice? So I worked for the college for 10 years. And during COVID, actually Kayla, you’re one of the people who inspired me to go into private practice. You were doing your practicum during COVID or just before COVID at the ACSW and then COVID happened. Everything changed. The whole world changed really, literally. And, I really found that this was really a reboot time for myself, you know, spending more time with family, reflecting on how my life had been pre-COVID and realizing that I didn’t want to work the way I was working before, where it was just rush all of the time. My child’s in daycare right up till the end of five o’clock and I’m rushing to get her and not getting home till later in the day.

And when I heard that you had started a private practice, I was like, well, my goodness, look at that. Maybe I can start this too. So, it started off pretty slowly and just sort of dipping my toe in working from home, again, it’s during COVID. So, it was a really good opportunity to support people with their mental health through this worldwide, international pandemic and mental health crisis. And so, I was just working a couple of evenings a week on the weekend. And what I found is, I really enjoyed doing this work. I really enjoyed helping people as a therapist.

So, I continued to do this part time, COVID went away, it was different, but got back to our regular jobs. And even as I was working still with the ACSW and my job, I started to pull back on my hours and really had an opportunity, with my employer who supported me in working part time.

And then in April 2023, I made this big decision to leave my employment where I was for over 10 years. And just focusing on my own practice. I really feel that I’m privileged to have this opportunity. I know that not everybody can just quit their job and do what they enjoy doing. But that’s where I’m at.

Kayla: First of all, I want to say I’m honored to hear that I was an inspiration for you. And for listeners, I did my practicum at the Alberta College of Social Workers, prior to going into private practice. And you were my supervisor while I was doing my practicum. And honestly, I think it was an amazing practicum that I had.

The one thing that I think really helped me be where I am today, I realized how process-driven I was. My role within my practicum was very strategy based, very systems based, putting research together and all of those types of things. And I realized how much I love that aspect of it. I was working full time as I was doing my practicum, so I was managing organizations at the same time, but the one thing that was really happening for me in my work-related life was that I was getting burnt out.

But it was my practicum that made me realize, I’m really good at this. Like, I’m really good at the strategy aspect of things. And although I didn’t know I was going to be a business coach at that time, it really helped me recognize that when I did go into private practice, as much as I do enjoy helping others, I realized that my mission was to help therapists build their private practice, help them build those systems, help them build those strategies.

 I feel so honored because that is my mission to help other therapists start their private practice. And even before it was my mission, I helped someone. So, I love hearing that.

Charity: Yeah, that’s amazing.

Kayla: So, I think there’s never a better person to talk about professional development, knowing that you had worked at the Alberta College of Social Workers because obviously that’s a part of social workers requirement is to have continuing education credits.

So, let’s talk about what is professional development and why is it important to take professional development courses.

Charity: So, when I think of professional development, I think what a lot of people think of is courses and coursework that needs to be done. And although that is true, and I think is part of professional development. I like to take a step back and, especially now as a therapist, think about what am I doing to best serve my clients? How am I making sure that I’m using researched informed modalities, that I have the knowledge, that I’m getting the supervision to be able to stay fresh, to stay current.

So professional development really is more than just training. I see it as really becoming the best therapist that we can be for the clients that we serve. And sometimes this means being really clear on the kind of research that’s being done. So, looking up research articles, maybe listening to podcasts related to research. It can also include pursuing certification. And supervision and peer supervision where you can really delve into your practice discuss, in confidential ways, the kinds of clients that you’re serving, maybe things that you’re getting stuck on, or things that you just want to run by other people. So, I think professional development can be really, really broad. I also think it’s super important that we’re knowledgeable. That we’re confident in what we’re doing.

I think the other thing we need to think about when we think about professional development is why do we have it and why is it important? And what I’ve learned is that we’re part of a regulated health profession, at least here in Canada, and that comes with privilege that comes with responsibility. And we need to take things seriously and be responsible for how we’re serving clients and how we’re serving the public. And that’s where professional development really comes in.

Kayla: I love that you highlighted that it’s not just taking courses because something, and I know we’re not speaking on behalf of the ACSW or anything like that. But one thing that I know that shows up in a lot of the areas that I’m a part of is what is a category A credit? And really what you’re highlighting is that there’s professional development isn’t just having this certificate that says that you are CBT trained.

It’s about supervising other therapists. It’s about bettering the profession. It’s about doing research opportunities. Could be getting a certification or it could be a training. But it could be an array of different things that helps you build your competency and your skills as a therapist or as a social worker.

Charity: Yeah, absolutely. And I think we can really get stuck in requirements as regulated health professionals. And I know it’s not just social workers. I know it’s others as well. Where we can get really fixated on does this fit? Does that fit? Where do I put this in my competency plan? And I think that can become a problem in itself because then we lose the greater vision of why we’re even doing this in the first place. It’s not just to be able to check off check boxes at the end of the year. Although there is that accountability process that, of course, is also very important.

Kayla: Yeah, I couldn’t agree more. And I think, like you said for a lot of us, it’s like, ooh, we’re getting to December, because I know my renewal comes up every December. And it’s like, ooh, we’re getting to December. I need to get some training in. But we just take whatever training it is instead of, you know, why am I doing this? Because I want to build the skills in the area I want to be in, not necessarily getting skills that are unrelated for the sake of, oh, there’s a training available and I have to take it because it’s a quote unquote category A credit. So, I love that you highlighted that.

So, when it comes to professional development, how can we identify, which courses or which trainings or. And I know we just highlighted that it’s not just that, but how can we identify what we should focus on or spend our time.

Charity: So, for me, what’s really important is being really clear on what your focus is, what your practice is, who you serve, the modalities that you use. And then as you’re clear on that, that is going to be helpful in identifying where your gaps are. Or what you might want to learn more about. So, for example, I come from an EMDR lens in my practice and I have worked with clients with OCD.

So, for me, one of the down the road goals that I would have is to learn more about different modalities that work well with people with OCD. So even though I don’t plan on using something like exposure therapy, I do see the benefit of me attending some kind of a training or doing research or listening to podcasts, et cetera, on that topic, so that I’m able to explain the difference to clients so that clients know that there’s choices. And so that I’m clear on different modalities or different ways that client could access.

So, I think that’s a part of it is deciding these are my skills. I feel all right with these skills, good with these skills, competent in these skills. But also, being open enough that you’re open to trying different things, even if you’re not going to incorporate it every day into your practice.

The other thing is thinking about what are my knowledge gaps? And what could I learn more about. So, for me, one of the trainings that I just recently did was around Indigenous ways of knowing. And so, even though I’ve taken coursework, read books and read articles related to Indigenous ways and Indigenous knowledge, it was a real opportunity for me to go and experience some teachings. And part of that was an afternoon in a sweat lodge with an elder and, interestingly, with other therapists. And what an opportunity. I mean, you can read all of the books in the world and listen to all of the things. But until you actually get to sit and experience something like this, you know, that to me is professional development. That to me is building your knowledge. And what a way to be able to on a practical level understand what sweat is when you might be working with a client. And also, to be thinking with clients who may have indigenous heritage, but have not been involved in traditional ways of being able to bring it up in terms of have you considered thinking about ceremony. Are there ways that I can connect you to people in your community if you are interested?

And one other thing that I think is probably one of the most important is my passion. What is your passion? What keeps you wanting to go back for more, no matter how much you already know? I mean, the sky’s the limit. And I think that we can get excited about professional development, and I know I get excited about it because I love learning. And so all of these things I think are combined for me when I think about identifying what kind of course or training or how I want to focus my learning and professional development.

Kayla: I absolutely love all of that, but especially that last piece about, what is your passion? I’m just going to use me as an example. I’m a social worker, but I’m a business coach, and I love anything business related. And last year I took a certification in copywriting. So, like advanced copywriting for websites and social media and things like that.

And it was fabulous because I got to focus on the things that I cared about. Many social workers out there might say, Ah, that’s not where I would want to spend my time. And that’s fine because that’s not your passion. You still might want to do it because you might want to learn more about it. But to me, it just lit me up. And as a social worker, sometimes we’ll think, is that social work related? Well, I’m a social worker. I’m helping other social workers. That is my area. That’s where I want to be. So why not?

Charity: Yeah, for sure. And what that makes me think about, Kayla, is how broad something like social work is. So very, very broad and that’s why you can’t be so prescriptive in terms of what counts and what can you include and that’s the beauty of it too. It’s you can really tailor what you choose for professional development because we’re certainly not all the same.

Kayla: I couldn’t agree more. So, if listeners are anything like me, they probably want to take every training, course or certification under the sun, because let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to improve their skills, learn more, especially about the things that they care about and that they’re passionate about.

But one of the issues that comes up for most of us is that we’re busy running our practices. We might have a full time or part time job on the side. We’re raising our families. We’re trying to find time for self-care. We’re doing all of these things and there’s not a lot of time left over for professional development.

So how would you suggest that listeners could prioritize professional development in their busy life?

Charity: Kayla, I’m like you too. I wish I could take courses all day long. Like, isn’t there a job where you could do that? Because I would love to be paid for that.

One of the things that happened to me this year as we’re talking about prioritizing and deciding what courses to take was that about halfway through the year, I realized that I had spent the budget that I had in mind for my training for the year, and that there were other things that I really wanted to take.

And so, I think some of what, for me, has been helpful, especially that I’ve learned this year, is really being organized in advance. And sort of penciling in things that you already have in your head or courses that you’ve already said, yeah, I’m going to do this year, penciling those in but also being flexible as well. I was talking to a coworker this week about this flexibility thing. And I think again, people can be stuck sometimes in the competency kind of programs. Again, every health profession is different, but sometimes we’re asked even before the year to identify what we’re going to work on for the next year. And sometimes that can be a bit daunting because we’re like, well, I don’t know for sure. And the example that I got from my coworker was, you know, sometimes when she’s working, a client will come and they’ll bring something up that she’s like, oh, I’d like to learn more about that. Or actually that would be something good for me to really do a bit more of a deep dive in so that I can support the client with this particular thing. And you can’t know that in advance when you’re doing a learning plan or thinking a year in advance of what you want to do. So, I think there’s a real balance between being organized, thinking in advance, but also at the same time being flexible with your time. And I mean, sometimes I don’t know if this is your experience as well, but you’ll see something advertised. And you’re like, oh my gosh, I have to take this. This totally fits what I want to do. Well, you wouldn’t have done that six months ago.

The other thing is prioritizing. You just said that you would like to take every course under the sun. I know I do as well. And so sometimes that means saying no and being okay with skipping this training opportunity. Sometimes I see something and I’m like, this is the only time this is likely going to be available. For example, I’m passionate about art therapy and EMDR. So, the first time I saw a course that incorporated both of these, I’m like, my goodness, I have to take this right now because we’ll probably never be anything like this offered again.

And it’s interesting because I’ve seen these kinds of things, which is a good thing. Course is similar on this topic since then. So, saying no and being flexible at the same time and prioritizing, I think that helps fitting things in.

The other thing I would say is doing what works for you and your schedule. So, let’s say you know that in your schedule that it’s a priority for you to pick up your child at school at 3:30. You might want to look for courses that are a bit more flexible or that are only offered in the morning or only over lunch hour so that you’re not in a position multiple times a year where you’ve committed to something that goes until 5 p. m. and you’re going to be needing to feel stretched and stressed and trying to find alternative child care arrangements. So that’s a bit of the beauty of it as well is being able to look at what works for your schedule and your family and things that are important to you.

Kayla: That’s amazing. And something that made me think about this too, and I guess it’s not as much of a prioritization. But sometimes, we think that we just don’t have the money to be able to invest into professional development, especially if like you said, that special training comes up and you just have to take it.

Something for Canadian listeners, if you don’t already know, there’s been a grant around for several years called the Canada Job Grant. And I know here in Alberta, it’s called the Alberta Canada job grant. And I think in other provinces it’s like the province and Canada, but basically, it’s the Canada job grant.

And it’s been around for years, and it may or may not go at any time, but I know that we both have actually applied for that grant and have training under that grant before, and it’s really helpful. There is a process to it, but they cover two thirds of the training that you take. So, if something is really expensive, but you really want to go this is something that you could potentially apply for.

Now it could go at any time. I don’t know when it’s going to be there, but I know it’s been around for at least five years now. So hopefully it continues to be there and private practitioners and business owners are able to access it. I think they weren’t allowed at one point. But I think now it, well, I know now that it’s open to it because we both have been able to use that grant.

So definitely when we think of like those financial pieces to there may be opportunities. And if you’re not Canadian or the grant doesn’t exist when you’re listening to this episode. There may be other options out there for grants and learning opportunities that are cost friendly as well.

Charity: Yeah. And that kind of leads me into some of the other things I’ve been thinking of that I wanted to share is around where can I find trainings that are not too expensive? And one of the things I have found helpful is being part of Facebook groups that are specific to what you are interested in. There are so many very specific Facebook groups. So, for me, I also serve a Francophone French speaking population. And so, there’s a group around disassociation and EMDR, all in French, a Facebook group, like how specific is that? And so being on a group like that introduces me to trainings that probably aren’t widely advertised and that are very specific to the kind of work that I’m doing. And once you get on to some of these email lists, you’re inundated with lots of opportunities. There’s also lots, I have found, I don’t know if you have found this too, Kayla, lots of kind of teaser educational opportunities where a big organization will put on a day of training where it’s like an hour here with this specialist, an hour here with that specialist. And what I really like about that is, well, one, it’s free, but the other thing is you can hear from a range of professionals and you can be like, I resonate with this, or I want to hear more about Gabor Mate’s work, for example. And so, then I will go and invest in that book, or I will go and look him up and find trainings that he’s doing specifically. Because of course, these kind of teasers are just giving you an overview of different kinds of areas.

I’ve also found that associations can give you advertised training and often discounted training. I know with the Canadian Association of Social Workers, members of the CASW have a whole bank of webinars that have been recorded, that have been released, that you can go back and listen to.

Also, I mean, we’re in Alberta here, so I’m talking about resources here, but our public health care system, Alberta Health Services, offers, it’s called Community Education Service, I believe, and they have a whole YouTube channel, and monthly they’re putting out more training on different kinds of topics around addiction, around working with youth. Some of it’s specific to parenting, but even so, I think there’s lots of things that you can learn in that way. So, it doesn’t always have to be an expensive course.

And I wanted to pick up on that Canada Alberta job grant. Like you say that both you and I have accessed, and I used it for my EMDR training, which was great, because it was an investment. It was something that I wanted to do. I for sure wanted to do EMDR training because I have found it helpful as a client. But the cost is a lot. And so, to be able to have two-thirds of that cost covered was great. So sometimes it’s just looking around to see if there might be some grants.

And you know what, if there’s not, and if there is something that you’re really passionate about, and the price tag is a bit high, saving up, putting some money aside, and also at the same time, taking free training, doing more peer consultation or listening to podcasts. Or all of these other things that we talked about earlier that doesn’t have to be a course with a certificate.

One more thing in terms of where people can find professional development is, I have found on your website, in your podcast, in your social media, you are often talking about where people can find professional opportunities for education. I don’t know if you currently do, but you’ve had a code for PESI, where people can access courses and get a bit of a discount. Those are some of the ideas and some of what I have used when looking for professional development trainings.

Kayla: I couldn’t agree more because I think when we think of professional development, this goes back to what’s the intention to the professional development? And I know that there’s listeners that aren’t necessarily in Alberta or are in Alberta, but are with different regulatory bodies and they need it for like CEC purposes. And maybe their regulatory body requires them to take X, Y, and Z criteria, and maybe some of these options aren’t available to them.

But if your intention is to learn, or your regulatory body does allow you to take some of these trainings or opportunities, or maybe you don’t know, you just kind of assume, because that’s another thing here in Alberta, there’s a long history of people thinking that you need to have this special training that says category A on it for social work, which isn’t true. Like, all the things that you identified, it could be all of those things. So really learning about your regulatory body and reviewing your competency program. What does it allow you to do? What doesn’t it allow you to do? If that’s the intention.

But if you’re looking for professional development for your own purpose and to build your skills and that aren’t necessarily CEC requirements. These free opportunities or cost friendly opportunities, if they give you what you want and they give you what you need. It’s okay.

I don’t know about you, Charity, but I’ve taken trainings in the past where I’ve spent thousands of dollars for, and they were subpar compared to some of the free and cheaper versions that I have taken. Has that ever happened to you before?

Charity: Yeah, absolutely. And that’s so frustrating when you’re sitting in that space and you’re sitting in that room and you’re feeling like I’m not getting a whole lot out of this. Maybe the best part has been talking to the person that I just met across the table. Yeah, so I totally get where you’re coming from with that.

Kayla: So, Charity, if any listener would like to connect with you, like, how can they do that?

Charity: Yeah. So, my website is calmriver.ca. And people are welcome to contact me via my website, be happy to have any further discussion about this area that I’m passionate about learning and continuing in your journey. And serving the public, serving our clients as best that we can and as confidently as we can.

Kayla: Amazing. So, to check out Charity’s website, head to calmriver.ca.

That’s calmriver.ca

Or simply scroll down to the show notes and click on the link.

Charity, thank you so much for joining us again today on the podcast to discuss how to prioritize professional development to fit our busy lives.

Charity: Thanks for having me, Kayla. And all the best in 2025.

Kayla: Yes, you too.

Thank you everyone for tuning into today’s episode, and I hope you join me again soon on the Designer Practice Podcast.

Until next time, bye for now.

Credits & Disclaimers

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