McBride, Dawn

Associate Professor

Edu - Faculty Members

Phone
(403) 317-2877
Fax
(403) 317-5070
Email
dawn.mcbride@uleth.ca

Office Hours

Mon. to Sat. - including evenings (email for apt): 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM
*I teach online Sept. to Apr. (F2F in the summer) : 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM

About Me

Warm Greetings!

I have been teaching psychology (full-time) at various Canadian universities for a very long - since 1999. I arrived at U of L from overseas where I was a professor at Zayed University, in the Middle East, to accept an appointment to teach in the Graduate Counsellor Education program. I have earned tenure as an Associate Professor. I hold a M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Calgary. I am a registered psychologist (clinical specialty), an approved supervisor for provisional psychologists, and served as an ethics examiner for the College of Alberta Psychologists for nearly 10 years. I have a long history of helping family violence agencies refine and enhance their ethical practice as well as provide support when they are navigating complex ethical dilemmas.

* WHAT DO I DO AT U OF L? I feel honoured to spend the majority of my teaching time in the Master of Counselling blended training program. It is an excellent training program for those interested in becoming counsellors/ psychologists who are not able to attend classes on campus except during the summer. Admission requirements vary, but it is NOT necessary to hold an undergraduate degree in psychology. However, you need to have strong writing skills, a love for reading, and extensive "life" experience to demonstrate you have exceptional interpersonal skills with a variety of age groups and have very good emotionally regulation skills. For more information, please go to the link--> https://www.ulethbridge.ca/future-student/graduate-studies/master-counselling

* WHAT COURSES DO I TEACH? I suspect I have likely taught most of the common graduate counsellor courses (& prior to coming to U of L many of the typical undergraduate psychology courses). For the last decade, I tend to teach graduate counselling courses that focus on process skills such as group therapy as well as the general and advance practicum seminars. I also teach the advance professional counselling ethics course. I also enjoy supervising thesis and project students as well as helping with independent study courses.

WHAT ELSE DO I DO?

1. RESEARCHER and AUTHOR/SPEAKER: I am an active writer (based on my research interests) and an international speaker.

2. COMMUNITY SERVICE: I enjoy serving on a number of boards/committees to support the university (e.g., union service such as Shop Steward and grievance committees; PAR status and promotion committees; student appeal committees) and helping counselling and/or social service agencies (e.g., I was co-chair of training/development for the Canadian Group Psychotherapy Association for three years; I frequently help family violence shelters in Alberta and on the east coast).

3. SUPERVISION DUTIES: I provide supervision to thesis students and provisional psychologists in Alberta using a variety of communication formats. I also supervise projects in the M.C. program.

4. THERAPIST: To "practice what I teach", I maintain a small private counselling practice in Lethbridge. I work, on a sliding scale, with a broad spectrum of presenting problems with specialization in trauma, family violence (perpetrators & victims), self-harm, and severe mental health issues such as OCD, personality disorders & eating disorders. I am currently not accepting clients.

** I am frequently asked: What is my counselling orientation? I classify myself as a relational psychodynamic therapist, using Transactional Analysis theory as well as attachment theory to promote awareness and invite change. I also actively integrate CBT, Narrative, EMDR, Expressive Creative Arts, Mind-Body therapies (e.g., Somatic Experiencing) and Solution Focused therapies into my session work. I also have a great fondness for teaching group therapy, particularly process based groups - a "then and now" approach.


5. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES: I frequently attend international conferences as a presenter/participant to stay current in the helping professional field. I like to attend at least 2-3 weekend therapy training workshops a year (e.g., Somatic Experiencing, expression arts therapy, etc.).

Biography

Dr. Dawn McBride is a senior, tenured associate professor in the graduate counsellor education program at the University of Lethbridge. She is also a registered psychologist, a supervisor for provisional psychologists, and a former ethics examiner for the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). She has won numerous teaching awards and is an active volunteer in the community. She is an international speaker, researcher, and writer. Her specialty areas for teaching and research include: (a) the advance study of counselling ethics; (b) clinical psychology, integrating a trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, attachment perspective into her work, especially with complex mental health issues such as personality disorders and DID; (c) teaching and using processed based therapies, including group therapy (for all ages) focusing on a stage model of growth where processing using expressive arts and somatic techniques are highly valued; and lastly, (d) training counsellors in the art and science of clinical supervision.

In addition, to ensure she remains aware of trends in the field and practices her skills, she is the owner of a small private practice in Lethbridge where she specializes in complex cases (she offers a generous sliding scale). She tends to practice from a psychodynamic orientation (e.g., ego state models including transactional analysis, believing our past influences our choices today) and frequently draws upon expressive arts, EMDR (Laurel Parnell's style), CBT (schema focused), narrative therapy, as well as somatic interventions.

Publications

A SELECTION OF SOME OF MY PUBLICATIONS:

Notes - Unexpected Leaves Impacting Research Output:

(i)t2020 March to 2022 May due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
(ii)t2022 February to 2022 March due to a Lockout/Strike (legally prohibited from doing work).


McBride, D., & Worrall, A. (n.d.). A violent death of a student: Lessons learned by two teaching psychologists. The Teaching Professor. (manuscript under review).

Letourneau, N., McBride, D.L., Barton, S., & Griggs, K. (2022). Service providers' perspectives: Reducing intimate partner violence in rural and northern regions of Canada. The Canadian Journal of Nursing Research. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/08445621221128857

Hodson, J., & McBride, D. (2022) Ethical implications of third-party record release. Journal of Ethics in Mental Health, 11, 1-11. https://jemh.ca/issues/open/documents/JEMH%20Article%20Records.pdf

McBride, D., & Worrall, A. (2021). Recommendations when shifting gears to running online groups using creative expressive activities. Canadian Journal of Art Therapy, 34, 18-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/26907240.2021.1943956

Shivji, A., & McBride, D. (2018). From traumatized to energized: Helping victim support volunteers cultivate compassion satisfaction in the face of crisis. Victims of Crime Research Digest, 11, 14-20. https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2018/jus/J12-3-11-2018-eng.pdf

Karesa, S., & McBride, D. (2016, August). A sign of changing times? Perceptions of Canadian psychologists on assisted death. Canadian Psychology, 57(3), 188-192. DOI: 10.1037/cap0000058

Siwiec, S., & McBride, D. (2016, June). Emotional regulation cycles in trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) across subtypes. Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, 10, 84-90. DOI: 10.1016/j.jocrd.2016.06.003

McBride, D. (2015). When Harshly Criticized or Verbally Attacked: A Six-Step Communication Plan for Teachers. The Alberta Counsellor, 34(1), 29-36.

Rapacki, T., & McBride, D. (2015). An inventory for enhancing cross-cultural group work. In W. Pelech, K. Ring, & S. LaRocque (Eds.), Unity in diversity: Embracing the spirit of group work: Proceedings of the XXXVI International Association for Social Work With Groups conference held in Calgary, Canada, 4-8, June 2014. London, UK: Whiting & Birch.

Kewley, E., & McBride, D. (2013). Ethical dilemmas that arise when mental health professionals use client data for research purposes. Journal of Ethics in Mental Health, 8, 1-6. Retrieved from www.jemh.ca

McBride, D. (2013, March). Seeking consent in a relational way. Newsletter for the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association: The Alberta and Northwest Territories Chapter. Retrieved from http://www.ccpa-accp.ca/_documents/AB_Chapter/AB_NWTTherapistFocusNewsletterFeb2013.pdf

Gerlock, J., & McBride, D. (2013). Managing online discussion forums: Building community by avoiding the drama triangle. College Teaching, 61, 23-29. doi:10.1080/87567555.2012.713042

Ponech, H., & McBride, D. (2013). Coming together to calm the hunger: Group therapy program for adults diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. Journal of Groups in Addiction & Recovery, 8(4), 309-328. doi: 10.1080/1556035X.2013.836879

Marco, A., McBride, D., & Johanson, G. (2012). Hakomi in action: A narrative. Hakomi Professional Journal, 25, 37- 48. No doi available. Retrieved from www.hakomiinstitute.com/Forum/TOC.htm [This is a blind peer-review journal, sponsored by a professional association]

McBride, D., & Worrall, A. (2012, February). Reducing student anxieties through assertiveness training workshops: Research outcomes. Paper proceedings from the 4th Annual Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy, Blacksburg, VA.

Hannigan, P., & McBride, D. (2011). Getting into the beat: Therapists' views on the use of drumming in family violence treatment groups. The Canadian Art Therapy Journal, 24, 2-9. No doi available. Retrieved from http://canadianarttherapy.org/cata-journal

Palfreyman, D., & McBride, D. (2008; 2010). Learning and teaching across cultures in higher education (Eds.). United Kingdom, Palgrave Macmillan. [SECOND PRINTING]

McBride, D. (2010). Issues supervising family violence cases: Advocacy, ethical documentation and supervisees' reactions. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 44(3), 283-295. No doi available. Retrieved from http://cjc-rcc.ucalgary.ca/cjc/index.php/rcc

McBride, D. (2010). Teaching multicultural awareness. [Review of the book Cultural-infused counselling: Celebrating the Canadian mosaic, by N. Arthur & S. Collins]. Canadian Women Studies, 27(2/3), 124-125.

McBride, D. (2009, October). A framework for the Canadian Group Psychotherapy Association national group therapy training and group therapist certification program. Technical report for the Canadian Group Psychotherapy Association. Toronto, Ontario: Author.

McBride, D., & Davis, L. (2009). Utilizing web technologies in a master of counselling program. Journal of Educational Technology, 5(4), 32-38.

McBride, D., & Wener, P. (2008, October). A needs assessment regarding the implementation of a National training and education program for Canadian group psychotherapists. Technical report for the Canadian Group Psychotherapy Association. Kananaskis, Alberta: Authors.

McBride, D. (2008). Supervision issues in family violence cases. In S. Brooke (Ed.), The use of creative therapies with survivors of domestic violence (pp. 321-342). Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.

Barell, A., & McBride, D. (2008). Research note: Using text-based focus groups with middle eastern university students. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Gulf Perspectives, 5(1), 1-9. Retrieved from www.zu.ac.ae/lthe/lthe05_01_04_barrell.htm

McBride, D., & Muhlbach, P. (2008). Strategies to integrate web videoconferencing software into an online counselor education course. Journal of Educational Technology, 4(4),1-9.

McBride, D., & Korell, G. (2005). Wilderness therapy for abused women. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 39(1), 3-12. No doi available. Retrieved from http://cjc-rcc.ucalgary.ca/cjc/index.php/rcc



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SAMPLE TEACHING RESOURCES

McBride, D. (Ed.). (2023). Custom Coursepack for Professional Ethics: CAAP 6603 (Extensive reading package, two volumes). University of Lethbridge: Author.

McBride, D., (Writer/Producer) & Heidebrecht, K. (Producer). (2012). EMDR demonstration therapy session by Dawn McBride [DVD]. Lethbridge: University of Lethbridge IT Education Services.

McBride, D., (Writer/Producer) & Heidebrecht, K. (Producer). (2009). Case study of ethical violations in group therapy involving dual relationships [DVD]. Lethbridge: University of Lethbridge IT Education Services.

McBride, D. (Writer/Producer). (2006). Psychological groups: Session planning [DVD]. United Arab Emirates: Zayed University Media Services.




Research Interests

MY AREAS OF INTEREST EVOLVE AROUND THESE PRIMARY THEMES (these are areas that I tend to read about, treat clinically, and/or are topics that I am interested in supervising for students' projects/theses):

(A) advance ethical practice in counselling - focusing on relational consent, using transparent session notes, and resolving complex ethical dilemmas in the field (teaching, counselling, research, businesses). In addition, I am dedicated to helping non-profit agencies develop and refine their code of ethics and standards of practice.

(B) clinical psychology issues pertaining to all ages (e.g., ethics; trauma; self-harm behaviors including disordered eating; positive discipline methods in the classroom; clinical supervisor/supervisee issues; creative art therapy; crisis management to psychodynamic theories/treatment; premarital therapy; and treating most DSM issues including complex disorders such as dissociative identity disorder and personality disorders).

(C) special interest in ego state therapies - particularly Transactional Analysis, applied to supervision, organizational psychology, ethics, and counselling practices (for group, 1:1, couples, and training of counselling students).

(D) supervision practices - for therapists and counselling students (e.g., focusing on developmental models of supervision, promoting high ethical practice, and supervisor-supervisee dynamics).

(E) program development and evaluation, including creating/offering group therapy programs.

(F) teaching and supervising group therapies, with a focus on integrating expressive arts, culturally sensitive, and attachment theory into the practice of group therapy, and

(G) I notice I am increasingly becoming interested in learning how to protect professors' mental health as their work demands increase as well as explore the pressures professors may be facing to reduce their expectations of students (e.g., workload & assessment practices).