Joan A. Rostant PhD jrostant@protonmail.com
Contributing to healing humanity one person at a time
FAQs on Working Virtually: Audio Version
Text Version
What is online/ remote coaching/ counselling?
The use of video, phone, chat, or other technology to facilitate coaching/ counselling sessions.
Is it confidential?
I use approved software for video sessions and for scheduling. They are telemedicine platforms designed to safeguard privacy. I also use approved forms for e-signatures and a secure Proton account for encrypted emails and email coaching.
How to Connect Using the Video Conferencing Software?
I will send you a link. Before the appointment pre-test the link to make sure that all is well. At your appointment time, click on the link again to get into the virtual waiting room and I will let you into the virtual session.
What Kind of Technology Would I Need?
A password-protected and secured desktop, laptop (preferred), or smartphone, and a reliable and secure high-speed internet connection.
In addition, it is advisable to close off all other programs on your device and ensure that no one in your household is streaming or doing such work on the same modem.
Test your environs to identify reliable spots for video/teleconferencing and privacy.
How do I make an online appointment?
First, ensure that you have a private place where you will not be interrupted for at least 30 or 50 minutes.
Before our initial session, read through the Intake and Privacy Policy Form to ensure that you agree. I will answer all of your questions at our initial session, then you will e-sign the form.
I know that this may be new for you and so I will be there to support you through the process.
This process is important because this form is an official document, and we are both responsible for privacy and confidentiality. Contact me at jrostant@protonmail.com
How Do I Pay?
Payment is made by Interac e-transfer using my jrostant@protonmail.com email account (To set up, look for an INTERAC link on your bank account website's page and follow the instructions). I will be notified when the payment is made.
You already have a confidential relationship with your bankers, and so this will add to the other private and confidential services that I offer.
Payment needs to be received at least 24 hrs., before the session. You can postpone only if I receive 24 hrs., notice of postponement/cancellation or in rare cases if we have a prior tentative agreement.
How Does Coaching Differ From Therapy?
If coaching is providing a confidential space to find clarity and direction, among other goals, then talk and expressive therapies are provided for clients who require more therapeutic interventions.
Therapy will become critical if debilitating fear, despair, anger, depression, suicidal thoughts, hopeless feelings, anxiety, and other such thoughts or emotions have developed in response to life challenges.
At that point, the client is no longer just looking to meet a particular life goal or for guidance, direction, and/or clarity, right?
General Disclaimer
Note: the public domain pictures used in this website are for illustration purposes only. As such, any person appearing on this website is a model except where indicated.
Always remember that no man is an island, and you are not alone, we all need each other at some point in our lives.
Don't hesitate to contact me at my encrypted email: jrostant@protonmail.com
Text Version: Course Description
(A 5-minute read)
This course adopts an experiential learning approach (learning by doing) to understand and manage life's distressing and challenging experiences.
Course Objectives
At the end of Module 1, you will learn:
The L.I.F.E. Model for managing life's painful and challenging situations. This model was designed to help participants to cope with their everyday life challenges.
Module 2 explores how to help self to unlearn longstanding unhelpful and unhealthy attitudes and mental habits.
Module 3 explores problem-solving perspectives, and through the experiences of a family and three best friends, you will explore how to manage: confusion, anger, verbal or other types of abuse, fear, and frustration that "drama" could bring to your world, as well as how you could positively influence those who create "drama" and aggression in your sphere of influence, before the above gets out of control.
You may agree that most life challenges involve other humans. For the next three modules, the course will therefore take a more advanced dive into human relationships during life challenges and self-care strategies for both preventative as well as during emotional challenges.
Module 4: You will explore the angst that relationships could foster, as well as how to manage the angst.
Module 5: Self-Care and Self-Soothe Week
Remember that the only person that you have ultimate control over is you.
In this module, you will explore many tools, including ancient tools, music therapy tools, and narrative therapy tools to easily incorporate into your daily self-care regimen. Tools to also teach others.
Module 6: Unconditional Self, Other, and Life Acceptance.
In general, the course offers practical psycho-educational perspectives that you could use to help self and others.
Who Should Take This Courses?
Parents, Educators, Counsellors, Social workers, Administrators, and others.
Methodology
The above is an online semi-self-directed course based on experiential learning: learning by doing, using real-world life experiences. All modules come with:
1. Quizzes
2. Self-Reflection Exercises
3. Weekly self-commitment reports of how the course contents are being applied to your career and life
4. Summary of learning, rubrics, and more
Course(s) Duration:
Six modules are to be completed over 6 weeks.
It is strongly recommended that you set aside a specific time to complete the modules.
The required commitment time is 6-12 hours per week, depending on your pace of work.
The course is equivalent to a 6-day face-to-face workshop/retreat (3 days of intermediate and 3 days of advanced deep, rewarding dives into perspectives, skills, and tools for helping self and others).
Prerequisites and Educational Materials
Prerequisites: Post-secondary education. If you have any concerns about your prerequisites contact me at jrostant@protonmail.com.
(1) The primary asset will be your reflective and open mind willing to reinforce, clarify, and apply any new or existing knowledge to your career or life.
(2) A personal keepsake journal for your reflections: A journal that you may want to return to long after completing this course. This journal could be digital or physical.
(3) For those who don't like journal writing, these exercises could be done mentally, but you may not get the full benefit from the course. As you are no doubt aware, journal writing has many benefits.
(4) A password-protected secure computer
(5) All lessons are taught using short fictitious, but realistic stories that teach.
(6) The Resources listed in Module 6 also form a major part of the educational materials.
Tests/Assessments
Generally, the course takes a formative assessment approach: assessing yourself while you learn, mostly through quizzes, guided self-reflection questions, and exploring varied life perspectives.
The key to benefiting from this course is to apply any new or existing knowledge to your everyday life and career.
Although this course is similar to a 6-day face-to-face workshop, there is a 60% pass grade based on the final quiz (80%), and weekly commitment letters (20%). The final quiz is developmental, meaning that comprehensive explanations are provided for deeper learning. You will also have more than one opportunity to complete the quiz.
So please relax and enjoy the learning experience.
New to Online Learning? No Problem.
I am here to help you to navigate this new and wonderful world. For support, contact me at jrostant@protonmail.com.
General Disclaimers:
All public domain photos or images of persons used throughout the course, including the image used to advertise the course, are for illustration purposes only. As such, the images of persons are all models.
These images came from Public Domain sources.
Finally, all scenarios, vignettes, and short stories presented in this workshop are fictitious and any resemblance to any real-life situation(s) is just a coincidence. Note: All stories are owned and copyrighted to Joan Rostant. All rights reserved.
Once again, Welcome to A L.I.F.E. Model for Life's Challenges, I'm looking forward to meeting you soon.
Course Rules
1. You agree to complete all the tasks in each module.
2. You agree that if your course has a discussion component all discussions will be safe spaces for mutual support and growth.
3.You agree to follow the usual professional standards of respecting everyone regardless of race, gender, class, ethnicity, religious persuasion, or disability.
4: You agree that after two warnings for infractions to standards mentioned in 2 and 3, you will no longer be allowed to join the discussion component of the course.
5. For courses with a discussion component, if a participant uses an alias to protect his/her identity, but you recognize the person based on what or how they shared in the discussions, you agree to (a) bring your awareness to me (b) I will alert the participant that his/her identity has been revealed, without revealing your identity. This is to protect the participant and his/her future sharing (3) You agree to adhere to the usual standard of practice with respect to confidentiality in a group setting.
6. You agree that all sales are final. No refunds will be given, except at The Ark's sole and absolute discretion.
7. By agreeing to register for the course(s) you are also agreeing to adhere to the above course rules.
8: You agree to enjoy the learning experience and to take all that you can from the course to support your life and career.
To Register Please Contact Me At: jrostant@protonmail.com
Want to give a course as a gift? Remember to ask for the special gift card.