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REFUGEE WELLNESS

Introduction to Immigration Evaluations

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Course description

This course is an online, paid, self-directed training that will offer introductory and beginner-level materials to learn the basics of immigration evaluations in Canada.

To access this course, learners will need to purchase one of the assigned products.

Refund Policy

Due to the digital nature of this course and immediate access to materials upon purchase, all sales are final and no refunds are provided.

If you experience a technical issue that prevents access to the course, please contact us within 7 days of purchase, and we will make reasonable efforts to resolve the issue.

By completing your purchase, you acknowledge and agree to this refund policy.

 

MN PSYCHOTHERAPY SERVICES OTTAWA

Objectives and goals

  1. Identify the role of clinicians and the purpose of assessments.
  2. Learn how to write comprehensive reports, including psychometric tools and structure, and learn to avoid pitfalls. process and scope of mental health assessment for immigration purposes.
  3. Incorporate the Istanbul Protocol and its guidelines into reports. Revisit professional ethics, professional competency, and the scope of mental health assessment for immigration purposes.
  4. Identify the components of a successful interview or assessment and best practices for structuring and managing the interview process.

Course creator and facilitator

Mego Nerses

  • Trauma-informed therapist (RP) in private practice in Ottawa.
  • English, Arabic, Armenian
  • Individual, relationship, and group therapy (PTSD, IRB hearing support groups)
  • Refugees, LGBTQI+ refugees, and asylum seekers.
  • Forensic asylum evaluations for immigration court.
  • Humanitarian Award winner in 2017
  • Publications
  • Case consultations, report writing consultations.
  • Trainings nationally and internationally
Trauma, PTSD, Refugees, LGBTQ, Sex therapy, relationship therapy, poly relationship, immigration Canada

Course Lessons

Introduction and Objectives

Lessons

Introduction and Objectives

Course Lessons

Lessons

Agenda Preview Lesson 1: Grounds for refugee claims (Inland) Lesson 2: IRB-RPD Proceedings Lesson 3: Types of Reports Lesson 4: Purpose of report writings Lesson 5: Assessment Components Lesson 6: Cultural Considerations Lesson 7: Professional and Ethical Obligations Lesson 8: Tips and Recommendations Lesson 9: Why reports are rejected? Lesson 10: Testifying & Cross Examination

Course Closing + Quiz

Lessons

Course Closing

Get access to handouts and resources

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Self-Assessment Quiz
Is Therapy Right for Me?

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Answer these 5 short questions to see if therapy might help you right now.

I often feel like I’m carrying more than I can say.
It’s hard for me to truly unwind, even during quiet moments.
I’ve been through things that others don’t understand.
I repeat the same patterns all the time.
I want to feel more like myself again.
Results:
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You might benefit from speaking with a therapist. Let’s talk.
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If you answered “no” to most:
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Reach Out with Questions

IMPORTANT NOTICE

For the time being, we will be conducting appointments exclusively through virtual means.

Thank you for your understanding.

Experience You Can Count On

About MEGO NERSES

I am an Ottawa-based Registered Psychotherapist and have a full-time private practice. In the past, I worked in social service agencies for many years. I offer individual, relationship, and sex therapy in English, Arabic, and Armenian to adults 18+, and I do not work with minors.

In 2011, I earned a master’s degree in Counselling from the University of Ottawa. I am a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario (CRPO#001132) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. In addition, I am a Certified Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA#3058). My clinical training focuses on relationship and sex therapy and trauma/PTSD. Since 2013, I have been at Algonquin College as a seasonal professor, teaching courses in mental health and addiction.

I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to publish peer-reviewed articles and contribute chapters concerning Counselling, coming out, and trauma related explicitly to LGBTQ+ refugees and newcomers to Canada. I have presented numerous workshops and continue to offer trainings nationally and internationally on the mental health of LGBTQI+ and SOGIE refugees and asylum seekers.

 

Professional Work

Early in my professional career, I specialized in individual therapy and served clients with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and grief. Since then, I have taken my clinical work to a higher level and gained more experience in four areas: PTSD and Trauma, Sexuality and Gender Identity, Sex and Relationship Therapy, and Refugee mental health issues. I have received various trainings in these areas since choosing to specialize. As an example, I received training from Division 56, Trauma Psychology, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Global Institute of Forensic Research in writing immigration evaluations for immigration courts. Furthermore, I have completed multiple trainings in trauma/PTSD therapy and relationship therapy (Poly. Kink). I have participated in numerous training opportunities in the field of sex therapy, sexuality, and gender identity. 

I am a LGBTQI+/poly/kink/CNM supportive and informed therapist.

Therapeutic approaches
In addition to Narrative Exposure Therapy for PTSD (NET), I have also been trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD and Experiential Therapy and Focusing. I integrate social justice and rights-based principles into my work as a trauma-informed therapist.

Awards
In recognition of my dedication to helping LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in Canada, I received the 2017 Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA).

AffiliationsI have an international affiliate membership with Division 56, Trauma Psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Global Institute of Forensic Research.

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Facts about Psychotherapy

  • Psychotherapy is a collaborative process. The therapist and the client must work together to reach the desired outcomes.
  • Research indicates that the quality of the therapeutic relationship between therapists and clients is the highest contributor to change, almost 40%. Therapy modality or approach contributes only 15% to change.
  • The quality of the client-therapist alliance is a reliable predictor of positive clinical outcomes independent of psychotherapeutic techniques and outcome measures (Ardito & Rabellino, 2011).
  • Psychotherapy has been shown to reduce the use of medications, consultations with primary-care physicians, length of inpatient stays, and general health care expenditures by 60% to 90% (Chiles, Lambert, & Hatch, 1999; Kraft, Puschner, Lambert, & Kordy, 2006).
  • Psychotherapy in conjunction with pharmaceutical treatment has been shown to be more enduring and effective in the long term than medication alone.
  • There are more than 100 psychotherapy approaches. Always make sure your therapist is using evidence-based psychotherapy.