Dr. Blythe Shepard, Associate Professor in Counselling Psychology University of Lethbridge.

Faculty: Education
Division: Counselling Psychology
Research Areas of Interest: Career Development


I have extensive elementary teaching experience and research in rural settings. I am particularly interested in the examination of the life-career patterns of rural youth and women. Examples of my research include SSHRC funded doctoral work focusing on the life-career planning of rural young women and a SSHRC grant that examined the life-career process of rural youth in three communities. An ethnographic-narrative approach was used that involved three mapping activities: community supports and barriers, self-defining life events, and participants’ hopes and fears for the future. I also a partner with several community agencies including Whitecrow Village Camp for families who have children with FASD, Victoria FASD Community Circle, Ladysmith Resource Centre Association, and The Cowichan Valley FAS Action Team Society to assess the life and career needs of families and youth who live with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. I am active in the counselling community. I sat on the B.C. Task Group and Working Committee for the proposed BC College of Counselling Therapists for five years and was the BC/Yukon Board Member for the Canadian Counselling Association (CCA) until spring 2009. I am currently the Alberta/NWT Director for CCA and a member of the Executive (Treasurer).  

Dr. Priya S. Mani, Associate Professor University of Manitoba

Faculty: Education
Division: Educational Counselling Psychology
Research Areas of Interest: Career Development and Cultural Diversity

My current area of research interest incorporates exploring the perception of supports, barriers, and different contexts of career development that influence Indo-Canadian young men and women career decision making processes to enter undergraduate professional degree programs. As part of my future research program I would like to extend my current research with a view to explore the various contexts that constrain and facilitate development for adolescent children of immigrants in different countries. Additionally, I am in the process of expanding my own research interests, and I am also currently exploring different issues pertaining to Counsellor Professional Development. Recently, I was also invited to be part of a Canadian Delegation specializing in Psychology, affiliated with the Canadian Psychological Association, to meet in South Africa. I had the opportunity to share my research findings in the form of a presentation and gained an international perspective on counsellors understanding of diversity and career counselling issues.

Allison Roest,M.Ed

Graduated with a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology in 2004, completing her final project with an examination of the efficacy of career counselling interventions.  Since that time, Allison has been a personal, academic and career counsellor at the University of Lethbridge.   She also teaches an innovative “for credit course” in career development through the Faculty of Education at the University of Lethbridge. Allison is currently affiliated as a research assistant to help in the dissemination of the proposed Canadian Career Counselling Text.