Bonnie Lee

Biography

Bonnie Lee, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in Health Sciences (Addictions Counselling) at the University of Lethbridge and University of Lethbridge Board of Governors Research Chair (Tier II) from 2016-2019. Access her UofL page here.

A Marriage and Family Therapist and Social Worker, she is principal researcher and trainer in an evidence-based Congruence Couple Therapy treatment for addictive disorders. This integrative model works with a couple’s communication, psychological awareness, intergenerational influence and spiritual resources. In partnership with Alberta Health Services Addiction and Mental Health and funded by a major grant by the Alberta Gambling Research Institute, she is currently studying the outcomes of clients with alcohol and gambling disorders receiving Congruence Couple Therapy versus treatment-as-usual.

Other areas of Dr. Lee’s research interest are immigration stress, cultural values and beliefs, and pre-migration trauma in immigrant mental health and addiction.

A mentor and thesis and practicum supervisor of Masters and PhD students, her mentees have been awarded graduate studentships by Alberta SPOR Patient-Oriented Research and the Alberta Gambling Research Institute.

For her publications, research profile, go to:

https://www.uleth.ca/dspace/handle/10133/546/browse?type=dateissued

http://www.uleth.ca/research/research_profiles/dr-bonnie-lee

Node Funded Project (December 2015)

Title: Training Addiction and Mental Health Counsellors in a Couples Systems Intervention

Principal Investigator: Bonnie Lee, University of Lethbridge

Co-investigators:

Dr. Darren Christensen, U of L; Dr. Andrew Greenshaw, U of A; Dr. Shireen Surood, AHS; Dr. Olu Awosoga, U of L

Description

Prelude to experiment studies of an intervention, training counsellors to learn the requisite concepts and skills to ensure their fidelity and adherence to the treatment model is a critical but largely overlooked and unreported stage in the development of evidence-based treatment. The adequate preparation and training of counsellors to deliver the intervention is especially important in complex systemic interventions for research and ethical reasons.

A 2014 provincial report identified serious gaps in Alberta’s addiction and mental health services and in service providers’ skills to work with families, child and youth impacted by parent addiction, and complex conditions, such as concurrent disorders and adverse childhood events. Alberta Health Services does not currently offer couple therapy as part of the standard treatment services for clients seeking counselling for addictions.

Five-day Training Workshop

This CRISM funding was awarded to conduct a 5-day training workshop on Congruence Couple Therapy to equip Alberta Health Services addiction counsellors to carry out an Alberta Gambling Research Institute funded study “Gambling Disorder vs Alcohol Use Disorder: Comparing Treatment Outcomes with Congruence Couple Therapy”. The CRISM project builds collaborative capacity in knowledge translation between researchers and Alberta Health Services to enhance evidence-based research and practice in addiction treatment.

Workshop participants (N=13) included experienced mental health and addiction counsellors as well as several student trainees from the University of Lethbridge.

The agenda for the five-day training session follows:

Gap in Relational Counselling
Congruence Couple Therapy
Philosophical Principles and Theoretical Framework
Opening Phase: Engagement & Hope
Middle Phase: Communication, Looking for Patterns & Linking the Dimensions
Consolidation Phase: Tying up the Bundle

Workshop Evaluation

The workshop was evaluated by a quantitative survey and two focus groups. Overall satisfaction rating of the workshop was 6.6 out of 7 (SD = 0.48) on a Likert Scale, and a high level of readiness for implementation of couple therapy in the experimental study, with a rating of 6 out of 7.

Focus group findings brought to the fore the following elements:

Relational Gap in Existing Services

An ostensible gap in couple counselling services in AHS addiction and mental health
A lack of capacity to offer couples counselling and a neglect of couples needs
A focus on substances and behavior but not underlying issues

Counsellors’ Appraisal of Congruence Couple Therapy