Wanda Dawe's early life followed a similar pattern to many Newfoundland women. She graduated from high school and vocational school, worked in available occupations, married, and had two sons. Later, as a single mother, she worked to support herself and her children. One of the positions she held was with Community Services as a Social Assistance Worker. Through that line of work, she became familiar with many of the problems that can be encountered by people in the riding of Avalon.
The new path in her life came when her sons were grown. At that time, she decided to pursue her ambitions to develop her own career.
In 1986, she began attending Memorial University where she completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree, majoring in English. As an undergraduate, she was on the Dean's List and was awarded the Dr. John M. Darte Memorial Scholarship. In 1992, she graduated with an MA in Philosophy, and was recognized as a Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies for her outstanding academic achievement throughout her graduate program. In 1998, she earned a Doctorate of Philosophy with distinction in contemporary philosophy from the University of Ottawa (a bilingual university), having won two Merit Scholarships.
In 1999, she obtained American Philosophical Practitioners Association (APPA) certification as a Client Counsellor and in 2000 she obtained APPA certification as a Group Facilitator from City College of New York.
She is a member of the APPA which was founded in March 1998, and the Canadian Society for Philosophical Practice (CSPP) which was established in December 1998. Both associations have adopted a Code of Ethics that is embodied in their constitutions.
From 1993 to 1998 she taught "Introduction to Principles of Philosophy, Logic, and Ethics" on a contractual basis in the Philosophy Department of Memorial University. In the fall of 1999, she taught "Introduction to Philosophy, Critical Reasoning, Existentialism and Business Ethics" at Felician College in New Jersey, USA.
In 2000, she began Dawe Counselling Services in Bay Roberts. As services, she offers client counselling, group facilitation, and organizational consulting. Her approach to counselling is client centered, combining philosophical insights with techniques widely used today in behavioural therapy and in rational-emotive and other cognitive based therapies. Since opening Radiance Hair Studio and Spa in 2004, she continues to work counselling clients from her home office.
Philosophical Counselling is a type of counselling that uses philosophical insights and methods to help people think through significant issues in their life. As a developing discipline, Philosophical Counselling(PC) is making its presence known as an alternative form of mental health intervention. Philosophical Counselling may be broadly construed as a psychotherapeutic approach that aims toward philosophical critique, self-investigation, and insight.
Philosophical Counselling helps a person deal with a problem or problems that are issues for that person. Most people are quite capable of resolving issues either by themselves or with the help of significant others. However, there are times when problems become too complex. Sometimes values seem to conflict, facts appear contradictory, reasoning about a problem becomes trapped within a circle, or life seems unexpectedly meaningless. At those crises moments, Philosophical Counselling can be of benefit.
