Philosophy

‘Leadership is action’ – it’s a maxim that perhaps best sums up the essence of how we’ve
always gone about our work at The Counselling Foundation of Canada, since Frank
Lawson formally established the organization in 1959. In the decades since, the
Foundation has managed to grow its influence and continually re-frame its mission in
response to the needs of those agencies and communities that benefit most from our
assistance.

Among the most important grants that the Foundation awarded during Frank Lawson’s
lifetime were those directed towards university career centres. He felt this is where the
Foundation’s influence would be most profound while improving technical skills was a
secondary concern. The Foundation would fund the start-up costs for these career
centres on the understanding that the university would, one, promote a psychological
approach to counselling and, two, assume the financial responsibility for the centre once it
was up and running.

In first establishing the Foundation, Mr. Lawson sought to create and enrich counselling
programs and improve the technical skills of counsellors. He was particularly determined
to develop and pilot grant opportunities that would elevate ideas of self-worth and the
importance of work among young people. Grant applications were subjected to rigorous
standards and those approved were considered a solid investment in the provision of
counselling services to young people.

After Frank Lawson’s death in 1984, and with the establishment of university career
centres having already taken place, two of Frank Lawson’s children, Donald Lawson and
Jean Hamm took over leadership of the Foundation.

Over the years, the Foundation’s mandate has evolved and expanded to focus more fully
on efforts that would contribute to the total development of the individual. Counselling,
mentoring and volunteering in the community were all developed as pillars of the
program, while also maintaining a large role in the professional development of
counsellors. While still leveraging their strengths in counselling and career development,
the Foundation has expanded the scope of its mission to include factors that affect future
employability, which helps address a number of issues among youth and adults alike.

It is testament to Frank Lawson’s vision and determination to legitimize the field of
counselling that it is today embraced by secondary and post-secondary education
institutions, as well as community-based organizations. It is in Mr. Lawson’s willingness to
take an idea and nurture it – to let it grow and evolve naturally, and pass the responsibility
on to others – that distinguishes The Counselling Foundation