The Reflective Practitioner is a Canadian practitioner quarterly publication offering reflections, commentaries, and articles on professional practice, cultural experience, human connection, and the lived dimensions of working with and caring for people.
The publication brings together voices from across professions and communities, including clinicians, educators, community practitioners, and individuals with lived experience. Each issue invites readers to pause, reflect, and reconsider the assumptions that shape how we work with others — and how we understand one another.
Editor-in-chief: Dr. Rahul Jain, PhD, MSW, RCSW, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
This issue is anchored to three moments in the Spring 2026 calendar: Autism Acceptance Month, Holi, and Mental Health Week Canada. Each event generates two reflections — one broad and one profession-specific.
Reflection 1 · Language & Inclusion · Autism Acceptance Month
"He's Nonverbal" — And Why That Phrase Deserves a Second Look
How the language we use about autistic children shapes expectations, limits engagement, and erases communication that is already happening.
For SLPs, OTs, educators, daycare workers, and families
Reflection 2 · Language & Inclusion ·
Profession-Specific: SLPs & OTs
Nonspeaking, Non-Vocal, Minimally Verbal — What Do We Actually Mean?
A closer look at the terms we use in practice, and how they influence assessment, goal-setting, and communication with families.
For SLPs, OTs, BCBAs, and early intervention professionals
Reflection 3 · Culture & Identity · Holi
Holi in Canada: Louder Here Than Back Home
Why cultural celebrations in diaspora communities often feel more vibrant than in their places of origin — and what that reveals about identity, belonging, and memory.
For immigrants, students, educators, and mental health practitioners
Reflection 4 · Education & Culture · Profession-Specific: Educators
When a Student Brings Their Culture into the Classroom
How educators can respond meaningfully when culture enters the classroom — without reducing it to tokenism or performance.
For teachers, professors, and educational leaders
Reflection 5 · Wellbeing · Mental Health Week Canada
We Talk About Mental Health — Just Not at Work
What mental health conversations include, what they leave out, and why workplaces remain one of the hardest places to speak honestly.
For employers, leaders, HR professionals, and working professionals across sectors
Reflection 6 · Clinical Practice · Profession-Specific: New Counsellors
Ten Mistakes New Counsellors Make in the First Session — And Why They Happen
The patterns that show up early in clinical practice, why they occur, and how awareness can shift the therapeutic relationship.
For counselling students, new clinicians, and supervisors
How to cite a reflection from this issue:
Jain, R. (2026). [Reflection title]. The Reflective Practitioner, 1(1). ISSN XXXX-XXXX. https://reflectivepractitioner.ca