Doug Lawrence is an International Certified Mentor and holds two Mentor Certifications; Certificate of Competence – Mentor and the Certificate of Competence – Journey Mentor from the International Mentoring Community. Doug is the only one to hold the Certificate of Competence – Journey Mentor in the world today.
Doug served in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) for 25 years retiring in February of 1999 at the rank of Staff Sargent.
Doug has been involved in the certification of mentors since 2009 when he first partnered with an organization to provide mentor certification based on knowledge. Doug has now partnered with an expert in certification to provide a certification for mentors based on competence.
Doug is a volunteer mentor with the Sir Richard Branson Entrepreneur Program in the Caribbean and with the American Corporate Partners in the United States working with military personnel in their transition from military life to civilian life. He also works with Futurpreneur in Canada to provide mentorship to entrepreneurs. His approach in all of these situations is to be mindful of their mental well-being and to work with them to find solutions that best suit their needs.
Doug’s Practice of Mentoring continues to grow and has resulted in his accumulation of 2,200 hours of mentoring (in person and virtual), 235 hours of speaking opportunities and 672 hours teaching others how to effectively mentor. He is recognized as a thought leader in the mentoring space.
He has been working with researchers to examine the role of mentoring as a support for those struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). His experience in law enforcement coupled with working with people as a mentor who are suffering from PTSD has afforded him a unique view of mentoring and PTSD. His personal story is one that is compelling and it fuels his passion about wanting to help others.
Doug is a firm believer that mentoring begins with a person’s personal growth thereby helping to remove any obstacles or barriers to their professional growth and career development. As Doug has found, some of those barriers can be mental health and mental well-being challenges.
“You are Not Alone” came from the all too often stigma of people being afraid to ask for help, afraid to step out of the closet and say, “I need help”. Afraid to extend a hand to say, “it’s okay I will go with you on this journey.”
“You are Not Alone” came from cry for help and increased anxiety and depression from having to wait far to long for treatment and to begin a healing journey.
This book provides a solution to that problem.
Marina Raydun: What inspired you to write You Are Not Alone?
Doug Lawrence: The book came from conversations with many people over their mental health and the mental health of close family and friends. There was a lot of discussion surrounding the loss of a loved one who had taken their own life and what could have been done to prevent that. We collectively recognized that there was a gap and the work that I was doing in the mentoring space was seen as something that could be a part of the support structure for mental health and mental well-being.
MR: How is mentoring different from therapy?
DL: One of the significant differences between mentoring and counseling/therapy is the relationship that is established. A mentoring relationship is informal, meetings are in various settings, and the duration is typically long term. A counseling/therapy relationship is formal, sessions are typically in a therapist/counselor’s office, and the duration is usually not as long term as a mentoring relationship.
Another difference is the value of the advice provided. A mentor’s advice is well received on a personal and holistic level because of personal familiarity and professional admiration. A therapist/counselor’s input is respected due to training and how their expertise has helped other patients.
Mentoring is a two-way trusted relationship where the mentor and mentee learn and grow together on a personal and professional basis.
MR: In the everyday world, what role do you see mentoring taking?
DL: It plays a huge role in the development of current and future leaders in organizations and in communities. It plays a role in the support structure for mental health and mental well-being. Mentoring can create a positive work culture resulting in engaged employees, lower attrition/higher retention, and higher productivity.
MR: What is the first book that made you cry?
DL: Butterfly Kisses & Bittersweet Tears by Bob Carlisle.
MR: What does literary success look like to you?
DL: Success for me is when a reader comes up and says thank you. Your stories made me realize that I need to do things differently. I had some readers say to me with my first book that when they read it, it was like me sitting on a park bench and I was reading the book to them. I had built a relationship with them through the book. That is success to me.
MR: What is the most difficult part about your writing process?
DL: Dedicating time to write when I am in my most creative time slot. I definitely need time away from day-to-day stuff in order to properly concentrate on writing.
MR: What is your favorite genre to read?
DL: I remember taking a couple of books by Ken Blanchard on a holiday and finishing them in the first week that I was away. It was Raving Fans and Gung Ho both of which were leadership books but were done by delivering a story.
MR: What are you currently reading?
DL: Relax, Dammit by Timothy Caulfield
MR: If you could have drinks with any person, living or dead, who would it be? Why?
DL: Barack Obama. He is an inspiring speaker and draws you into the story that he is telling. He is a great story teller. He is a great leader as well.
MR: What did you edit out of your book?
DL: It was more modifying than editing material out of the book. I wanted to make sure that the lived experiences were relevant to my readers.
For more on Doug, please visit the following:
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/douglawrence-mentor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doug.lawrence.1610
Twitter: @TalentCDoug