Events Calendar

This one-day interactive professional development training provides the trauma-informed information and skills needed by personnel working with people and families with experiences of domestic and family violence (DFV), past and current.

This one-day interactive professional development training provides the trauma-informed information and skills needed by personnel working with people and families with experiences of domestic and family violence (DFV), past and current.

This one-day interactive professional development training for legal and justice personnel acknowledges the significant risk of vicarious trauma (VT) and burnout in daily practice and distinguishes between them. In so doing it supports you, professionally and personally, to stay safe, healthy and resilient.

By viewing videos of actual therapy sessions and through practice skills, clinicians develop skills in assessing for PTSD; decreasing arousal; obtaining a trauma history; and in processing traumatic memories through Radical Exposure Tapping (RET)

* FPS Relevant Activity *

Live Webinar

• Introduction to People with Intellectual Disability - presented by Siobhan Gibbs, Victim of Crime Support Worker - delivered 11 June 2020
• Responding to Disclosures of Sexual Violence - presented by Siobhan Gibbs, Victim of Crime Support Worker- delivered 18 June 2020
• Postponed to 09 July 2020 - Supporting Recovery from Trauma - presented by Jill Olver, Psychologist and Counsellor

The Northern Rivers Social Work Practice Group look forward to connecting with local social workers, as we work together to promote, strengthen and support our profession within this beautiful community.

Training: Working with Veterans and Open Arms

Presenter: Kylie Watson

Most people enjoy being heard. If they engage in therapy, they need to be heard. Regretfully, the experiences of individuals are often unintentionally minimised and their realities denied, not only by family and friends but also by professionals. Not being heard, in turn, can increase a person’s feelings of aloneness and create a roadblock to their recovery.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

* Also available as a live webcast on the 5th August 2020 click here

Help couples in your practice manage conflict and deepen intimacy! This is the first step in learning Gottman Method Couples Therapy. A truly inspiring workshop, Level 1 Training will give you new insights into treatment for couples who struggle, using research-based assessments and effective interventions.

Day One of this two-day workshop provides a historical look at the development in our understanding of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), which includes current epidemiological studies and clinical presenting features. Day Two takes a more in-depth focus on the four
modules, and the general therapeutic stance taken by a DBT practitioner.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

* Also available as a live webcast on the 6-7th August 2020 click here

How can we differentiate bipolar disorder from borderline personality disorder (BPD), obsessive-compulsive disorder from obsessivecompulsive personality disorder, or a cognitive lack of empathy from the emotional lack of empathy that is part of narcissistic personality disorder (NPD)? Although personality disorders are often talked about, their symptoms can be difficult to recognise - particularly by novice therapists who may be baffled by behaviours associated with personality disorders. This seminar will provide an understanding of the ten DSM-5 listed personality disorders, with an emphasis on: learning to identify the symptoms; understanding the lived experience of consumers; and learning to manage some of the difficult behaviours.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

Are pain and suffering the same? In suicide prevention we listen for and validate any subtleties of pain that our clients deem to be unbearable. Nevertheless, suffering and pain is complex and often in reflection after having provided a counselling/support session one will ask themselves if they missed something?

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

* Also available as a live webcast on the 22nd August 2020 click here

Do you find working with couples a challenge? Would you like to feel more confident to be able to work with couples? Being an effective couple therapist requires us to develop skills that may not come naturally. This two day workshop teaches participants the fundamental skills of couple therapy and explores the challenges of working with adults who present with relationship problems and the particular issues they bring to the counselling room.

*FPS relevant activity *

** AASW Member discount **

CPT is a cognitive-behavioural treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). CPT was developed in the late 1980s and has been shown to be effective in reducing PTSD symptoms related to a variety of traumatic events including child abuse, combat, rape and natural disasters.

* FPS Relevant Activity *

This 3-day face to face course is an opportunity not only to be trained in the RISE UP model of supervision, but for personal growth and personalised feedback, which culminates in a formal assessment phase. It has a pre-reading component of up to 40 hours. Your presenter has extensive experience in private practice and supervision, affording you insight into cases and supervision issues

This workshop utilises two models of supervision to help supervisors tailor their supervisory approach with supervisees.

This course will provide the skills to effectively teach clients to regulate their nervous systems and emotions. Techniques for assisting hyper arousal and hypo arousal are taught and participants will directly experience these skills as well as taking away tools for conveying them effectively to their clients.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

‘I was fine until I retired’ or ‘I was okay whilst my kids were living at home’ are common statements we hear when we are trying to understand what life was like before a significant life-change. The transition process has thrown the familiar world into chaos and confusion. This course is for all who facilitate/counsel and support these negotiations of ongoing change and stress and want to build resilience in their clients in support of them making healthy, positive choices.

This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

* Also available as a live webcast on the 26th September 2020 click here

Mindful Self-Compassion is an outstanding workshop. The program consist of didactic and experiential training exercises in mindfulness and self-compassion, to improve professional skills and personal lives.

Rapidly expanding research shows that mindfulness and self-compassion are strongly associated with emotional well-being, lower levels of anxiety, pain and depression, better healthy habits such as diet and exercise, more satisfying personal relationships and enhanced self-care.

* FPS Relevant Activity *

This course will teach you the fundamentals of CBT, guided imagery, counselling, stress management and relaxation. The emphasis is on using a positive approach with your patients.

Date to be confirmed - due to Covid-19 please contact provider for further details

* FPS Relevant Activity *

In this two-day workshop, the first day gives theory and practice of group therapy. The term 'group therapy' can be applied to a variety of theoretically and practically different kinds of groups from the psychoanalytic to the CBT.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

The Adolescent Culture workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to engage and be a part of an informative and experiential/interactive session about young people today. This workshop will include discussions, activities and information on adolescent culture, highlighting what young people are experiencing, feeling, participating in and experimenting with. In addition, participants will walk away with a tool belt with skills and strategies to best engage with and motivate young people.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

* Also available as a live webcast on the 16th October 2020 click here

In this two-day training we will explore the function and processes of dissociation and learn why mindfulness is so terrifying yet fundamental to healing. We will take a tour of the most primitive and most expansive areas of humanity in order to learn how to bring quality and peace to our own, as well as our clients, life.

This training workshop will give social workers the confidence and skills to use Prolonged Exposure therapy to help clients recover from posttraumatic stress disorder and related mental health issues. The training incorporates pre-training online learning, lecture, discussion, demonstration therapy videos, and skill development exercises with feedback.

*FPS Relevant Activity*

Doing Death and Dying Well (Deathwalker Training) is a 3 day strength based training providing pallative care awareness to professionals working with people who are dying, their loved ones and carers. The training provides legal and practical knowledge around death and dying. It is experiantial and educational in it's delivery, building resilience and developing skills that enable you to accompany the dying person, their loved ones, carers and bereaved on their journey during what can be a challenging time.

CFT was developed for mental-health issues linked to shame and self-criticism, and for work with those who often come from difficult (eg. neglectful or abusive) backgrounds (Gilbert). The focus is not the content of the client’s problems but the affect and attitude the client takes towards themselves in their suffering. The absence or presence of self-compassion has potential to amplify pain or soothe emotional pain, respectively. Kindly & non-judgmentally relating to oneself & one’s emotional experiences is a worthwhile therapeutic target (Germer & Neff, 2013).

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information

* Also available as a live webcast on the 28th October 2020 click here

A growing body of research suggests that health professionals benefit from Mindfulness Based Interventions and Loving-Kindness Meditations that increase their Self-Compassion, since these practices can strengthen their relationships with clients, reduce the chances of burnout and increase overall wellbeing (Bellinghasu, Jones &Hutton, 2014). Applying Mindfulness and Self-Compassion practices in personal life, has the capacity to enhance professional effectiveness and increase longevity.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for further information

It is well known that trauma is re-enacted but the reenactment of trauma poses many clinical challenges. This is partly because unresolved trauma is often dissociated and non-verbal, expressed in domains other than spoken language.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for further information

* Also available as a live webcast on the 30th October 2020 click here

Doing Death and Dying Well (Deathwalker Training) is a 3 day strength based training providing pallative care awareness to professionals working with people who are dying, their loved ones and carers. The training provides legal and practical knowledge around death and dying. It is experiantial and educational in it's delivery, building resilience and developing skills that enable you to accompany the dying person, their loved ones, carers and bereaved on their journey during what can be a challenging time.

Motivational interviewing is a collaborative, goal oriented style of communication with particular attention to the language of change.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

The primary purpose of a Deep Dive SAR is to assist participants to evaluate their biases, values, attitudes, and feelings regarding a variety of sexuality topics.
This two-day intensive course utilises multimedia, speakers, panels, and small group discussion to provoke an experiential, cognitive, and affective deep dive exploring the range of human sexual expression and behaviour.

*this event date may change due to current Covid 19 pandemic*

*AASW member discount*

This seminar aims to enhance counselling practitioner’s knowledge, sensitivity and awareness for working with transgender people. Some of the topics covered will be; awareness of language when referring to trans people, scales of sex and gender, the current DSM gender dysphoria diagnosis, referral requirements for treatment and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health standards. Specifically, this training addresses background information, terms & definitions, diagnosis criteria, the prevalence of gender diversity & aspects of assessment.

* This training may be considered Focused Psychological Strategies. Please refer to the DoH website for further information

* Also available as a live webcast on the 6th November 2020 click here

The early 21st Century is presenting monumental challenges to both leaders and everyday people. Global threats of climate change, mounting numbers of refugees, declines in civility and respect for democracy and accelerating inequality, to name only a few! Such matters may feel ‘all too big’ to fathom, let alone respond constructively.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

This two-day workshop presents a highly practical and interactive workshop (case-based) for treating PTSD patients; the content is applicable to both adult and adolescent populations.

*FPS Relevant Activity

Deepen your understanding of Gottman Method Couples Therapy and expand your strategies and interventions in your work with couples. Practice using Gottman Method interventions in group role-plays while receiving personal, supportive coaching from trainers. This workshop provides a wealth of information about relationship theory, observation, couple dynamics, relationship assessment, treatment planning, when and how to use interventions, and working with co-morbidities. All materials may be used in clinical settings.

The emphasis of this two-day training program is upon imparting practical, accessible skills to use immediately with survivors of complex trauma (especially child abuse and neglect).

* FPS Relevant Activity *

The unpredictability of mood swings and rages associated with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) can be confusing and challenging for family, friends, colleagues and therapists alike. The hidden agenda and ruthlessness associated with Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) can be dangerous.

This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

* Also available as a live webcast on the 18th November 2020 click here

Participants are expected to bring to the workshop a de-identified case of a person in treatment for narcissistic issues. This will be shared in small peer groups and provide a focus for working clinically with such clients.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

Developed by Sue Johnson and Les Greenberg in 1985, Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) is a short-term systematic intervention designed to reduce distress in adult love relationships while creating more secure attachment bonds

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

* Also available as a live webcast on the 25th November 2020 click here

With the development of neuroscience and its emphasis on the necessity of working with the body for effective therapeutic work, more practitioners are bringing work with the body into the therapy room. The most common method for doing this is to focus on the development of Insight. In this process, the therapist teases out themes, patterns and repetitions that are occurring at a level of body awareness or mindfulness. Insight develops and self-knowledge increases. However, as with traditional therapeutic approaches, other somatic interventions are available to deepen the therapeutic effectiveness of working with the body.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

* Also available as a live webcast on the 26th November 2020 click here

Males make up approximately only 30% of therapy clients and when they do attend, it’s not uncommon for them to experience some struggle to engage with the counselling process. If attending as an obligation feeling pressured to attend, they may present with overt resistance and/or aggression. Many therapists feel underprepared to work with men and do not recognize how ‘therapy-as-usual’ can violate some models norms of traditional manhood.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.

Western psychology focuses on how I am (thoughts, feelings, behaviour and so on) and who I am (identity, personality, etc.). These themes are central to most therapies. However, something is missing, something that has traditionally been the focus of the Eastern approach... and that is that I am, the fact of being, the enduring and underlying self that is so intimate, so essential, so unfailing that it is usually overlooked.

*This training may qualify for Focussed Psychological Strategies (FPS) CPD. Please refer to the Dept. of Health for more information.