Live Webinars

Browse our unique range of upcoming Live Webinars. Hear from Dr Joan Haliburn, Prof Andrew Moskowitz, Prof Onno van der Haart, Dr Lynne Jacobs, Dr Nick Bendit, Dr Valerie Sinason, Dr Kevin Keith, Dr Daniel Goldin and others in our exclusive, thought-provoking webinar series.

Jan-Mar 2023

Psychedelics research: Therapeutic horizons of possibilities and risks (Free Webinar)

Dr Kevin Keith

Thursday, 2nd February, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEDT

This short webinar outlines the current state of psychedelics therapy research internationally and in Australia. More specifically, a brief survey of ‘which drug’ for ‘which condition’ will be provided. In particular, we will look at implications for treatment resistant conditions such depression and PTSD and two particular areas will be highlighted: (1) possible relaxation of implicit ‘tightened beliefs’ arising from trauma and chronic maladaptive uncertainty, and (2) the generation of ‘meaning enhancement’. The role of neurobiological plasticity will be considered as one hopeful mechanism for change. Finally, risks for such trials as well as for vulnerable cohorts will be clarified.

Personality: Infant temperament & childhood uniqueness (personality)—Current integrative perspectives

Dr Kevin Keith

Thursday, 2nd March, 2023
6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. AEDT

This webinar introduces current evidence-based perspectives on a few key features from infant and childhood development, containing some ideas not typically covered in much of our academic and clinical training. What exactly is understood today by temperament? And how might these be comprised? Are these heritable and therefore remain stable over time? And more importantly, what role/impact do they play/have on the umbrella notion of ’emerging personality’ through childhood and beyond?

What’s in a Name? Trauma, Complex Trauma, PTSD, Complex PTSD & Borderline Personality Disorder – The Differences

Dr Joan Haliburn

Saturday, 25th of Feb, 2023
11.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. AEDT

In this webinar Dr Joan Haliburn will attempt to clarify the differences between these terms often subsumed in the term Developmental Trauma Disorder. She will elaborate the aetiology, developmental lines and symptomatology presented and the importance of elucidating these in anyone who presents with a history of trauma. Dr Haliburn will also touch on the history of how BPD began to be seen as a pejorative label by some, with attempts to replace it with PTSD, only to be debated as being too simple when complex trauma was involved, changing this to Complex PTSD. This is a compromise diagnosis – it does our patients a dis-service depriving them of appropriate treatment, which she will discuss with case excerpts. The webinar will conclude with Q & A session.

Case Notes and Recordkeeping in Therapy

Dr Kris Rao

Thursday, 2nd March, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEDT

‘Our memory has no guarantees at all, and yet we bow more often than is objectively justified to the compulsion to believe what it says.” — Sigmund Freud

Our memory is not the most reliable recording keeping tool. Therapists have long relied on notes to track client progress and maintain continuity from session to session. Remembering previous sessions is a basic demonstration of respect for our clients. Recordkeeping, however, is more than just a memory aid. Case notes and other records in therapy can help us track ongoing conceptualisations, make better decision, keep our clients safe, and enable accurate information sharing with other practitioners. Keeping good records is a requirement of all employing agencies. In private practice, conscientious and accurate recordkeeping can shield us from legal risks.

Relational emotion processes in psychotherapy: ‘Implicit relational knowing’, ‘engagement & the charged other’ and ‘being moved’

Dr Kevin Keith

Tuesday, 7th March, 2023
6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. AEDT

This webinar will explore three overlapping relational emotion processes explored first by the Boston Change Process Study Group (BCPSG) – ‘implicit relational knowing’, ‘engagement & a charged other’ and ‘being moved’. The first has emerged as a fruitful application of caregiver-infant interactions (mutually regulatory ones) to adult psychotherapy suggesting a causal role for the therapeutic relationship in adult treatment. The second process, ‘engagement with a charged other’ represents an explicit deepening of the first concept and clarifies three contributions: a) a core positive affective investment; b) prioritization; and c) continuity. In the last of the three, ‘moving through and being moved by’, the BCPSG expands previous work by identifying a shared emotional process depicted as ‘body-based interaffectivity.’ Noteworthy here is how embodiment and meaning making are brought together as part of a single relational emotion process.

Dr Lynne Jacobs on Power & Vulnerability in the Supervision. A workshop for supervisors & supervisees.

Dr Lynne Jacobs

Saturday, 18th of March, 2023
11.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. AEDT

Both participants in the supervision relationship are personally and professionally vulnerable. Thus, the power is bidirectional, just as it is in therapy. Each participant has power, although the particular forms of power may be different, and the distribution of power may be asymmetrical. But no one is immune from narcissistic vulnerability, including the supervisor. Supervisors want to have the experience of being liked, respected, viewed as helpful, for instance. How do these desires get managed in difficult supervision processes? Supervisors and supervisees can benefit from exploring together how power and vulnerability operate in supervision relationships. We will explore together the vagaries of power and vulnerability, in hopes we can become more sensitized to the interplay of power and vulnerability in our supervisory relationships, and perhaps we can also become more graceful when these themes become disruptive forces in our work.

Working with the Unseen: Transference and Countertransference in Therapy

Dr Kris Rao

Wednesday, 22nd March, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m  AEDT

Transference and countertransference are useful and powerful instruments in psychotherapy. As therapists, we need to use them productively and compassionately to help our clients. Transference presents a microcosm of the client’s psychological life and the continuing influence of their early formative experiences. The client’s defensive aims and methods also contribute to the manifestation of transference. Countertransference is now also regarded as an important source of information on the client’s inner life and habitual ways of responding. It is widely acknowledged that countertransference is jointly created by the client and the therapist. The subjectivity of the therapist influences and informs the countertransference. As such, countertransference also tells us something about ourselves. That may explain why the majority therapists find it difficult to deal with countertransference in the room. Awareness of them by the therapist is crucial to successful work. This webinar will discuss interpreting transference and managing countertransference in therapy.

Attachment Theory Informed Psychotherapy: A Brief Survey of Current Practice

Dr Kevin Keith

Thursday, 23rd March, 2023
6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. AEDT

Attachment Theory has provided a vast research foundation for understanding lifespan development. Although Bowlby did not live long enough to see his hopes for an attachment-informed adult psychotherapy emerge, great progress has since been made. Initial notable clinical success has long supported improvements in attachments between infants/toddlers and their caregivers. More recently, if not belatedly, the field has also begun to impact the practice of adult psychotherapy. After a general introduction to attachment theory, focus will turn to three subjects: (1) evidence-based therapy with children-caregiver attachments, (2) the use of attachment theory for general assessment in therapy with adolescents and adults, (3) three examples of attachment-informed therapy with adolescents/adults (relational/ psychodynamic therapies, emotion focussed therapies and attachment narrative therapies.) Clinical vignettes and case studies will be provided throughout. The discussion will also identify accessible resources for further support/exploration beyond the session.

Working Through the Smokescreen. Understanding Defence Mechanisms.

Dr Kris Rao

Wednesday, 29th of March, 2023
6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. AEDT

Defence mechanisms were initially thought to be ways in which the person kept from awareness their sexual and aggressive drives, and managed internal conflict. The contemporary relational view is that these unconscious mechanisms are initially protective and adaptive and serve their purpose well, that is, prevent overwhelming fragmentation of self in the relatively helpless child. However, as they continue to be used into adulthood, they prove to be maladaptive and unhelpful to the patient. Defences are almost always embedded in relatedness when one evaluates the personality of a patient. Specific defences are typicall correlated with specific personality types or, in some cases, personality disorders. In therapy (and in daily life), defence mechanisms are always in-play. It is important for the therapist to be aware of the patient’s defence mechanisms, and the purposes they serve, and to work empathically with the patient to recognise and identify the mechanisms, improve their self-awareness and gain a new enduring understanding and control of their own behaviours. This process constitutes the ‘working through’. In this webinar, we will learn about the psychological function behind the use of defence mechanisms, the unconscious motives for protecting oneself and appropriate interventions to moderate such mechanisms.

Prof Andrew Moskowitz on Trauma, Dissociation and Violence

Prof Andrew Moskowitz

Saturday, 1st April, 2023
10.00 a.m to 12: 00 p.m AEDT

Almost 20 years ago, psychologist Andrew Moskowitz published a pair of articles on the relationship between dissociation and violent crime (Moskowitz, 2004a, 2004b). At that time, the relevance of trauma to violence had been recognized (e.g., The Cycle of Violence, Widom, 1989), but the important corollary role of dissociation had hardly been noted. In these two articles – a broad review of the relationship between dissociation and violence and an analysis of the role of dissociation in different types of offenders – a range of important issues were considered, including: a) the prevalence of dissociation in violent offenders, b) the frequency of amnesia after violent crime and its relation to dissociation, c) violence committed by individuals with dissociative disorders, d) dissociation as a mediator between childhood trauma and adulthood violence, e) peri-traumatic dissociation during violent episodes, and f) the role of dissociation in violent fantasies and Amok-style mass murders. Since 2004, these two seminal articles have been referenced hundreds of times in subsequent reviews and empirical investigations. The continued relevance and importance of the issues raised there will be discussed in the context of recent research and publications, along with implications for research, clinical work and forensic evaluation. For the first time in Australia, Prof Andrew Moskowitz will provide a comprehensive overview of the links and overlaps between the trauma, dissociation and violence.

Personality: Models of Adult Personality & traits and emerging opportunities for therapy

Dr Kevin Keith

Wednesday, 5th of April, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

This webinar on personality will familiarise participants with the field of adult personality, especially where possible applications for therapy may exist. After a general introduction to the field and trait notions, a survey of mental health findings from several competing personality models is offered. Included here are three neurobiological systems—Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS) traits, Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (formerly BIS/BAS), and Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS)—, the Big Five lexical system as well as Attachment anxiety/avoidance systems. Particular consideration will be given to efforts within integrative studies that seek to compare and combine insights from various systems. A more narrative lifespan approach to personality—longitudinal study of interactive effects of life events and personality traits—will also be engaged. Focus will also be given to practical clinical implications of the most-studied adult trait model: the Big Five traits: Neuroticism, Extroversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness.

Dr Nick Bendit on Trauma and Memory Systems

Dr Nick Bendit

Wednesday, 12th April, 2023
6.30. p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

Much of long-term therapy with clients with long-standing disorders (such as BPD, dissociative disorders, chronic depression, etc) involves the modification of emotionally traumatic experiences from early childhood. These disruptive and disorganising early experiences are held in early memory systems. These memory systems are not available for conscious reflection, yet organise our clients lives in chronically disastrous ways. This explains why short-term therapy, particularly therapy that relies on conscious remembering or psycho-education, simply don’t work for so many clients. This webinar will explain how most models of therapy need to be adapted to work with clients with early attachment trauma and will describe one particular psychodynamic model, the Conversational Model, that illustrates many of those principles.

Dr Valerie Sinason on Primitive Bodily Communication in Psychotherapy: Disability and Trauma

Dr Valerie Sinason

20th April 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m  AEST

When words fail, cannot be thought, formed, uttered or heard, some patients can communicate with their bodies. This applies especially to patients with an intellectual disability and those who have experienced extreme trauma. Head-banging, defecation, spit, blood can become the mode of communication, all of which bring a powerful counter-transference. Our response to infantile physical communications in adults can take us by surprise and can take us into areas never reached previously in therapy and analysis. However, when honestly faced and thought about remarkable transformations could happen. This webinar will explore these issues using examples from profound multiple disability, trauma including refugee experience and cult abuse.

Dr Joan Haliburn on Body Dissatisfaction, Attachment Insecurities, Social Anxiety – Anorexia and Bulimia in Adolescents.

Dr Joan Haliburn

Saturday, 22nd April, 2023
11.00 a.m to 12.30 p.m  AEST

Concerns about weight, shape and size are major concerns for adolescents with Anorexia and Bulimia. The origins are multifactorial – biological, sociocultural as in anxiety about how one is seen by others, family factors as in Insecure attachment styles feature predominantly, while fears of rejection and abandonment which cannot be expressed, add to negative affect. Alexithymia as a construct must be understood in the context of personality development and resulting food restriction. These and other important aspects of the major eating disorders will be discussed with clinical examples, and time will be available for questions.

Internal Working Models in Adult Attachment: How they might change?

Dr Kevin Keith

Thursday, 27th April, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

John Bowlby (1969/1982) sought to integrate the cognitive sciences with psychoanalysis and ethology (the study of animal behaviour). In doing so, he also proposed the Internal Working Models (IWMs) concept to account for ‘predisposed developing predictive learning mechanisms’ that guide attachment behaviour across the lifespan (Bolwby, 1980). IWMs were neither pure instincts—i.e., fixed action patterns—nor simple behaviourist learned responses to care. Rather, Bowlby anticipated the changes in developmental sciences that have embraced more complex notions interactivity. IWMs are simultaneously continuous and changeable. But how exactly? Disappointingly, these notions of the IWM have hardly advanced in any systematic manner over the 50 plus years since the first 1969 Volume One of Attachment and Loss.  Despite the lack of overt theoretical progress, a broad suite of multilevel biopsychosocial findings—genetic, epigenetic, brain/central neural system perspectives, peripheral autonomic and somatic systems, cognitive priming—represents a near tidal wave of non-dualistic findings for further consideration. Indeed, Bosmans and colleagues (2020) have recently suggested that perhaps like the cognitive sciences from the 1960s who commenced looking inside the mind, Attachment Theory might be ready for an ‘unravelling of the black box of attachment development’. This webinar will provide a survey of developments of Bowlby’s original conceptions with an aim to look at how IWMs might be considered in change in therapy with our clients. In addition to the above mentioned biopsychosocial research, consideration will be given to IWMs as both our unique individual specific representations and the more general emotional/relational capacities that guide our daily living. Case examples and group input will guide the practical consideration of what may change and how in an attachment informed therapy.

Therapist vulnerability: Challenges in a more relational therapeutic world

Dr Kevin Keith

Thursday, 4th May, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

This webinar takes up therapist vulnerability with a view to exploring a range practical, clinical applications. Three specific topics with accompanying case vignettes will be employed for practical exploration of key content topics, as well as our own historical-, practice- and current self-reflection. (1) A first look examines possible roles of therapist early personal history and specific implications for our practice. How are our motivations influenced by specific early experiences? And what might be the implications for current practice? A case example will assist in helping us to explore our own challenges in balancing empathic support and appropriate challenge. (2) A second matter will explore issues around self-disclosure and narcissistic vulnerability. Therapist disclosure is increasingly seen in more contextual and flexible manners these days. But awareness of appropriate personal needs [sometimes termed ‘healthy narcissism’] may inevitably be accompanied by less aware needs. (3) Finally, a last topic engages the slightly more nebulous topic of enactments. What are they within the current discussion? Are they inevitable? How do we best assess options for repair? As with the other topics, a case vignette will be engaged and personal reflection considered. The webinar concludes with a reminder of the role for affect regulation in embracing the therapist’s vulnerability in a more relational therapeutic world.

The More, the Murkier! Complex Ethical Issues: Working with Couples and Families

Dr Kris Rao

Saturday, 6th May, 2023
10.00 a.m to 12.30 p.m AEST

With multiple individuals involved, working with couples and family groups is inherently complex as it involves multiple and shifting relationships. Having more than one person in the room changes the dynamics of our relationship and brings in additional ethical responsibilities. How does our existing training and competencies prepare us for this? To whom do we owe professional responsibilities when treating a family or a couple? Consider: Who is the client? Who determines the goals? Is that the partner who made the booking? Is it the relationship itself? Or perhaps the oldest person in the family group? Is it the most educated or knowledgeable person? Or the one paying for therapy? Whose side should you, could you, take? What happens if you get caught up in family power games? How do you work with multicultural members within the same family? How do we navigate confidentiality and Informed Consent?, How do we navigate issues of infidelity and betrayal? What if there are children involved? Who has access to the case notes and records? Under what circumstances can such information be released? Is it appropriate to treat a couple or family as a unified entity when there has been violence? The intersection of multiple personalities can rapidly complexify and exacerbate ethical issues. Are you ready to tackle them when working with couples and families? This webinar will prepare you to navigate potential ethical challenges when working with couple and families. The webinar will integrate contemporary cases studies to the concepts discussed

Setting up a Successful Private Practice. Actualise Your Inner Entrepreneur!

Dr Kris Rao

Wednesday, 10th of May, 2023
6.00 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

Running your own business can be immensely rewarding. Being a great counsellor or psychotherapist is only the beginning. A successful private practice requires careful planning, a good understanding of the market, compelling branding ad marketing, effective sales/referrals, and diligent ongoing management. In this intensive webinar, you will discover practical steps to set up your private practice effectively such as writing a business plan, understanding how working for yourself differs from employment, and learning about the counselling & psychotherapy market. You will gain an understanding of your target client group, sources of referrals for that group, and opportunities within the allied health systems. You will also learn important management skills around fees and billing, financial and other mandated recordkeeping, and risk assessment/mitigation best-practices.

This 150 minute webinar will prepare you to set-up and manage your successful counselling and psychotherapy private practice. This webinar is ideal for students exploring post-graduation options, as well as new graduates or working professionals looking at working for themselves.

“Problem of the disappearing client”: Dealing with premature dropouts in therapy & strategies for client retention.

Dr Kris Rao

Wednesday, 17th May, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 AEST

Dropouts represent a significant challenge in therapy. Recent research indicates that anywhere between 20 and 57 percent of therapy clients do not return after their initial session and around 37 to 45 percent only attend therapy a total of two times (Binnie & Boden, 2016). Studies have also shown that there are no differences in early termination amongst various approaches (such as CBT, Psychodynamic, Humanistic, etc) but mainly due to client’s factors, their expectations, therapist factors and the nature of therapeutic relationship (Swift & Greenberg, 2012). This webinar will look at the range of issues experienced by clients that leads to premature disengagement/dropout from therapy. It will also look at therapist limitations and non‐curative factors of psychotherapy. We will also look at strategies and framework which a therapist can apply right from the first session to mitigate early disengagement from therapy.

Supervising Novice Practitioners

Dr Kevin Keith

Thursday, 25th May, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

Supervision of practitioners is a requirement for most professional mental health workers. However, unlike many areas of treatment, very little evidence exists as to what might count as effective supervision. Nonetheless, this story may not be as dire as it might first read. After survey of the brief research on supervision effectiveness, the webinar focus will turn to a second more fertile discussion of supervision research. Helpful theoretical models, expert surveys and research on the developmental needs of novice practitioners will provide the concepts for discussion of a possible ‘how to’ list. What activities might be required for constructive supervision? What might be included under term, ‘contract’? What might the marks of good therapist/therapy and a good supervision look like? A brief look at the notion of a novice closes out the webinar content. This will consider a fresh look at what might define a novice and what does a novice become after they are no longer a novice. What changes: possibly the gradual internalisation of habits of good practice? The session will close off with a Q&A where more specific questions regarding supervision practice.

Addressing the impact of stigma: Insights and therapeutic responses.

Dr Kevin Keith

Wednesday, 31st of May, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

The shameful impact of stigma and stigmatisation regarding Mental Health (MH) remains severe, notwithstanding decades of research. Consequently this webinar endeavours to answer the meta-question “Where, how, and for whom do various forms of stigma and stigmatising appear in our work” and clarify the current state of knowledge on stigma and stigmatising, plus highlight important treatment implications for Mental Health (MH) practitioners. Recent research has identified five possible facets of stigma that contribute to that shameful impact:

a) SOCIETAL LABELLING: This may be as destructive as the condition itself

b) CARERS AND FAMILIES: Distress and suffering arising from the symptoms also impacts carers and families

c) JUDGEMENT: Clients may be judged as ‘violating social norms’ of independence, reciprocity, etc.

d) HELP-SEEKING: Both self-perception and societal perceptions of MH issues can complicate multiple aspects of MH care and treatment

e) INTERNALISATION RISK: This arises from public and institutional attitudes and may increase likelihood of shameful self-stigmatising

To mitigate that detrimental impact, the webinar will look at recent therapeutic approaches and clinical responses including:

(1) Understanding which of our therapy client cohorts might be impacted

(2) Examining the value/utility of affirmative and self-compassion therapies

(3) Increasing therapists awareness of stigma-informed clinical responses, contexts, conditions and treatments

Preparing for Legal Encounters

Dr Kris Rao

Saturday, 3rd June, 2023
11.00 a.m to 12.30 p.m AEST

Run-ins with the law are only exciting in the movies. Despite your best intentions, there may come a time when the law comes knocking on your door (or inbox.) A legal situation may arise in circumstances such as: a client raises a legal complaint against you, when a duty of care is breached, you suffer a data/privacy breach, you fail to disclose an offence or failing mandatory report, you have a dispute with your insurance company, or you receive a subpoena for client notes. Do you understand what terms like liability and indemnity mean? And what could happen to your business and possibly private assets if someone sues you? Preparation is the best protection. There are proactive steps you can build into the day-to-day operation of your practice to protect you should in legal eventualities. Having the right processes in place frees you to do what you love – looking after your clients!

Adult Disorganised Attachment: Definition, Development, Assessment and Care

Dr Kevin Keith

Thursday, 8th June, 2023
6.30. p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

Blurb At vero eos et accusamus et iusto odio dignissimos ducimus qui blanditiis praesentium voluptatum deleniti atque corrupti quos dolores et quas molestias excepturi sint occaecati cupiditate non provident, similique sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollitia animi, id est laborum et dolorum fuga. Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio.

Personality: Adult personality difficulties and implications for personality—proposed etiologies, assessments, treatment and care

Dr Kevin Keith

Thursday, 15th June, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

This webinar directs our gaze to serious personality difficulties, with which a significant cohort may struggle. In particular, the webinar will ‘unpack’ at contemporary research findings which calls for engagement with more robust models of complex personality development including “unmet developmental challenges” and “understanding the person”. The webinar begins with a survey of more recent definitional efforts in the field of personality and psychiatry. Shifts from previous categorical approaches to “disorders” to considerations of a continuum of experience have generated benefits for researchers, practitioners and clients by offering a more fit-for-purpose approach for issues such as comorbidity, complex causality and treatment options.

Three relatively similar continuum models and assessments with slightly different conceptualisations will be reviewed: (1) Personality Functioning: Alternative DSM-5 Model for PDs (AMPD), (2) Personality Structure: Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnostics Life Inventory-Levels of Structural Integration axis (OPD-LSIA), (3) Personality Organization: the Inventory of Personality Organization (IPO). All three identify possible focal areas for treatment and provide a more tractable approach. Finally, a slightly more user-friendly interview approach (P-axis of the PDM) will also be employed in the context of a case study. Assessment and support options will be articulated on the basis of an identification of a person’s unique strengths and vulnerabilities

Lived Stories and Told Stories: The Looping Effect of Psychoanalysis

Dr Daniel Goldin

Saturday, 17th June, 2023
11.00 a.m to 12.30 p.m AEST

Before YouTube and TikTok, before books and poetry, before writing, humans put their stories together in conversation in order to share experiences and make sense of them. In our prehistory, the story never became a concrete artifact capable of being reproduced in a precise way and disseminated. It lived only in talk. And our ancestors continually tweaked their stories to meet current circumstances, to understand more and better, whether those stories were mythic explanations handed down from the past or current stories about the goings-on in contemporary life. Therapists and patients put together stories in a similarly dynamic way, intensifying a process we have engaged in since humans began to herd together on this earth.

Client Responsibilities From Beyond the Grave Therapist Professional Will: An Ethical Consideration

Dr Kris Rao

Wednesday, 21st June, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

The current emergencies & COVID pandemic has highlighted the fragility of the systems we take for granted every day, as well as our own mortality. What if we were to die unexpectedly? Where would that leave our clients? Consider what may need to happen after our unscheduled passing. Clients will need to be informed and appointments cancelled. Emergency referrals may need to be made for clients who require critical care. Client records will need to be removed from the office and archived lawfully. Final invoices will need to be sent, outstanding expenses paid, and the books closed. Banks, superannuation funds, accreditation, and other bodies will need to be notified. If you have business partners, the appropriate processes will need to be triggered to avoid business disruptions. Dying is hard work!

Developing a professional will is one way to address these concerns.

Men Want to Talk and Grow. Engaging Men in Therapy: What the Literature Says (Free Webinar)

Zern Liew

Thursday, 22nd June, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.00 p.m AEST

Men and boys represent 50% of the population who may be overlooked by the therapy industry. The APA released their first ever guidelines for working with men and boys in 2019 – not even five years ago. The level of psychological distress experienced by men appears to be increasing. Suicide levels remain unacceptably high. Men appear less willing to engage with health practitioners. This is especially so when it comes to mental health services. Most practitioners are women. It is not unusual to encounter those who believe that men are alexithymic and uncooperative clients. Men harbour fears, misinformation, and unhelpful beliefs about therapy. This webinar presents what the literature says about men and therapy. Understanding how men cope and seek help is important for practitioners who are serious about serving this population.

Jul-Sep 2023 

Dr Jackie Amos on When Wounds of Infancy Collide

Dr Jackie Amos

Saturday, 1st July, 2023
11.00 a.m to 1.00 p.m AEST

This webinar will present an attachment-based model of intergenerational maternal neglect and abuse of children. The model integrates two novel hypotheses with existing evolutionary research in the areas of attachment and interpersonal trauma. The first hypothesis is that ‘shame-without-solution’ is as important as ‘fright-without-solution’ in understanding traumatising attachment relationships in infancy. The second addresses the controlling adaptations to traumatising attachments in middle childhood and the corresponding hostile, helpless states of mind in adults with histories of chronic interpersonal traumatisation in important caregiving relationships. These adaptations are increasing recognised empirically as integral to the transmission pathway, and although attachment theory provides an evolutionary explanation of development during infancy few attempts have been made to extend an evolutionary understanding to these important observations in middle childhood and adulthood.

Case Notes & Recordkeeping in Therapy

Dr Kris Rao

Wednesday, 5th July,, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

Our memory is not the most reliable recording keeping tool. Counsellors and psychotherapists have long relied on notes to track client progress and maintain continuity from session to session. Remembering previous sessions is a basic demonstration of respect for our clients. Recordkeeping, however, is more than just a memory aid. Case notes and other records in counselling and psychotherapy can help us track ongoing conceptualisations, make better decision, keep our clients safe, and enable accurate information sharing with other practitioners. Keeping good records is a requirement of all employing agencies. In private practice, conscientious and accurate recordkeeping can shield us from legal risks.

Free Webinar: Where can an Employee Assistance Program take your professional practice?

Dr Pol McCann

Wednesday, 26th July, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.00 p.m AEST

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) provide small to large private companies, NGOs and government agencies with psychological support for their staff. Working for, or as a contractor for such EAP agencies will not only build your practice, but also your clinical skills. The webinar will help you to understand this growing sector of the counselling and psychotherapy profession, and assess if they are workplaces of interest. In this webinar, Dr Pol Miles-McCann will provide an overview of the EAP industry, list pathways on how a therapist in private practice can access contractual clients via EAP agencies, outline clinical and experience requirements (such modalities and skills), plus highlight other benefits for practitioners in private practice who are engaged by such organisations.

Attachment as embodied stress

Dr Kevin Keith

Wednesday, 2nd August, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

Our current best understanding of stress first emerged from with a Sterling & Eyer (1988) proposal for an Allostasis ‘wear and tear’ model for biological ageing, followed up by the McEwan & Stellar (1993) accompanying notion for cumulative risk: Allostatic Load. Both advance our understanding of multi-factor contributions to the resolution of current stress and possible long-term risks associated with “chronic, toxic stress.” The webinar begins with a brief review of stress research, especially the allostasis model and its interplay with the activation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The next part of the webinar extrapolates three clinical opportunities for consideration: (1) development of an assessment approach and possible planning, 2) an inventory on stressors and resilience to be conducted with clients, and (3) a possible engagement of the Allostasis model for psychoeducation in therapy. Three practical activities will follow. First, each of us will have a chance to complete our own inventory on stress. Then identification of stressors and resilience in clients and further options for client work along with valuable consideration of psychoeducation with a focus on our ethical duty to do no harm will be considered. A final Q&A will conclude the session.

.

Emergent Systems Theory as an Integrative Model of Psychotherapy for Personality Disorders.

Dr Lisa Cohen

Saturday, 5th August, 2023
9.00 a.m to 11.00 a.m AEST

There is today a veritable smorgasbord of psychotherapeutic treatments available, leaving the clinician at a loss to know how to select the appropriate treatment for each patient. In response, clinicians tend to either pick one model and stick to it religiously, like the Hindu parable of the blind men and the elephant, or develop a grab bag approach with no unifying explanatory framework to guide their choices. Emergent Systems Theory is an integrative model that addresses the issues of differential diagnosis and treatment selection from a neuro-evolutionary framework. The human psyche is conceptualized as a complex system, one which developed in layers across our evolutionary history and that even now carries the record of that history in its very structure. We will discuss five proposed layers of the mind/brain, each of which reflects a different point in human evolution, is characterized by distinct psychological processes, breaks down into distinct forms of psychopathology, and therefore requires specific therapeutic techniques. As such, these layers can offer a general map for differential diagnosis and treatment selection.  In this webinar, from the vantage point of Emergent Systems Theory, Dr. Cohen will explore common types of clinical presentations and treatment approaches, with an emphasis on personality disorders.

Ethical Responsibilities & Liabilities in Supervision – What Every Supervisor Need To Know

Dr Kris Rao

Tuesday, 15th August, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

Supervision has a crucial role in protecting clients, practitioners, and the profession. Supervision directly impacts practice fundamentals (such as informed consent and risk mitigation), therapeutic interactions (such as responding to cultural challenges, multiple relationships, defences, and transference/countertransference), safety (client and therapist vulnerabilities), and compliance confidence (confidentiality, privacy, record management, and disclosure). Effective supervision is ethical supervision. The supervision-supervisee relationship is different from the therapist-client relationship. Supervisors need to understand their ethical responsibilities and know the bounds of their legal liability. Is a supervisor liable for their supervisee’s negligence? How close and intense should supervision be? What are the reasonable responsibilities and actions expected of a supervisor?

This webinar helps supervisors understand their ethical responsibilities and legal liabilities in an Australian and New Zealand context.

Lived Stories & Told Stories: The Looping Effect of Analysis

Dr Daniel Goldin

Saturday, 19th Augus, 2023
11.00 a.m to 12.30 p.m AEST

Before YouTube and TikTok, before books and poetry, before writing, humans put their stories together in conversation in order to share experiences and make sense of them. In our prehistory, the story never became a concrete artifact capable of being reproduced in a precise way and disseminated. It lived only in talk. And our ancestors continually tweaked their stories to meet current circumstances, to understand more and better, whether those stories were mythic explanations handed down from the past or current stories about the goings-on in contemporary life. Therapists and patients put together stories in a similarly dynamic way, intensifying a process we have engaged in since humans began to herd together on this earth.

5 Ways to Gain Practical Counselling & Psychotherapy Clinical Experience (Free Webinar for Students)

Dr Kris Rao

Wednesday, 21st August, 2023
6.00 p.m to 7.30 p.m AEST

Are you about to, or have just graduated? Practical clinical experience is crucial to help new clinicians secure employment and transition to professional practice. Many employers desire clinical experience beyond training placements. Don’t let insufficient practical clinical experience limit your employment prospects! Volunteering is one way. But it may not suit every practitioner as we all have different theoretical, methodological, and client demographic preferences. This webinar presents five practical ways, including how to approach volunteering, to help you gain employment-ready practical clinical experience.

 

Social Unconscious: Working clinically with historical and cultural trauma

Dr Kevin Keith

Thursday, 31st August, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

Working cross-culturally is a professional requirement in most multi-cultural societies. However, when historical, intergenerational and cultural trauma are clinically present, the ethical stakes for the mental health workers may increase as clinical matters extend beyond the therapy room. This webinar will look at: (1) our best psychosocial biological considerations (social allostasis as well as social epigenetics), and (2) a good dose of self-aware cultural humility. These explanatory platforms are permitting us to account for lifelong vulnerabilities to risk and resilience, in which members of community/social/ cultural systems experience stress and trauma. Three practical applications will be engaged to expand our clinical capabilities – a) Completion of the Cultural Humility Scale, b) Developing assessment interventions with the Historical Trauma Model for Social Work & c) Analysis of a case study derived from the Cultural Trauma and Resilience Model. A final Q&A will conclude the session.

Dr Joan Haliburn on Trauma, Attachment & Somatization.

Dr Joan Haliburn

Saturday, 26th August, 2023
11.00 a.m to 12.30 p.m AEST

There is overwhelming evidence to show that early trauma disrupts the normal integrity of Self and that constant thwarting of the infant’s biological propensity to attach to a caregiver gives rise to a traumatic attachment – varying from insecure to disorganised. Somatisation has been described as an adaptive psychophysiological response to trauma where there is repeated threat of inescapable physical injury, the symptoms of which cannot be explained medically, or may accompany other psychiatric disorders such as severe depression and anxiety. Somatisation involves dissociation when cumulative experiences of chronic devaluation, emotional neglect, physical and/or sexual abuse compound its complexity. In this webinar, Dr Joan Haliburn will discuss the relationships between early trauma and somatisation. She will also provide a brief historical over-view, the changes in DSM-5 leading to its being renamed, Somatic Symptom Disorder, and in more depth, the principles of psychotherapy relating to a case of Somatization Disorder. The webinar will conclude with Q & A

Complex Ethical Issues: Working with Couples & Families

Dr Kris Rao

Saturday, 9 September, 2023
10.00 a.m to 12.30 p.m AEST

With multiple individuals involved, working with couples and family groups is inherently complex as it involves multiple and shifting relationships. Having more than one person in the room changes the dynamics of our relationship and brings in additional ethical responsibilities. How does our existing training and competencies prepare us for this? To whom do we owe professional responsibilities when treating a family or a couple? Consider: Who is the client? Who determines the goals? Is that the partner who made the booking? Is it the relationship itself? Or perhaps the oldest person in the family group? Is it the most educated or knowledgeable person? Or the one paying for therapy? Whose side should you, could you, take? What happens if you get caught up in family power games? How do you work with multicultural members within the same family? How do we navigate confidentiality and Informed Consent?, How do we navigate issues of infidelity and betrayal? What if there are children involved? Who has access to the case notes and records? Under what circumstances can such information be released? Is it appropriate to treat a couple or family as a unified entity when there has been violence? The intersection of multiple personalities can rapidly complexify and exacerbate ethical issues. Are you ready to tackle them when working with couples and families? This webinar will prepare you to navigate potential ethical challenges when working with couple and families. The webinar will integrate contemporary cases studies to the concepts discussed.

Working with the Unseen: Transference and Countertransference in Psychotherapy

Dr Kris Rao

Wednesday, 13th September, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

Transference and countertransference are useful and powerful instruments in psychotherapy. As therapists, we need to use them productively and compassionately to help our clients. According to Freud (1925), transference “dominates the whole of each person’s relations to his human environment”. Contemporary understanding of transference emphasises the client’s meaning-making of interactions with the therapist, drawing on the interplay with their earlier psychological organisations. Transference presents a microcosm of the client’s psychological life and the continuing influence of their early formative experiences. The client’s defensive aims and methods also contribute to the manifestation of transference.  Countertransference is now also regarded as an important source of information on the client’s inner life and habitual ways of responding. It is widely acknowledged that countertransference is jointly created by the client and the therapist. The subjectivity of the therapist influences and informs the countertransference.  As such, countertransference also tells us something about ourselves. That may explain why the majority therapists find it difficult to deal with countertransference in the room. Transference and countertransference are fundamental aspects of every therapeutic relationship. Awareness of them by the therapist is crucial to successful work. This webinar will discuss interpreting transference and managing countertransference in therapy.

 

 

Working with functional less secure attachments

Dr Kevin Keith

Wednesday, 20th September, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum

Clinical Case Report Writing: Best-Practice

Dr Kris Rao

Thursday, 21st September, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEST

We are sometimes called to write clinical case reports as part of our therapy practice. These reports support insurance claims, court proceedings, NDIS applications, and information sharing with agencies and other practitioners. Best practice case reports must meet a range of requirements. They must be fit for purpose (provide the needed information concisely), accessible (effective writing using appropriate clinical language), ethical (fair and accurate representation), and compliant with legal and other professional standards. Every report we write is an ambassador for who we are as a person, as well as for our proficiency. It may be the first and only source whereby others form an impression of our expertise and professionalism. It is also a vital way to differentiate ourselves business-wise, whether self-employed or representing our employer.

This webinar will show you how to write best-practice clinical case reports. You will receive free templates to use in your practice

Prof Moskowitz on Childhood Experiences and Delusions: Trauma, Memory and the Double Bind

Prof Andrew Moskowitz

Saturday, 23rd September, 2023
9.00 a.m to 11.00 a.m AEST

Delusions are the paradigmatic symptom of psychosis, the essence of irrationality. And yet, is there a way in which they could be understood? If we knew what a person experienced in their early childhood, could we possibly understand their delusional beliefs? This is the thesis put forward in this seminar. Beginning with a discussion of the flawed concept of delusions, we look at the nature of traumatic memories and empirical evidence that delusions can be linked to (adult) traumatic experiences. Pushing back to early childhood, we look at the complicated question of infantile amnesia and the psychological impact of disorganized attachment experiences. The concept of the double bind is also introduced, in a discussion of the psychological purposes that delusions may serve. As an illustration of these ideas, the case of Judge Daniel Schreber, whose father was a famous German pedagogue, is presented; his ‘memoirs’ of his psychosis were analyzed by Freud, Lacan and others to support their theories of mental illness. Others have recognized in Schreber’s delusions the symbolic expressions of experiences of childhood abuse. Finally, the therapeutic implications of these ideas are explored – can delusions be alleviated by accessing memories of the experiences on which they are based?

Oct-Dec 2023 (Coming soon)

Setting Up A Successful Private Practice

Dr Kris Rao

Wednesday, 11th October, 2023
6.00 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEDT

Running your own business can be immensely rewarding. Being a great counsellor or psychotherapist is only the beginning. A successful private practice requires careful planning, a good understanding of the market, compelling branding ad marketing, effective sales/referrals, and diligent ongoing management. This 150 minute webinar will prepare you to set-up and manage your successful counselling and psychotherapy private practice. This webinar is ideal for students exploring post-graduation options, as well as new graduates or working professionals looking at working for themselves.

Working Through the Smokescreen. Understanding Defence Mechanisms.

Dr Kris Rao

Wednesday, 25th October, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEDT

Defence mechanisms were initially thought to be ways in which the person kept from awareness their sexual and aggressive drives, and managed internal conflict. The contemporary relational view is that these unconscious mechanisms are initially protective and adaptive and serve their purpose well, that is, prevent overwhelming fragmentation of self in the relatively helpless child. However, as they continue to be used into adulthood, they prove to be maladaptive and unhelpful to the patient. Defences are almost always embedded in relatedness when one evaluates the personality of a patient. Specific defences are typicall correlated with specific personality types or, in some cases, personality disorders. In therapy (and in daily life), defence mechanisms are always in-play. It is important for the therapist to be aware of the patient’s defence mechanisms, and the purposes they serve, and to work empathically with the patient to recognise and identify the mechanisms, improve their self-awareness and gain a new enduring understanding and control of their own behaviours. This process constitutes the ‘working through’.

In this webinar, we will learn about the psychological function behind the use of defence mechanisms, the unconscious motives for protecting oneself and appropriate interventions to moderate such mechanisms.

Attachment Theory Informed Psychotherapy

Dr Kevin Keith

Thursday, 26th October 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEDT

Attachment Theory has provided a vast research foundation for understanding lifespan development. Attachment Theory informs how therapists can create a safe and caring relational environment and how this in turn can support the exploration and reconstruction of the client’s internal working models (IWMs) of self and others. Knowledge of Attachment Theory will also foster deeper therapeutic alliance and better positive therapeutic outcome related to change and growth for a client. More recently, the field has begun to impact the practice of adult psychotherapy. After a brief general introduction to attachment theory, focus will be given to four points: (1) the use for attachment theory for general assessment in therapy with adolescents and adults, (2) attachment-informed relational/ psychodynamic therapies, (3) specific application of the ‘distance management’ within therapy for attachment anxiety and avoidance, and (4) emotion focussed therapies.  The session will identify resources for further exploration as well as briefly highlight similar trends across other contexts and earlier lifespan.

Dr Paul Martin on Personal Grief Rituals

Dr Paul Martin

Saturday, 28th October, 2023
10.00 a.m to 12.00 p.m AEDT

Loss, grief and mourning are ubiquitous human experiences that pervade the work of therapists, psychiatrists, counselors, and social workers alike. Helping those who have experienced a significant loss can be challenging and confusing. In what ways can we tailor our interventions to accommodate the specific temperaments and psychological needs of our bereaved clients? Dr. Paul M Martin will explore research on the topics of complicated bereavement and attachment theory. He will then share his thoughts on the importance of taking attachment style into consideration when designing treatment plans for bereaved clients. Lastly, Dr. Martin will discuss how grief-focused therapy can be strengthened by working with clients to create personal grief rituals that are catered to their unique psychological needs and grounded in meaning about the specific relationship they are attempting to mourn.

Working with Adolescent Attachment—New Insights

Dr Kevin Keith

Saturday, 4th November
11.00 a.m to 1:00 p.m AEDT

Development in adolescence is increasingly being shown to occur across a sensitive period—a time-period of crucial experience-expectant growth. This important time can also be differentiated between an early and later adolescence, approximately reflecting sexual maturation and growth in socio-emotionality respectively. Attachment(s) experiences shifts significantly across both periods. First, a global attachment style emerges for the first time. Peer attachments—including both friends and romantic partners—emerge as one’s attachment network expands. Finally, ongoing attachment with parents and key caregivers continue to influence adolescent developmental outcomes. Attachment research is demonstrating interesting new insights for mental health. After exploring this important theoretical terrain, the webinar will look at specific clinical challenges that professionals may face when working with an adolescent cohort. Two case studies will be engaged: one looking at early adolescence, the second considering later adolescence. Self-esteem, peer competence, risk taking are a few of the important outcomes where attachment demonstrates important influence. Finally, innovative therapeutic assessment and treatment options are continuing to evolve. The webinar therefore offers practitioners an opportunity to build and refresh their skills for working with adolescent attachment.

 

Dr Nick Bendit on Understanding & Managing Deliberate Self-Harm in Therapy

Dr Nick Bendit

Wednesday, 15th November 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEDT

One of the most difficult areas in psychotherapy is deciding how to manage a chronically depressed patient who presents with a chronic pattern of deliberate self-harm (cutting, burning, punching oneself, non-lethal overdoses, etc). To ensure being able to safely and effectively work with such clients, the therapist has to concurrently do three things (1) Effectively assess the risk associated with their deliberate self-harm behaviours (2) Attempt to understand what is generating these experientially-driven behaviors (3) Try to manage their own anxiety on the client’s presentation In this webinar, Dr Nick Bendit will discuss the etiological factors associated with deliberate self-harm, as well as explain what drives and maintains those client patterns. He will also discuss assessment, severity of risk of deliberate self-harm, as well as the importance of managing countertransference responses in therapists. Dr Bendit will also clarify how to treat deliberate self-harm with psychotherapy.

Treatment of Complex Trauma-related Dissociation (Part 1)

Prof Onno van der Hart

Thursday, 16th November, 2023
7.00 p.m to 9.00 p.m AEDT

A survivor with a complex trauma-related dissociative disorder once remarked that therapists should realize that dissociative people have a great capacity for imagination, which often remains greatly under-utilized. However, imagination may also act as a liability, playing a major role in the maintenance of trauma-related dissociation of the personality, which consists of dissociative parts mainly functioning in daily life (Apparently Normal Parts of the Personality; ANPs) and parts stuck in trauma-time (Emotional Parts; EPs). EPs may intensely and involuntarily imagine, even hallucinate, that the traumas of the past occur again. Such experiences can be regarded as malignant hypnotic trance states, in which the involved part of the personality is caught, having no possibility to reflect on the experience. Indeed, hypnotic states are characterized by a narrowed field of consciousness, absorption, and (often but not always) suggestibility. In this webinar Prof Van der Hart will discuss the application of two types of hypnotic-like guided imagery work in which clients are assisted in voluntary and deliberately realize reaching mutually agreed positive treatment goals.

The two-session webinar will cover theoretical literature, case illustrations, and practical guidelines.

Supervising novice practitioners

Dr Kevin Keith

Thursday, 23rd November, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.30 p.m AEDT

Supervision of practitioners is a requirement for most professional mental health workers. However, unlike many areas of treatment, very little evidence exists as to what might count as effective supervision. Nonetheless, this story may not be as dire as it might first read. After survey of the brief research on supervision effectiveness, the webinar focus will turn to a second more fertile discussion of supervision research. Helpful theoretical models, expert surveys and research on the developmental needs of novice practitioners will provide the concepts for discussion of a possible ‘how to’ list. What activities might be required for constructive supervision? What might be included under term, ‘contract’? What might the marks of good therapist/therapy and a good supervision look like? A brief look at the notion of a novice closes out the webinar content. This will consider a fresh look at what might define a novice and what does a novice become after they are no longer a novice. What changes: possibly the gradual internalisation of habits of good practice? The session will close off with a Q&A where more specific questions regarding supervision practice are discussed.

(Non-artistic) Creativity in Therapy

Zern Liew

Wednesday, 29th November, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.00 p.m AEDT

Creativity is an innate human trait. For good and bad, it has enabled us to adapt the world to our needs and open up new frontiers beyond our planet and within our minds.  Influential thinkers in therapy have referred to creativity. Carl Rogers said the manifestation of creativity is a sign of a well-functioning person. Irvin Yalom approached therapy as a spontaneous creative process. Gerard Egan, among many others, noted that therapy is both an art and a science. Creativity is not the exclusive domain of the creative arts therapies. It is a cognitive activity applicable to problem-solving, adaptivity, playfulness, and innovation. Many talk (ie non-art) therapists are probably already using creativity unconsciously in their work. We all can direct and leverage creativity in our work without having to become “artistic”.  This webinar will introduce you to creative problem-solving, creative responding, and creative methods you can start to use in your talk therapy practice. (Note: this webinar is not about the creative arts therapies and does not discuss art practices.)

The Differential Diagnosis between Psychotic Disorders and Posttraumatic / Dissociative Disorders: Conceptual and Clinical Implications

Prof Andrew Moskowitz

Saturday, 2nd December, 2023
10.00 a.m to 12.00 p.m AEDT

This workshop will present evidence for the above, along with explanations for the presence of psychotic symptoms in posttraumatic (including ICD-11 Complex PTSD) and dissociative disorders (Moskowitz, Heinimaa & Van der Hart, 2019). While the presence of psychotic symptoms is not useful as a differential diagnostic tool, certain aspects of delusions and hallucinations may aid in differential diagnosis. Dissociative symptoms provide a more solid foundation on which to distinguish between psychotic, posttraumatic and dissociative disorders; the most relevant dissociative symptoms in this regard will be highlighted. These clues to differential diagnosis, and the conceptual and clinical implications of these differences, will be discussed and important unanswered questions raised.

Treatment of Complex Trauma-related Dissociation (Part 2)

Prof Onno van der Hart

Thursday, 7th Dec, 2023
7.30 p.m to 9.30 p.m AEDT

A survivor with a complex trauma-related dissociative disorder once remarked that therapists should realize that dissociative people have a great capacity for imagination, which often remains greatly under-utilized. However, imagination may also act as a liability, playing a major role in the maintenance of trauma-related dissociation of the personality, which consists of dissociative parts mainly functioning in daily life (Apparently Normal Parts of the Personality; ANPs) and parts stuck in trauma-time (Emotional Parts; EPs). EPs may intensely and involuntarily imagine, even hallucinate, that the traumas of the past occur again. Such experiences can be regarded as malignant hypnotic trance states, in which the involved part of the personality is caught, having no possibility to reflect on the experience. Indeed, hypnotic states are characterized by a narrowed field of consciousness, absorption, and (often but not always) suggestibility. In this webinar Prof Van der Hart will discuss the application of two types of hypnotic-like guided imagery work in which clients are assisted in voluntary and deliberately realize reaching mutually agreed positive treatment goals:

The two-session webinar will cover theoretical literature, case illustrations, and practical guidelines.

Embracing the Plurality of Emotions and Affective Experience (Free Webinar)

Dr Kevin Keith

Tuesday, 12th Dec, 2023
6.30 p.m to 8.00 p.m AEDT

Emotions may indeed be one of the most common experiences in human life, but behind this more obvious reflection lies a rich, fascinating but deeply paradoxical landscape of empirical research. Indeed, the emotions may qualify as one of the Chalmer’s so-called hard problems in cognitive science, alongside mind-body relationship and consciousness. Nonetheless, this highly fluid terrain of emotion research offers mental health workers important depth, breadth and renewed hope when approaching client’s affective experiences, especially subjective states of meanin