Education & Training
Training and courses to help deal with a variety of challenging situations
Professional development workshops
Workshops will cater to a range of experience levels given the strengths based nature of facilitation and the tailoring of the session to attendees learning needs and level. Programs are relevant across a range of sectors and a range of professionals working in the health and community services field.
Price includes GST, comprehensive notes, lunch, morning & afternoon tea. Group size is 40 participants maximum.
Download the 2024 course calendar in PDF format.
'Let's Beat Counting Sheep!' Conquering Sleep Post Trauma BROOME W.A.
Presented by: Donna Zander
Date: Thursday 6th - Friday 7th June 2024 (2 days)
Time: 9:30am - 4:30pm
Attendance options: This event is available both in person and online.
Venue: To Be Advised- Broome WA
Inclusions: Morning, Afternoon Tea, Lunch & GST Inclusive
Course overview
Let's Beat Counting Sheep - conquering sleep post trauma (2 days)
Like sufferers, practitioners often avoid the issue of sleep in trauma treatment. A CBT-based approach has emerged as the 'treatment of choice' for managing sleep difficulties in trauma presentations. Sleep disruption is both a strategy and an effect of violence, abuse and trauma which profoundly effects the lives of people who have suffered. This workshop traces the interconnections between the patterns of sleeping (not sleeping), the insomnia's and the parasomnias for adults, young people and children. Many survivors experience nightmares, bed-wetting, night panic and disrupted sleep patterns following trauma. Recovery of the ability to sleep is often slow and uneven with interactive effects. Sleep difficulties impair night functioning, reduce quality of life and can cause secondary health problems. The workshop will explore proven evidence based therapeutic strategies to improve night time happenings and help to make new positive dreams come true!. Issues relating to treatment implementation and factors that mediate sufferers' responses are examined, including clinical outcomes utilising a range of case studies. Participants will have the opportunity to practice and develop skills in I.R.T.
Learning outcomes
Participants will: 1. Increase their knowledge and understanding of the mechanisms and processes underpinning sleep in children and adults and the impact of trauma on such processes. 2. Increase knowledge of appropriate trauma sleep assessment and intervention models. 3. Be provided with the appropriate skills in assessing, intervening and supporting the long term recovery of sleep. 4. Develop creative and proven effective intervention tools for their tool box including skills in creative dreaming and I.R.T.
Price: $460.00
AASW, APS Members & Students price: $440.00
'Unlocking Childhood Trauma'- Keys to Transforming the Body and Mind Melbourne Vic
Presented by: Donnz Zander
Date: 19th June 2024 (1 day)
Time: 9:30am - 4:30pm
Attendance options: This event is available both in person and online.
Venue: To Be Advised
Inclusions: Morning, Afternoon Tea, Lunch & GST Inclusive
Course overview
Trauma in childhood has a significant impact on the developing brain and can lock itself down in the body. Children show us this in their behaviour and their relationships with others. This workshop explores: the most recent research on the impact of trauma on the brain development of children and young people; provides a framework for understanding the effects of trauma for a child's cognitive, social, physical and emotional development and functioning and; explores implications for practice. This is a practical workshop utilising experiential activities and case studies.
Learning outcomes
Participants will: *Develop an understanding of normative brain development through childhood and adolescence *Understand the way that trauma affects children's brain architecture and functioning and can lock itself down in the body *Identify ways that trauma shapes memory states and emotional experiences *Explore non verbal, creative, playful and sensorimotor approaches to enable children to communicate and process their experiences of trauma *Explore practical strategies to strengthen parent's, caregivers and others to understand the world of the child or young person who has experienced trauma *Use participant knowledge to place this information in their own work. *Have fun!
Price: $250.00
AASW CPE approved, APS Members & Students price: $230.00
Unlocking Complex Trauma in Adults Traumatized as Children- Keys to Transforming the Mind, Brain and Body! Melbourne VIC
Presented by: Donna Zander
Date: Tuesday 6th and Wednesday 7th August 2024 (2 days)
Time: 9:30am - 4:30pm
Attendance options: This event is available both in person and online.
Venue: To Be Advised
Inclusions: Morning, Afternoon Tea, Lunch & GST Inclusive
Course overview
nlocking Complex Trauma in Adults Traumatised as Children - Keys to transforming the mind, brain and body
Some of the most difficult to support and treat people we see have histories of profound trauma, which can often get lost when a diagnosis is made. This workshop will focus on effective trauma assessment which is paramount to the development of effective intervention/treatment plans and yet so often is either missed or minimised and the focus is on the effects- the depression, anxiety. Practitioners will become trauma detectives and be given the tools to assist in this process, both in frameworks and testing- learning how to implement and score a rage of relevant psychometric tests and integrate them into their practice. The conceptualisation and treatment of complex trauma and its many variants and Axis II diagnoses, namely Borderline Personality Disorder will then be uncovered. Complex trauma is defined as involving traumatic stressors that are: 1) repetitive or prolonged; 2) occur at developmentally vulnerable times in the person's life and 3) are relational-often perpetrated by caregivers. The effects and journey through such experiences will be addressed, including difficulties with identity and personality development; interpersonal and emotional dysregulation, as well as symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and a range of other co-morbidities. This foundational, theoretical skills-based training will provide you with the skills necessary to successfully case manage, support, treat, advocate for, and refer people. Through the use of a range of case studies, the principles of safe trauma therapy and evidence based approaches to treatment will be discussed and reviewed.
Learning outcomes
1. To appropriately assess and intervene in relation to complex trauma presentations. 2. Understand the links between core theoretical knowledge and therapeutic intervention utilising the three phase trauma treatment model. 3. Increased confidence and competence in dealing with these complex presentations and transforming the embedded trauma load and related shame and self loathing. 4. Gain knowledge of mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, the W.O.T. and how to use such strategies. 5. Recognising the current evidence based approaches in this area of work and where their current learning and self care gaps are.
Price: $460.00
AASW CPE approved, APS Members & Students price: $440.00
'Unravelling Complex Mental Health & Disability Melbourne VIC
Presented by: Donna Zander
Date: Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd of August 2024 (2 days)
Time: 9:00am-1:00pm
Attendance options: This event is available both in person and online.
Venue: To Be Advised
Inclusions: Morning, Afternoon Tea, Lunch & GST Inclusive
Course overview
The mental health and disability care sector is in the midst of transformation. The time for expedited excellence based on connection, collaboration and innovation is upon us. If you provide services in these sectors join us over these two days to talk through the challenges facing our sectors, re-frame our plans for the future to ensure trauma informed work and reshape the landscape to improve the quality of mental health care for all. This workshop explores knowledge and skill to more effectively support people with disability who have experienced trauma and developed psycho-social mental health conditions and those who have acquired a disability as a direct result of traumatic experiences and/or events.
Learning outcomes
*To develop Knowledge of the relationship between disability and trauma related mental health theorised within a trauma framework and that policies, services, treatment and intervention programmes should be informed by an appropriately complex and contextual understanding of psycho social mental health. *Examine the key knowledge for practice of: disability and human rights; social model of disability; navigating the NDIS; social justice and barriers to inclusion; disenfranchised grief and loss and; understanding trauma. *To develop an understanding of the: different types of traumas; impacts on mental health; risk and protective factors; social determinants of health; neurobiology of trauma; co-morbid challenges of trauma and disability such as intellectual disability, A.B.I., A.S.D. and other psycho social disabilities; the complexity of post traumatic growth, resilience and recovery/integration models; cultural sensitivity and; trauma informed evidence based response practice and treatment models. *To develop appropriate skills in supporting people with complex psycho social and disability needs: communication; positive relationship development; trauma-informed; emotion-regulation; harm minimisation and strategies; prevention of re-traumatisation and; compiling functional mental health assessments. *Understanding how to educate, advocate and negotiate to create trauma and mental health informed NDIS plans and disability services. *Advocating for the needs of those with psycho-social disabilities and the inter-relationship with these with physical disabilities for example: A.B.I. and depression/psychosis/suicide risk.
Price: $250.00
AASW CPE approved, APS Members & Students price: $230.00
Introduction to Sandtray and Water Play Therapy MELBOURNE VIC
Presented by: Dr Joanne Wicks and Donna Zander
Date: Monday 02-09-2024 and Tuesday 03-09-2024 (2 days)
Time: 9:30-4:30pm
Attendance options: This event is available in person only.
Venue: Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron
Inclusions: Morning, Afternoon Tea and Lunch
Course overview
Sandtray and Water Play Therapy (WPT) is an innovative approach to play therapy and art therapy and utilises sand or water as an expressive medium with which participants can express their feelings and project their personal narratives in an accessible and non-threatening manner. This method uses symbols, objects, colors, creation, playing and storytelling, as a way to express the inner filling and thoughts, which bridges the gap between the inner and outer world. This workshop is developed in alignment with Yael LIvneh's water therapy theory.
Learning outcomes
The 2 Day Workshop's main goals are: 1) Demonstrate knowledge regarding 5 steps of the sand and WPT procedure 2) To apply the protocol with a case provided by the instructor. 3) To analyze sand and water- related symbolic narratives in a clinical case they provide. 4) To combine this method with other therapeutic methods which they use at a daily basis. 5) To understand how to use WPT when the trauma has involved water for example; drowning, floods, tsunami. Along the way you will learn to apply the neurosequential model to the learning outcomes
Price: $650.00
APPTA Members and Students price: $550.00
Introduction to Sandtray and Water Play Therapy PERTH W.A.
Presented by: Dr Joanne Wicks and Donna Zander
Date: Thursday 5th September - Friday 6th September (2 days)
Time: 9:30-4:30pm
Attendance options: This event is available in person only.
Venue: To Be Advised - Perth WA
Inclusions: Morning, Afternoon Tea and Lunch
Course overview
Sandtray and Water Play Therapy (WPT) is an innovative approach to play therapy and art therapy and utilises sand or water as an expressive medium with which participants can express their feelings and project their personal narratives in an accessible and non-threatening manner. This method uses symbols, objects, colors, creation, playing and storytelling, as a way to express the inner filling and thoughts, which bridges the gap between the inner and outer world. This workshop is developed in alignment with Yael LIvneh's water therapy theory.
Learning outcomes
The 2 Day Workshop's main goals are: 1) Demonstrate knowledge regarding 5 steps of the sand and WPT procedure 2) To apply the protocol with a case provided by the instructor. 3) To analyze sand and water- related symbolic narratives in a clinical case they provide. 4) To combine this method with other therapeutic methods which they use at a daily basis. 5) To understand how to use WPT when the trauma has involved water for example; drowning, floods, tsunami. Along the way you will learn to apply the neurosequential model to the learning outcomes
Price: $650.00
APPTA Members and Students price: $550.00
Unlocking Trauma- 'Keys to Exposing Exposure therapy and CBT' Melbourne VIC
Presented by: Donna Zander
Date: Tuesday the 26th and Wednesday the 27th of November (2 days)
Time: 9:30am - 4:30pm
Attendance options: This event is available both in person and online.
Venue: To Be Advised
Inclusions: Morning, Afternoon Tea, Lunch & GST Inclusive
Course overview
Unlocking Trauma -Exploring the Exposure therapy and CBT Key (2 days)
Exposure treatments using C.B.T. have emerged in response to the need for more intensive, direct and effective interventions for anxiety and stress disorders and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and they are the key evidenced based treatment. This two day workshop, covers the fundamentals of exposure treatment and its many variants. It describes how it is used in the treatment, and offers guidelines for the use of this technique within a comprehensive approach to the treatment of PTSD. This workshop will cover the fundamentals of exposure therapy and its many variants, describe how it is used in the treatment of PTSD, and to offer guidelines for when to use this potentially very effective technique within a comprehensive approach to treating PTSD. It will be skills based including hands on experience and practice in triads and small groups of phases of exposure and include demonstrations of the Foa Prolonged Exposure model and stages of treatment
Learning outcomes
1. Gain knowledge of the research underpinning the evidence base of exposure therapy in PTSD treatment, the principles and the structure of the therapy. 2. Gain knowledge of the structure of safe trauma treatment and the skills to prepare clients for exposure in 'single incident' and complex trauma presentations. 3. Develop skills in teaching trauma psycho education, effect management, distress tolerance and the rationale for exposure to clients. 4. Increased confidence and competence in undertaking prolonged exposure and understanding the role of C.B.T. within the process.
Price: $460.00
AASW CPE approved, APS Members & Students price: $440.00