Current Professional Development

About the Event

The legal processes associated with claiming compensation for abuse can be quite opaque. The purpose of this symposium is to elucidate the different pieces of the jigsaw and clarify how they fit together.

The rare opportunity, involving some of the most senior and widely respected barristers in Western Australia, will cover a range of topics pertinent to complex trauma and the law including:

  • The different civil and criminal options; and the costs and benefits of each
  • What the process might look like for survivors
  • Ways in which a mental health professional might support their client
  • A multi-disciplinary conversation about how we might better support each other’s work, in the best interests of survivors

You should leave with a better understanding of:

  • The survivor’s experience of the process
  • The legal practitioner’s part of the process
  • The clinician’s part in the process
  • The need for a trauma-informed multi-disciplinary approach to legal compensation

Program

Date
  Friday 26th May 2023
Program
 
Time Activity
8:15am - 8:45am Registration
8:45am - 9:00am Welcome & Housekeeping
9:00 - 10:30am The necessity of trauma-informed care in the legal process
10:30am – 11:00am Morning tea
11:00am - 12:30pm Survivors' lived experience of the legal process
12:30pm - 1:30pm Lunch
1:30pm - 3:00pm Justice and redress for survivors in Western Australia
3:00pm - 3:30pm Afternoon tea
3:30pm - 5:00pm Criminal Injuries Compensation - How does it work?
Date
  Saturday 27th May
Program
 
Time Activity
8:30am - 9:00am Registration & Morning coffee
9:00am - 9:30am Reporting retrospective abuse to the police
9:30am - 10:30am What does the Criminal Court process entail?
10:30am - 11:00am Morning tea
11:00am - 12:30pm Filing a Civil Court claim for childhood abuse (including alternative dispute resolution & mediation)
12:30pm - 1:30pm Lunch
1:30pm - 3:00pm Multi-disciplinary Q&A panel
3:00pm - 3:30pm Afternoon tea
3:30pm - 5:00pm Multi-disciplinary discussion: How can we address retraumatisation?

Who is this workshop for?

This unique opportunity to learn from some of the most respected barristers in Western Australia, is open to survivors, members of the public, and all service providers who work professionally with clients who have experienced complex trauma.

About the Presenter/s

Presenter Name
  Ms Renêa Bayly
Presenter Position
  Assessor at the Office of Criminal Injuries Compensation for the Department of Justice
Presenter Blurb
 

Renêa is an Assessor of Criminal Injuries Compensation appointed in April 2019. Her background is as a solicitor in personal injuries, having worked in the area since 2001. Prior to joining the office of Criminal Injuries Compensation, she was head of the Sexual Abuse team at a leading law firm in Perth that focuses exclusively on personal injury law.

Presenter Name
  Mr Geoffrey Bourhill SC
Presenter Position
  Barrister
Presenter Blurb
 

Geoff was admitted to legal practise in 1981 and has spent all of his professional life representing the interests of parties in litigation arising from personal injury - initially plaintiffs, but for most of that time, defendants.

For the first 35 years, his involvement was as solicitor, primarily on instructions from insurers.

In 2016, he joined the independent bar and since then has operated solely as a barrister. In that role, since 2018, he has been involved in the conduct of claims by survivors of complex trauma.

Geoff, together with Tim (see introduction below) will introduce attendees to the inner workings of the Civil Court process

Presenter Name
  Mr Tim Hammond SC
Presenter Position
  Barrister
Presenter Blurb
 

Tim's litigation background is predominantly in the area of of civil litigation with a focus on on personal injuries compensation.

He has expertise acting in medical negligence claims, workplace, motor vehicle and catastrophic injury cases and in employment & industrial relations matters. He specialises in representing victims of asbestos disease and also represents survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

From 2016 to 2018, Tim was the Federal Member for Perth.

Presenter Name
  knowmore Multi-Disciplinary Team
Presenter Position
  Perth office
Presenter Blurb
 

knowmore is a free and independent legal service, with offices across Australia.

The service was established by the Australian Government in response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Childhood Sexual Abuse, to provide advice to survivors of child sexual abuse about justice and redress. The knowmore team also helps survivors to apply to the National Redress Scheme; or refer them to a panel of reputable law firms for advice on other options and avenues for compensation.

knowmore stands out with their multidisciplinary approach, including the services of a lawyer, a counsellor/social worker, an Aboriginal Engagement Adviser, and Financial Counsellor.

Presenter Name
  Survivors with a lived experience of complex trauma
Presenter Position
  Various perspectives
Presenter Blurb
 

A number of survivors have bravely agreed to talk about their lived experiences with complex trauma, and the ways in which they have navigated the legal process.

As a survivor, they each bring a unique perspective. Their varied experiences will give anyone supporting a survivor through a legal process some insight into what helped and what hindered.

Details

COVID:
Date/s: Friday 26 May 2023 & Saturday 27 May 2023
Registration:

Registration opens on Wednesday 15 February 2023 and closes Monday 15 May 2023

Venue: Stirling Room, Crowne Plaza,
54 Terrace Road,
Perth WA 6004
Additional Venue Information
Catering:

Teas and a light lunch will be provided

Please advise special dietary requirements at time of registration

Accomodation Suggestions:
Recommended Reading:
Cancellation Policy:

100% refund for cancellations before 30 April 2023

50% refund for cancelations between 1 May and 15 May 2023

No refunds for cancellations after 15 May 2023, but you can transfer your registration by providing us with the contact details of the attendee coming in your place (please note any special dietary requirements for this person cannot be accommodated as the catering order will already have been placed)

Enquiries:

WORKSHOP ENQUIRIES

Sonia Smuts - Sonia.smuts@complextraumawa.org.au

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

David Edwards - David.edwards@complextraumawa.org.au

Fees:
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
COTWA Professional Members 500 12 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members 250 12 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members with a Spatial Directory profile 50 12 Yes
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
General Public (includes PD Credit and Certificate) 800 12 Yes
General Public 600 none No
Registered Students 200 12 Yes
Trauma Survivors 150 none No
Notes about Fees
GENERAL
COTWA prioritises professional development events for its members; but would like to also welcome non-member clinicians and other interested and affected parties (including other professionals, loved ones, and survivors) to this event.
A sliding scale of fees, based on membership status and professional-development requirements, applies to ensure financial accessibility for all.
Those with adequate resources are encouraged to pay the fee most relevant to their individual circumstances and requirements.
An honour system is in place for survivors of childhood complex trauma. Registration at this rate is at cost, without being stigmatised or interrogated, for those who would otherwise be unable to access this event.
COTWA MEMBER RATES
Members need to be logged into the Members' Area to get the correct member rate applied. All COTWA Members will receive Professional Development (PD) credits and a Certificate of Attendance for professional development purposes, that will remain accessible in their personal Member's Area.
COTWA SPATIAL DIRECTORY PROFILE
The Spatial Directory is a unique and invaluable resource for local survivors, carers, colleagues, GPs, and other service providers. It identifies trauma practitioners who were independently assessed to meet international best-practice requirements for working with complex trauma. The more public weight COTWA members add to it, the more weight COTWA has to advocate on everyone's behalf for better service delivery in WA.
COTWA Clinical members who list their service on COTWA's Spatial Directory can attend this two-day Professional Development event for only $50.
If you are a COTWA Professional Member who is already eligible to apply for Clinical Membership and you would like the added discount for members with a Spatial Directory profile, please prioritise finalising the submission of your Clinical Assessment application - you will find this in the Members' Area of our website.
Depending on whether your Curriculum Vitae is up to date; and how long it might take you to draft a letter of reference on behalf of busy referees (we have templates you can use to make this easier), we estimate you probably need to set aside ~90+ minutes of your life to describe your trauma-specific approach to trauma-informed treatment. When we’ve received your completed Clinical Membership application, it will be sent to Blue Knot Foundation, Australia’s National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma, for independent processing. This could take from 4 to 21 days.
Once you are a Clinical Member, you will receive an email to invite you to list on the COTWA Spatial Directory, with some practical tips on how to go about doing this.
If you are already a Clinical Member and haven’t completed your Spatial Directory Profile yet, you can do so from the MEMBERS AREA.
If your Spatial Directory profile is fully completed by 31 May 2023, you will qualify for the $50 attendance fee and receive a refund of the initial registration fee.
CONTACT US FOR ASSISTANCE
COTWA recognises that it is a complex process to become a COTWA Clinical member with a Spatial Directory profile. We still believe it is worth it! Before you give up, please message us via the CONTACT FORM if you require any practical, technical, or emotional support to complete the online forms - we will be in touch to offer helpful help.
SPONSOR A SURVIVOR
The COTWA Board is offering a special rate for survivors that just covers participation costs (i.e. catering). Trauma survivors would benefit from the information that will be presented during this event. If you would like to sponsor a ticket for a survivor, you have the option to do so on the registration form. The Board will allocate your donated ticket to a survivor who might not otherwise have access to this event, on a merit-based system in line with our PRINCIPLES OF PROBITY.
Please CONTACT US if you would like to know about the process we use to determine the allocation of donated funds.
REQUEST SPONSORSHIP FOR THIS EVENT
If you are a Trauma Survivor unable to attend this event unless sponsored, please send us a message via our CONTACT FORM with a brief explanation (500 words max) of your circumstances.

Disclaimer

The information in this workshop is general in nature and should not be relied on. You should always seek your own professional advice. The views expressed are those of the presenters and may not represent the views of COTWA.

Upcoming Professional Development

About the Seminar

Ever since the publication of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study, the many cumulative adverse effects of  survivors' hypervigilance and chronically raised cortisol levels have become increasingly well-known - the body really does keep the score.

It is increasingly clear that unsafe environments affect people's neurological development, immune systems, and regulatory systems. Childhood trauma alters the structural development of neural networks and the biochemistry of neuroendocrine systems.

Adrien will explain the cascading impact of complex trauma on the body and mind, and introduce the concept and principles of "Lifestyle Medicine" to the audience. He will explain how chronic exposure to cortisol is associated with a multitude of problems, including temperature regulation and weight gain. Cortisol also lowers the levels of neurotransmitters, which in turn affect mood, concentration, and motivation. It causes blood sugar fluctuations and gut symptoms, caused by an imbalance in digestive enzymes, and this also directly affects mental health. In this introductory seminar, Adrien will share some practical tips and proven strategies accessible to everyone, to start mitigating the impact of complex trauma on the body.

Program

Who is this workshop for?

About the Presenter/s

Presenter Name
  Dr Adrian Lopresti
Presenter Position
  Clinical Psychologist
Presenter Blurb
 

Dr Adrian Lopresti is a Clinical Psychologist with more than 20 years of clinical experience working with children and adults; as well as a senior researcher at Murdoch University in Western Australia, and Managing Director of Clinical Research Australia.

Adrian's clinical expertise is focused on integrative evidence-based treatments for mental health difficulties - these include lifestyle, nutritional, psychological, and herbal therapies. He has conducted several randomised-controlled trials on herbal and nutraceutical interventions for depression, anxiety and ADHD. He regularly publishes in peer-reviewed journals on the effects of diet, nutraceuticals, sleep, and exercise for the treatment and prevention of depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and bipolar disorder.

Adrian developed an evidence-based personalised integrative approach to psychotherapy that targets small, achievable, and sustainable changes in people's diet, nutritional status, lifestyle habits, social connections, psychology, spiritual health, and physical health.

He regularly conducts educational workshops both nationally and internationally.

Presenter Image
 

Details

COVID:
Date/s: Thursday 15 June 2023
Registration:

Registration opens on 1 April 2023 and closes on 1 June 2023.

Seats are strictly limited for this event, so please register early to prevent disappointment.

Venue: Function Room, SJOG Conference Centre, Level 3,
25 McCourt Street,
Subiaco WA 6008
Additional Venue Information
Catering:

Light refreshments will be available from 5.45pm

Accomodation Suggestions:
Recommended Reading:
Cancellation Policy:

Full refund if cancelled 7 days in advance (less catering costs)

Enquiries:

WORKSHOP ENQUIRIES

Sonia Smuts - Sonia.smuts@complextraumawa.org.au

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

David Edwards - David.edwards@complextraumawa.org.au

Fees:
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
COTWA Professional Members 50 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members 30 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members with a Spatial Directory profile 0 Yes
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
General Public 80 Yes
Registered Students 30 Yes
Notes about Fees

Members need to be logged into the Members' Area to get the member rate applied

Disclaimer

The information presented at this event is general in nature and should not be relied on. You should always seek your own professional advice. The views expressed are those of the presenter and may not represent the views of COTWA.

About the Panel Discussion

An expert panel of three senior trauma-trained clinicians - Anna Mills (Gestalt), Katrina Boterhoven De Haan (Imagery Rescripting), and Maree Even (Psychodynamic/attachment psychotherapy) - will share their experience in treating a fictionalised new client who presents for psychotherapy. Our panel members all practice from distinctly different and overlapping theoretical paradigms; and they will respond to questions such as: 

  • How would you approach the first three sessions?
  • How would you determine the focus of treatment?
  • What kind of assessments would you do, and why?
  • Would you follow a phased approach to treatment?  If so, how might that look like in this case?
  • What kind of challenges do you anticipate in this case? How might you approach those?

The intention of COTWA's annual panel discussion is to offer a structured but informal collegial conversation amongst peers, about the different ways in which different therapists would approach the same client. It aims to introduce students and emerging trauma clinicians to different modes of conceptualising and trauma intervention; as well as to create a safe ‘community’ of local clinicians where senior colleagues can also model and normalise attuned not-knowing to new trauma therapists.

Program

Who is this workshop for?

This event is suitable for experienced clinicians who are considering expanding their professional repertoire and wanting an insiders' view into how other clinicians practically conceptualise their approach to treatment from a particular theoretical perspective.

It is also an invaluable opportunity for students and new practitioners who are wanting to learn more about complex trauma, and the real-life application of different approaches to working therapeutically with this patient population.

About the Presenter/s

Presenter Name
  Anna Mills
Presenter Position
  Counselling Psychologist
Presenter Blurb
 

Anna has worked as a Counselling Psychologist for more than 18 years, in private practice, in the community, and in prisons. She has extensive experience working with complex trauma, PTSD, self harm and suicide, substance misuse due to trauma or stress, relationship breakdown, family stress, grief and loss, disordered eating, and mental illness as it affects individuals and those close to them. She is an accredited Gestalt therapist having completed a further four years of study after her Masters with the Gestalt Institute of WA.

Presenter Image
 
Presenter Name
  Maree Even
Presenter Position
  Clinical Psychologist
Presenter Blurb
 

Maree has 25 years of psychology experience. During this time she has worked for both community and government agencies in the areas of mental health, alcohol and other drugs, corrections, women's services, and research. She practices from a psychodynamic/attachment perspective; and is in the final year of further post-graduate training in the Masterson Approach which focuses on understanding and working with relational trauma and personality. Maree is a published author on Attachment Theory and Neuroscience. Her main areas of work include emotional difficulties, intimacy issues, developmental/complex trauma (e.g. childhood emotional neglect, sexual abuse), addictions, highly sensitive people, and those wanting to connect to themselves and others in a more real and full way. Maree utilises a trauma-informed approach and psychological methods that assist with the embodiment of the real self.

Presenter Image
 
Presenter Name
  Katrina Boterhoven de Haan
Presenter Position
  Clinical Psychologist
Presenter Blurb
 

Katrina Boterhoven de Haan (PhD) qualified as a Clinical Psychologist in 2016. Since then, she has worked across both government and not-for-profit sectors, including community mental health, child protection and specialised services such as at the Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC). She is an accredited EMDR therapist and consultant and is working towards accreditation as a Schema therapist.

Katrina specialises in the treatment of trauma and has extensive experience in treating individuals with trauma and complex trauma experiences. She completed her PhD through University of Western Australia where her research focused on treatment of adults with childhood trauma-related post-traumatic stress disorder. She has published several articles and a book chapter about treating complex trauma presentations, and her research has seen her present her work at several international conferences. In 2017, she was the primary researcher in an internationally acclaimed study on comparing the efficacy of Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Imagery Rescripting treatment for adults with childhood trauma-related post-traumatic stress disorder.

Presenter Image
 

Details

COVID:
Date/s: Thursday 17 August 2023
Registration:

Registration opens on 1 April 2023 and closes on 1 August 2023.

Seats are strictly limited for this event, so please register early to prevent disappointment.

 

Venue: Function Room, SJOG Conference Centre, Level 3,
25 McCourt Street,
Subiaco WA 6008
Additional Venue Information
Catering:

Light refreshments will be available from 5.45pm

Accomodation Suggestions:
Recommended Reading:
Cancellation Policy:

Full refund if cancelled 7 days in advance (less catering costs)

Enquiries:

WORKSHOP ENQUIRIES

Sonia Smuts - Sonia.smuts@complextraumawa.org.au

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

David Edwards - David.edwards@complextraumawa.org.au

Fees:
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
COTWA Professional Members 50 3 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members 30 3 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members with a Spatial Directory profile 0 3 Yes
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
General Public 80 3 Yes
Registered Students 30 3 Yes
Notes about Fees

* Members need to be logged into the Members' Area to get the member rate applied

Disclaimer

The information presented at the panel discussion is general in nature and should not be relied on. You should always seek your own professional advice. The views expressed are those of the presenters and may not represent the views of COTWA.

About the Event

Imagery re-scripting is a key aspect of schema therapy and a powerful experiential tool for change. Furthermore, research over the last 4 years has focused on how Imagery Rescripting can be utilised as a stand-alone treatment for childhood trauma and related PTSD (Arntz, 2013, de Haan et al 2018).

This in-person workshop will focus specifically on how therapists can become skilled in developing strong corrective emotional experiences via Imagery Rescripting. The training will focus on Arnoud Arntz’ imagery rescripting protocols; and discuss recent research findings in the treatment of childhood related post-traumatic stress and associated chronic mental-health problems. It will approach Imagery Rescripting as a stand-alone treatment, and primarily focus on using the intervention with adults and adolescent clients. No experience in Schema Therapy is required for this workshop.

The style of teaching will be focussed on hands-on, practical skills-development, with many opportunities to observe and practice skills to facilitate the application of Imagery Rescripting in your daily therapeutic work with clients.

Learning Outcomes:

  • Understanding recent Imagery Rescripting research and the IREM research trial
  • Confidence in working with clients with a trauma background
  • Improved confidence in using Imagery Rescripting approach for trauma work
  • Developed further skills in responding to antagonists in imagery (via deliberate self-practice approaches)
  • Increased awareness of the therapist own blocks and challenges and practical ways to assist
  • Improved skills in working with client blocks and challenges
  • Development of skills on when to use imagery for compassion

Program

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is suitable for those working professionally with clients who have experienced complex trauma and who have current professional registration with an Australian regulatory body:

  • General Practitioners
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Social workers
  • Counsellors
  • Psychologists
  • Psychiatrists
  • Psychotherapists
  • Mental Health Nurses

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria can apply on an individual basis to the COTWA Board by emailing sonia.smuts@complextraumawa.org.au. Consideration will be given to the applicant’s:

  • Nature and length of employment
  • Educational background and qualifications
  • Training in trauma
  • Support from the applicant’s supervisor and/or employer

About the Presenter/s

Presenter Name
  Dr Chris Hayes
Presenter Blurb
 

Chris is a Clinical Psychologist based in Perth WA. He has extensive experience in public and private settings, working with clients with complex psychological presentations. Since 2005, Chris has been practising as an accredited advanced Schema Therapist, supervisor, and trainer after having completed certification in Schema Therapy at the Schema Therapy Institute in New York City (USA) with Dr Jeffery Young. He has presented workshops throughout Europe, Asia and Australasia and is the Director of Schema Therapy Training Australia. Chris was employed as a Clinical Psychologist at the Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) - a specialist service for those who have experienced recent or childhood sexual trauma - at the WA Health Department for more than eight years. In this role, he was heavily involved in implementing the Imagery/EMDR for Childhood Trauma (IREM) research trial (Boterhoven De Haan, et al., 2020). He has previously served as Secretary of the Board for the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST); and co-produced two video releases, ‘Fine Tuning Imagery Rescripting’ and ‘Fine Tuning Chair Work in Schema Therapy’. Both are the first of their kind internationally and come highly recommended. Chris is the co-author of ‘The Cambridge Guide to Schema Therapy’ textbook scheduled for release in late 2022. 

Presenter Image
 

Details

COVID:
Date/s: Friday 13 October 2023 - Saturday 14 October 2023
Registration:

Registration opens on 1 April 2023

Registration closes on 1 October 2023

Venue: The Newman Sienna Centre,
33 Williamstown Road,
Doubleview WA 6018
Additional Venue Information
Catering:

Tea and a light lunch will be provided

Please advise special dietary requirements at time of registration.

Accomodation Suggestions:
Recommended Reading:
Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations prior to 1 October 2023 will attract a $50 processing fee

Cancellations after 1 October 2023 will attract the full fee (transfer of registration is possible).

Enquiries:

WORKSHOP ENQUIRIES:

Sonia Smuts - Sonia.smuts@complextraumawa.org.au

GENERAL ENQUIRIES:

David Edwards - David.edwards@complextraumawa.org.au

Fees:
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
COTWA Professional Members 500 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members 300 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members with a Spatial Directory profile 50 Yes
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
General Public 800 Yes
Notes about Fees

* Members need to be logged into the Members' Area to get the member rate applied.

** Please prioritise finalising submission of your Clinical membership assessment application and Spatial Directory profile if this workshop is of interest to you. If your directory profile is fully completed by 31 October 2023, you will qualify for the $50 attendance fee and you will receive a refund of the initial registration fee.

Depending on whether your Curriculum Vitae is up to date; and how long it might take you to draft a letter of reference on behalf of busy referees (we have templates you can use to make this easier), we estimate you probably need to set aside ~90+ minutes of your life to describe your trauma-specific approach to trauma-informed treatment.

When we’ve received your Clinical membership application, it will be sent to Blue Knot Foundation, Australia’s National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma, for processing. This could take from 4 to 21 days.

Once you are a Clinical Member, you will receive an email to invite you to list on the COTWA Spatial Directory, with some practical tips on how to go about doing this.

COTWA's Spatial Directory is a unique and much-needed resource for survivors, colleagues, GPs, and other service providers in WA. The more weight trauma-trained clinicians add to it, the more weight COTWA has to advocate on behalf of everyone, for improved service delivery in WA for people with complex trauma.

CONTACT US FOR ASSISTANCE:

COTWA recognises that it is a complex process to become a Clinical member with a Spatial Directory profile. We still believe it is worth it! Before you give up, please message us via the Contact Us form on the website if you require any practical, technical, or emotional support to complete the online forms - we will be in touch to offer helpful help.

Disclaimer

The information presented at this workshop is general in nature, and that of the presenter's. This may/may not represent the views of COTWA as well. You should always seek your own professional advice specific to your unique circumstances.

There are no postponed professional development events

About the Event

Day One - An Introduction to Working with the Body in Complex Trauma Treatments

Current research indicates that trauma is largely remembered non-verbally, leaving the body and nervous system primed for future threat. Many traditional approaches to treatment lack techniques to work directly with this physical legacy of trauma; indeed, the body has largely been left out of the ‘talking cure’. 

Through a combination of lecture material, experiential exercises and discussion, this workshop will introduce a body-oriented approach to working with unresolved trauma. Andrew’s approach to training encompasses not only the most recent theoretical understanding regarding neuroscience and the impact of our experiences on our body, but also provides a clear and pragmatic link between theory and practice.

At the conclusion of day one, participants will be able to:

  • Review current neuroscience and practical applications in relation to safe trauma work.
  • Understand the role of the body in trauma treatment, including the role of procedural learning and its relevance to trauma treatment.
  • Apply simple somatic techniques to facilitate clients' self-regulation (including directed mindfulness).
  • Acquire increased knowledge and skills in assisting clients to develop body-based resources and enable them to experience and stabilise embodiment.
  • Understand the significance of the relational field in body-based psychotherapy.
  • Acquire increased knowledge and skills in incorporating bodily experience into all phases of trauma therapy.

Day Two - Deepening Resources for Stabilisation

The second day will build on content covered in the first day, with particular focus on assisting clinicians to use more advanced body-based psychotherapeutic techniques to enrich and enhance their treatment approach to clients presenting with unresolved trauma. 

Areas of focus will include the impact of somatics on the therapeutic relationship, and assisting clients to effectively access body-based resources to improve their capacity to regulate strong emotion and physiological arousal and more effectively process their traumatic experiences. The workshop will include both didactic and experiential material, with an emphasis on the provision of practical skills for body-based psychotherapy practice.

At the conclusion of day two, participants will have:

  • Practiced simple somatic techniques to facilitate clients’ self-regulation (including directed mindfulness).
  • Grasped the significance of the relational field in body-based psychotherapy.
  • Acquired increased knowledge and skills in incorporating bodily experience into all phases of trauma therapy.
  • Acquired increased knowledge and skills in assisting clients to develop body-based resources and enable them to experience and stabilise embodiment.
  • Acquired practical skills for the development of advanced resourcing that supports clients’ trauma processing.

Program

Who is this workshop for?

This workshop is suitable for those working professionally with clients who have experienced complex trauma and who have current professional registration with an Australian regulatory body:

  • General Practitioners
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Social workers
  • Counsellors
  • Psychologists
  • Psychiatrists
  • Psychotherapists
  • Mental Health Nurses

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria can apply on an individual basis to the COTWA Board by emailing diana.phillips@complextraumawa.org.au or vivien.bainbridge@complextraumawa.org.au. Consideration will be given to the applicant’s:

  • Nature and length of employment
  • Educational background and qualifications
  • Training in trauma
  • Support from the applicant’s supervisor and/or employer

About the Presenter/s

Presenter Name
  Dr Andrew Harkin
Presenter Blurb
 

Andrew Harkin graduated as a medical doctor from the University College in Dublin in 1990. Having a keen interest in the holistic treatment of his patients, Andrew completed a two-year postgraduate training course in 1998 with the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute in Colorado, USA. He subsequently became lead trainer at the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute and taught psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychotherapists in the fields of trauma and attachment across the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, and Australia for more than five years.

Andrew has also trained in other trauma-related models such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting, and the Comprehensive Resource Model (CRM). Additionally, he is a teacher in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), having trained with the Centre for Mindfulness Research and Practice at the University of Bangor in North Wales.

In 2013, Andrew and his family emigrated to Western Australia to take a position as a Senior Therapist in a psychiatric day hospital. In 2016, he recorded the TED Talk, Mind the Gap: Moving From Brain to Body to explore the importance of reclaiming a sense of health and a sense of belonging in the body. Andrew now divides his time between providing training across Australia for mental health clinicians in body-based approaches to psychotherapy, and a private practice in Bunbury.

Presenter Image
 

Details

COVID:
Date/s: Friday 26th March & Saturday 27th March 2021
Registration:

Registration opens on Wednesday 17th February

Registration closes Sunday 21 March 2021

Venue: Trinity on Hampden Conference Centre,
230 Hampden Road,
Crawley WA 6009
Additional Venue Information
Catering:

Tea and a light lunch will be provided

Please advise special dietary requirements at time of registration

Accomodation Suggestions:
Recommended Reading:
Cancellation Policy:
Enquiries:

WORKSHOP ENQUIRIES

Sonia Smuts - Sonia.smuts@complextraumawa.org.au

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

David Edwards - David.edwards@complextraumawa.org.au

Fees:
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
COTWA Professional Members 500 14 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members 500 14 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members with a Spatial Directory profile 300 14 Yes
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
General Public 750 14 Yes
Notes about Fees

Disclaimer

The information in this panel discussion is general in nature and should not be relied on. You should always seek your own professional advice. The views expressed are those of the presenters and may not represent the views of COTWA.

About the Workshop

What can we learn from hypnosis to enhance our clinical effectiveness in working with trauma and dissociation? Can a dissociative therapeutic approach, such as hypnosis, be helpful for someone where dissociation is symptomatic? Can this approach be integrated into one’s current therapeutic practices, such as with mindfulness and meditation? And, perhaps most importantly, how can it help a client grow from trauma?

While this two-day course will cover topics such as the principles, ethics, and practise of hypnotherapy in up-to-date, evidence-based, outcome-oriented approaches, it is best seen as an introduction to clinical hypnosis. It will introduce you to the language and processes of clinical hypnosis for post-trauma growth, in a user-friendly, experiential learning format with particular emphasis on your own clinical applications and clinician skills.

Moving beyond the traditional scripted approach to hypnosis, you will learn about the application of hypnosis into therapy in ways that are creative, individual, and adaptive to client goals.

Topics covered will include:

  • What is hypnosis
  • A brief history of therapeutic trances
  • Myths and misconceptions
  • Hypnosis, trauma and dissociation
  • The nature of suggestions
  • Types and power of suggestions
  • Basic theories of hypnosis
  • How to induce and deepen the hypnotic experience
  • Hypnosis for facilitating post-trauma growth
  • How to apply your new skills in your own therapeutic work

The style of teaching will be focussed on practical skills-development with many exercises designed to facilitate the application of hypnotherapy in your daily therapeutic work with clients.

Program

Date
  Friday 28th August 2020
Program
 
Time Activity
9:30am - 11:00am Introduction to hypnosis; Introductory hypnosis demonstration; What is hypnosis? Definitions; Brief history of hypnosis; Induction/elicitation demo and exercises
11:00am - 11:15am Morning Tea
11:15am - 12:30pm Myths and Misconceptions; Contra-indications; Ethical issues; More induction & deepening strategies
12:30pm - 1:15pm Lunch
1:15pm - 2:45pm Indications of trance; Traditional versus non-traditional approaches; Learning how to hypnotise effectively; Steps to induction; Exercise
2:45pm - 3:00pm Afternoon Tea
3:00pm - 4:30pm Ego strengthening; Strength-spotting; Early learning sets; Exercise: Practise of further inductions
Date
  Saturday 29th August 2020
Program
 
Time Activity
9:30am - 11:00am Hypnotic Phenomena; Utilisation of Hypnotic Phenomena; Demonstrations/Exercises
11:00am - 11:15am Morning Tea
11:15am - 12:30pm Dissociation and hypnosis; What is it?; How does it work?; How can it be utilised therapeutically?
12:30pm - 1:15pm Lunch
1:15pm - 2:45pm Post-traumatic growth; Expert companionship; How to hypnotically facilitate growth from suffering
2:45pm - 3:00pm Afternoon Tea
3:00pm - 4:30pm Hypnotically enhancing greater happiness; Participant case applications; Ongoing application of hypnosis in your own work

Who is this workshop for?

Working with hypnosis, trauma, and dissociative disorders require a high level of psychotherapy skills, and a mental health background is an essential prerequisite for the effective application of hypnosis with this client population. 

This workshop is open to experienced mental-health professionals who are fully registered with a professional association and meet the following criteria:

  • COTWA Clinical Members
  • COTWA General Members
  • Non-Member Medical Practitioners
    • Psychiatrists need to be registered with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. 
    • General Practitioners are required to have additional training in Psychological Medicine, and be registered with the Medical Board of Australia.
  • Non-Members Allied Health Professionals
    • Psychologists are required to be registered with Psychology Board of Australia or the New Zealand Psychology Board.
    • Occupational Therapists are required to have additional specialist training in mental health and need to be registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia or the New Zealand Occupational Therapy Board.
    • Social Workers need to be registered with Australian Association of Social Workers or in New Zealand with the Social Workers Registration Board.
    • Counsellors and Psychotherapists are required to be registered with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) as a Clinical Mental Health Practitioner or the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) as a Level 3 or 4 member.
  • Non-Member Mental Health Nurses
    • Mental Health Nurses are required to be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia /AHPRA or in New Zealand with the Nursing Council of New Zealand
    • Interns/Students enrolled in a graduate level program in mental health (psychiatry, psychology, social work, counselling, etc.) that are currently involved in the internship portion of their program and are working under the supervision of a qualified mental health professional.

Applicants who do not meet the above criteria can apply on an individual basis to the COTWA Board by emailing admin@cotwa.org.au. Consideration will be given to the applicant's:

  • Nature and length of employment
  • Educational background and qualifications
  • Training in trauma
  • Support from the applicant's supervisor and/or employer

About the Presenter/s

Presenter Name
  Adj. Prof George Burns
Presenter Blurb
 

Adjunct Professor George Burns is an Australian clinical psychologist whose innovative work as practitioner, teacher, and writer is recognized nationally and internationally.

George is Adjunct Professor of the Cairnmillar Institute, School of Psychotherapy and Counselling; Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Edith Cowan University and Director of The Milton H Erickson Institute of Western Australia. He has been active in several international hypnosis societies and is an Approved Consultant with the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.

George has also published eight books that have been translated to 18 languages and include an international best-seller. He has authored some 50 articles and book chapters, been described as a ‘master clinician’ by eminent colleagues; and “among some of the world's best therapists” by the Milton H Erickson Foundation.

Given his contribution to the psychology of well-being, he was an invited participant in a United Nations High Level Meeting on creating a new world development paradigm based more on happiness than on economic values. He has recently been honoured with Life Membership to the Australian Psychological Society, and the first ever Life Membership awarded by the Institute of Clinical Psychologists.

In recent years he has been working as a volunteer clinical psychologist in developing countries such as the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, where his most recent project has been helping to establish a new youth drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre based on a therapeutic model of happiness and wellbeing.

George’s teaching blends a wealth of clinical and personal life experiences in a relaxed and pleasant style aimed at providing hands-on skills for the enhancement of therapeutic effectiveness.

More information about George, his books, and the training he offers can be found on his website: www.georgeburns.com.au

Presenter Image
 

Details

COVID:
Date/s: Friday 28th August & Saturday 29th August 2020
Registration:

Registration opens on the 22nd July 2020 and closes on 20th August 2020

 

Venue: The Newman Siena Centre,
33 Williamstown Road,
Doubleview WA 6018
Additional Venue Information
Catering:
Accomodation Suggestions:
Recommended Reading:
Cancellation Policy:

Cancellation prior to 20th August 2020 will attract a $50 processing fee.

Cancellation after 20th August 2020 will attract full fee (transfer of registration is possible).

Enquiries:

WORKSHOP ENQUIRIES

Sonia Smuts - Sonia.smuts@complextraumawa.org.au

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

David Edwards - David.edwards@complextraumawa.org.au

Fees:
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
COTWA Professional Members 500 13 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members 500 13 Yes
COTWA Clinical Members with a Spatial Directory profile 300 13 Yes
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
General Public 750 13 Yes
Notes about Fees

Disclaimer

The information in this workshop is general in nature and should not be relied on. You should always seek your own professional advice. The views expressed are those of the presenters and may not represent the views of COTWA.

About the Workshop

Dissociative processes are most evident in the rapid shifts in self-states identified by the close tracking of ‘no-go zones’ - those places in our psyche which are too dangerous or painful to enter. These places frequently result from persistent early trauma, commonly as a consequence of growing up in an environment where the child’s caretaker(s) are either frightened or frightening, or both.

Working therapeutically with individuals with such disorganised attachments presents considerable difficulties since, by definition, the dissociative processes are designed to ‘hide’ both the fear and the longing for connection from both oneself and the Other. This can result in behaviours which fluctuate between angry attacks on the therapeutic relationship and a tenacious attachment to it. An intolerable dilemma arises from a longing to feel ‘real’ yet also desperately wanting to avoid the associated pain that comes with it. This requires the therapist to survive, detoxify, and metabolize the emotional turmoil that results from the internal shame and fear of humiliation, intolerable loss, intense dislike, disgust, and contempt that often underpin such ‘attackments’.

In this workshop, Dr Chefetz marries dissociation and its clinical manifestations with a wealth of extended case histories. Drawing on theories of self-states and their involvement in dissociative experiences, he demonstrates how to identify and work with persistent dissociative processes, and their related neurobiological and psychodynamic underpinnings.

Learning outcomes

  • Recognising dissociative processes in your casework;
  • Understanding memory processes in trauma patients; and
  • Working with shame, repetition compulsions, enactments, addictive behaviours, depersonalisation, self-harm, and suicidality in the lives of adult survivors of childhood trauma.

Objectives

  • Describe the normal tension between association and dissociation and how the balance between them contributes to mental coherence.
  • Discuss why discerning depersonalisation is critically important in assessing dissociation.
  • Describe how dissociative process influences memory and the questions that are important in discerning dissociative disturbances of memory
  • Compare the basics of infant attachment behaviours and their adult manifestations in trauma treatment.
  • Discuss the differences between emotions in the shame spectrum of experience and their personal and interpersonal correlates
  • Explain the potential value and pitfalls of countertransference disclosure in psychotherapy with trauma survivors.
  • Describe appropriate questions to discern depersonalisation, derealisation, amnesia, identity confusion, and identity alteration toward making a diagnosis of a dissociative disorder.
  • Discuss and be able to apply the four basic patterns of infant attachment, secure, anxious-ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganised/disoriented to their adult cases and apply these to the clinical setting.
  • Predict which patients in your practice are likely carrying hidden shame
  • Describe the process from which shame and rage become welded together.
  • Discuss how hippocampal and amygdala functions interact in trauma treatment.
  • Discuss a strategy for pointed intervention to impact and reduce suicidality as an immediate threat.
  • Explain how "attackment" describes a shift from proximity seeking in the attachment paradigm to guaranteeing distance when domination- submission, power and control, dynamics overwhelm the interpersonal world of a child
  • Describe the difference between the words affect, feeling, and emotion as well as the clinical utility of distinguishing between them.
  • Describe the general underlying cause of addictive behaviour as it relates to dissociative processes.
  • Discuss a technique for specific psychotherapeutic exploration of addictions and their relief.
  • Explain the likely sources of negative therapeutic reaction in the treatment of a person with a complex dissociative disorder.

Program

Date
  Friday 20th September 2019
Program
 
Time Activity
9:00am - 10:00am Recognising Dissociative Processes in Your Casework
10:00am - 10:50am Morning Tea
10:50am - 12:20pm Process Interventions and Psychodynamics of Self-states
12:20pm - 1:15pm Lunch
1:15pm - 2:45pm Catastrophic Shame, Negativity and Dissociative Self-states
2:45pm - 3:00pm Afternoon Tea
3:00pm - 4:30pm ‘Attackments’: Subjugation, Shame and Dissociative Self-states Case Presentation
Date
  Saturday 21st September 2019
Program
 
Time Activity
9:00am- 10:00am The Neurobiology of Emotion, Self-states, and the Gateway to Treatment
10:00am - 10:50am Morning Tea
10:50am - 12:20pm Addictive Processes, the Compulsion to Repeat, and Enactment
12:20pm - 1:15pm Lunch
1:15pm - 2:45pm Self-states, Suicidality, and Self-harming Behaviours
2:45pm - 3:00pm Afternoon Tea
3:00pm - 4:30pm Depersonalization: Can We Dance to the Music?

Who is this workshop for?

About the Presenter/s

Presenter Name
  Dr Richard A. Chefetz M.D
Presenter Blurb
 

Dr Chefetz is a psychiatrist in private practice in Washington, D.C. He was President of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation in 2002, and Co-Founder and Chair of their Dissociative Disorders Psychotherapy Training Program for eight years. Dr Chefetz is a Distinguished Visiting Lecturer at the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and Psychology; and a faculty member at the Washington School of Psychiatry, the Institute of Contemporary Psychotherapy & Psychoanalysis, and the Washington Baltimore Center for Psychoanalysis.

He has published numerous journal articles on psychoanalytic perspectives on trauma and dissociation; and published the internationally acclaimed Intensive Psychotherapy for Persistent Dissociative Processes: The Fear of Feeling Real in 2015 with W.W. Norton, in their Interpersonal Neurobiology series.

Presenter Image
 

Details

COVID:
Date/s: Friday 20th & Saturday 21st September 2019
Registration:

Registration opens on 1 July 2019.

Please register at www.complextraumawa.org.au

Inaugural membership offer ends on the 16th August 2019.

Venue: Trinity on Hampden Conference Centre,
230 Hampden Road,
Crawley WA 6009
Additional Venue Information
Catering:
Accomodation Suggestions:

https://www.trinityonhampden.com.au/guest-accommodation/

https://www.stcatherinesonpark.com.au

Recommended Reading:
Cancellation Policy:

Cancellation prior to September 1st will attract a $50 processing fee.

Cancellation after September 1st will attract full fee – transfer of registration is possible.

Enquiries:

WORKSHOP ENQUIRIES

Sonia Smuts - Sonia.smuts@complextraumawa.org.au

GENERAL ENQUIRIES

David Edwards - David.edwards@complextraumawa.org.au

Fees:
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
COTWA Professional Members 600 12 Yes
TICKET TYPE AMOUNT HOURS OF PD CREDIT ATTENDANCE CERTIFICATE
General Public 800 12 Yes
Notes about Fees

Disclaimer

The information in this panel discussion is general in nature and should not be relied on. You should always seek your own professional advice. The views expressed are those of the presenters and may not represent the views of COTWA.

Skip to content