Flexible Exposure: The Core of ACT 1- Day Workshop
Overview
“Exposure” is the single most powerful intervention in the whole of psychology, in terms of its effect sizes on human behaviour. And it’s by far the most important component of treatment for anxiety disorders – from social anxiety and specific phobias to OCD and PTSD. But exposure isn’t just for use with anxiety disorders; it’s also your most powerful ally for tackling chronic pain syndrome, depression, toxic shame, addiction, anorexia, suicidality, and numerous DSM disorders. Indeed, the more severe the presentation, the more essential it is to do exposure.
And yet many health practitioners know little about it, and rarely if ever do it. The most common reasons for this are lack of training, lack of self-confidence, or therapists’ avoidance of their own discomfort. And even therapists that do know about exposure have usually been trained in “old school” outdated methods, that are quite rigid, are limited to the treatment of anxiety disorders, and are often unpleasant for both clients and therapists – with accordingly high drop-out rates.
So now the good news. Exposure in ACT is cutting edge, highly flexible, and radically different from the “old school” exposure you find in CBT, EMDR, DBT, PE and almost all other models that include it. (Which is why the dropout rates for ACT-based exposure are so much lower than those for CBT and PE). Exposure in ACT is always in the service of values, and it’s not about trying to reduce anxiety or get a drop in SUDS (Subjective Units of Distress Score). It’s about developing emotional flexibility, cognitive flexibility, and behavioural flexibility, in the presence of “repertoire-narrowing stimuli” (i.e. thoughts, feelings, and situations that trigger rigid, inflexible behaviour).
If you’ve done one of Russ’s advanced-level workshops on ACT for Depression and Anxiety Disorders, you’ve touched on exposure already. But this one day workshop with Eric Morris will take you so much deeper into both the theory and the practice. (And if you already know about exposure from other models, prepare yourself for a liberating and ground-shaking paradigm shift.)
SYDNEY
05th Mar 2018
MELBOURNE
18th Jun 2018 – 19th Jun 2018
BRISBANE
14th May 2018
https://www.psychology.org.au/Event/19408
Art and Play Therapy with Children
Course overview:
This two day workshop provides a practical introduction to child-led art and play therapy. Toys are children’s words and play is their language. To understand and help children, we need to allow children opportunities to express themselves in their own language through art and play. Based on the work of international play therapy centres, and the presenter’s own twenty five years of clinical experience, this workshop will demonstrate and give you practice opportunities in child-led play therapy. Through training in expressive play methods using toys, puppets and art media, you will practise the necessary skills and gain an understanding about working therapeutically in both non-directive play therapy and directive art therapy with children. This introductory workshop provides practical, useful and interactive opportunities to start your work with children aged between 2-10. Relevant development principles and current evidence will also be reviewed. Consideration is given to the types of art and play media best suited to this age.
SYDNEY
05th Mar 2018 – 06th Mar 2018
17th Sep 2018 – 18th Sep 2018
MELBOURNE
18th Jun 2018 – 19th Jun 2018
19th Nov 2018 – 20th Nov 2018
BRISBANE
27th Aug 2018 – 28th Aug 2018
HOBART
03rd Sep 2018 – 04th Sep 2018
https://www.psychology.org.au/Event/19391
TRAUMA-FOCUSSED THERAPY WORKING WITH ADULTS
Treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is challenging, whether the result of a single incident such as a car accident or natural disaster, or more chronic trauma exposure such as child sexual abuse.
This training program will give you the skills and confidence to use exposure-based therapy to help your clients recover from PTSD. The two-day workshop is followed by three group-based consultations with an expert trainer – supporting you to apply and refine your new skills.
With the aid of expert demonstrations, you will learn and practise skills in exposure, cognitive, and emotion regulation interventions. You will also learn about and practise case formulation as a tool in developing individualised treatment plans for clients with complex presentations.
A comprehensive manual with practitioner tools and client handouts is provided.
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF TRAUMA
The cognitive impairments commonly associated with trauma and PTSD can be quite disabling.
Using illustrative case studies, this workshop will help you to identify these deficits, understand the impact they may have on a client’s presentation and functioning, and consider the implications for your treatment planning.
The workshop will take a lifespan approach, highlighting the impact of trauma on brain development and cognitive functioning at different life stages. You will learn about cognitive screening measures and how a more comprehensive neuropsychological assessment can enhance your case formulation and treatment planning. You will also learn and practise simple compensation strategies to teach clients to improve their day-to-day functioning.
A practitioner guide with tools, handouts, and an up-to-date reference list is provided.
