professional development in the lower north island


Managing Risk: Health Law for Psychologists

Presenters: Kate Diesfeld and John Fitzgerald

associate professor kate diesfeld.jpgMany psychologists are eager to learn about managing risk through knowledge of health law. Also, best practice is underpinned by application of relevant New Zealand law. Designed as an interactive session, this professional development programme integrates lectures and small group discussion by a legal academic and practising psychologist. Drawing upon issues that arise in practice, including:
  • What guidance does the the law provide regarding professional boundaries?
  • What are the standards of professional competence and consequences for breach?
  • What may we learn from cases involving protection, and disclosure, of health information?
  • What strategies diminish risk and promote best practice?
When: 2 September 2010
Where: Wharerata Function Centre, University Avenue, Massey University, Palmerston North
Cost: NZPsS Member $200.00, Non Member $250.00, NZPsS Student $150.00
Contact: email pd@psychology.org.nz
Brochure: » download now

Knowing me, knowing you: two day introductory course in Transactional Analysis

Presenters: Mandy Lacy and Marion Wade

Transactional Analysis (TA) is a model for understanding personality, human development and behavior, communication and relationships. TA can be applied by anyone, in a variety of situations. It has an underlying ethos of positive regard for self and others, and a belief that everyone can change. This two day workshop is the official introductory course. TA101 is an internationally recognized qualification and you will be awarded a certificate on completion of the workshop. The workshop offers material that is relevant to those who work with people; ie, psychotherapists, counselors, educators, coaches, supervisors, consultants, and relevant to those who work in health, justice, business and other organisations. This training stands on its own and is also a prerequisite for those wanting to advance to further training.

Marion Wade is a Certified Clinical Transactional Analyst and Provisional Teaching and Supervising member of the International Transactional Analysis Association. She is a counselor and registered psychotherapist. Marions first career was nursing beginning with general care of people before working in mental health and psychiatric nursing. She works with individuals and couples and has experience of helping clients with general life issues, as well as specialist experience with eating disorders, sexual function issues and trauma recovery.

mandy_lacy.jpgMandy Lacy is a Certified Organisational Transactional Analyst and provisional teaching and supervising member of the International Transactional Analysis Association. She teaches and supervises TA in the organisational field here in Wellington and throughout Australasia. Mandy is the executive director of Star Potential Ltd, delivering consultancy, coaching, training, project management, organizational development and professional supervision. She has a breadth of experience in business, workforce development, education, training and professional development, human resources, management and leadership sectors within corporate, government and NGOs organisations.

When: 9am to 5pm each dayFriday/Saturday 10th & 11th September 2010
Where: The Training Space, 5 Alpha Street, Wellington
Cost: $300 (gst inclusive) morning and afternoon teas provided
To register: contact Mandy email mandy@starpotential.co.nz or ph (027) 528 8843

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Presenter: Dr Eileen Britt

MI is a collaborative client-centred form of guiding to elicit and strengthen motivation for change, which provides a means of working with clients who are ambivalent about change. It has proven efficacy as an intervention for substance use problems (e.g., alcohol abuse and dependence). Additionally, there is increasing evidence of its effectiveness across a broad range of behaviours, including health behaviour change (e.g. medication compliance, diet and exercise, diabetes), offending, and psychological disorders (e.g., eating and anxiety disorders).

This workshop will present an overview of MI research, theory and practice. The workshop is designed to be interactive. Participants will experience and practice MI, and receive feedback on this practice during the workshop, and for this reason numbers attending will be limited. The overall aims of the workshop are that participants will:
  • develop an understanding of what MI is
  • develop an understanding of the evidence-base for MI and how it works
  • develop an understanding of the fundamental spirit and principles of MI
  • learn the basic clinical style of MI, and how to continue learning it in practice

eileen_britt.jpgDr Eileen Britt is a Clinical Psychologist and Fellow of the NZCCP. She is a lecturer at the University of Canterbury (Christchurch) in the Health Sciences Centre, teaching two post-graduate papers on Motivational Interviewing, and on the Post-Graduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology programme, where she is also currently Director of Clinical Training. Eileen is also employed as a Research Fellow, providing supervision on psychotherapy research trials, at the Department of Psychological Medicine (Christchurch). Her PhD was on MI applied to diabetes self-management, and she currently has three papers on MI published in peer reviewed journals. Eileen has attended training for Motivational Interviewing Trainers (partially funded by the NZCCP Study/Research Award), and is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers.

When: 13 & 14 September 2010
Where: Palmerston North
Cost: free to NZCCP members; non-members $250
Registration form: » download now
For details: see www.nzccp.co.nz

When Worries Attack

Presenter: Dr. Vanessa Cobham

Anxiety in children and adolescents is often overlooked, under-reported or misinterpreted as being a behavioural or developmental problem. In reality anxiety disorders are the most common child and adolescent mental health complaint affecting as many as 1 in 5 young people in New Zealand. When recognised and properly managed, anxiety disorders are very treatable. This workshop will help participants to recognise anxiety disorders and respond appropriately within their own professional context, becoming effective allies for children in overcoming anxiety. The three main areas of discussion will include:

Recognition
  • An overview of the most common anxiety disorders in childhood and adolescence, their prevalence, how to spot them, and how to tell them apart from normal developmental behaviours.
  • Psychosocial Implications: Understanding the impact of anxiety on learning and development, peer relationships and family.
  • Comorbidity: When anxiety is not the only problem, or leads to other problems
  • The prognosis if anxiety is left without intervention.
Assessment
  • Tools to assist in assessment that can be used by any helping professional, with specific attention on child self reporting tools and parent reporting tools.
Interventions and Management
  • Use of cognitive-behavioural strategies (the evidence based intervention of choice) in an age appropriate way.
  • The importance of involving parents and key strategies for working with them.
  • Strategies for building treatment-readiness, managing anxiety in schools, working with reluctant children, and relapse prevention.
vanessa cobham psychologistVanessa Cobham holds a PhD in the area of child and adolescent anxiety disorders. Currently she splits her time between lecturing for the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland and working clinically for the Mater Child and Youth Mental Health Service in Brisbane. She has completed a broad range of research projects in the area of anxiety, the results of which have been published internationally. Vanessa is the author of a series of workbooks for both children with anxiety disorders and their parents and has co-authored a self-help book for parents called ‘Helping Your Anxious Child’. She is also actively involved with Australian Government initiatives to provide psychological care to children and adolescents affected by natural disasters (most recently the Victorian bushfires). Her warm, down to earth presentation style, combined with her vast knowledge of the subject ensures that this is a workshop not to be missed for all professionals working with children and young people.

When: 20th September 2010, 9:00am - 3:00pm (Lunch and Morning Tea Provided)
Where: Westpac Stadium, Waterloo Quay, Wellington
Cost: $195 incl. GST
Contact: see www.compass.ac.nz to register online


Client-Focused Therapy

Presenter: Richard Whiteside

Most therapists make the decision of treatment strategy before clients ever walk in the door. But how can you know whether you're going to be directive or collaborative without identifying the client's needs or cooperation style? To be truly client-centred in your work, you need to adjust your stance in light of the situation that's presented rather than expecting clients to conform to your philosophy and belief structure. This workshop will help practitioners: identify their client's current cooperation style (High Cooperation, No Cooperation, Conditional Cooperation, or Illusion of Cooperation); determine why the client has adopted that position; decide whether a direct, indirect, or re-directive stance is most appropriate; identify which interventions will work most effectively for that cooperation type; craft an effective strategy based on the hypothesis, qualitative, and quantitative factors.

richard whiteside.jpg.jpgRick received his Masters in Social Work from Atlanta University in the United States in 1977, followed by post-graduate training at the Family Therapy Institute under Jay Haley and Cloe Madanes. Rick is the author of many books, including Creating Partnerships, The Art of Using and Losing Control, Whispers from the East, When Your Lover Leaves You, Positive Positioning, and Working with Difficult Clients as well as the Interactive CD-ROMs Family Therapy 1-2-3 and Tough Teens/Challenging Children. Rick developed the Family Therapy Team at Waitemata District Health Board where he also served as Service Clinical Director for Child, Youth, and Family Mental Health. He is a member of the Training Division of IFTA, an Approved Supervisor for AAMFT, and has served on the Practitioner's Reference Group of the NZ Mental Health Commission. Rick has been successfully providing training for the past 20 years to mental health teams, psychologists, social workers, counsellors, and psychiatry registrars/consultants.

When: 22 October 2010
Where: Mana Education Centre, Porirua, Wellington
Cost: Earlybird Registration (prior to 17 September 2010). $165.00 Standard Registration (after 17 September 2010) $185.00
Contact: for more information ph (04) 293 3511 email solun@xtra.co.nz or register online at www.solutions-unlimited.co.nz