Professional Development in the Auckland Region

A Practical Introduction to working with Small Figures

Presenter: John Barton

Learn how to use small figures with counselling and therapy clients. Small figure work is a powerful and effective method of working with adults, adolescents and children. Clients quickly understand themselves from fresh\ perspectives and find themselves thinking in new and creative ways. This workshop will focus on working with adults in the one-to-one setting. The work can be directly applied with couples and in family therapy, in supervision and in workplace/management settings. Participants who work with children will need to modify the work to suit their clients.

Using small figures enables clients to:

• Express and understand their knowledge of the family and social systems they inhabit.
• Experience themselves and their stories from both internal and external perspectives.
• Connect with feelings and understanding that are held in nonverbal memory.
• Concretise and thus more fully experience their hopes and wishes for the future.

John Barton is a psychotherapist in Auckland and Christchurch. He is trained in psychodrama and other modalities. He was a GP in Taihape, Huntly and inner Melbourne for over twenty years. He uses small figures in his own practice and has run this workshop in New Zealand, Australia, USA, Europe and Asia. He has a lighthearted teaching style which shows his enthusiasm for small figure work and his joy in the practice of psychotherapy.

Imago Relationship Therapy Training: intro workshop

Presenter: Brenda Rawlings MNZAC

This Two Day Training presents an opportunity to experience Imago Relationship Therapy (IRT), giving an overview of Imago theory and clinical practice, and the relational processes which underpin this transformational work. In these two days, we offer an in-depth understanding of relational dynamics from both an attachment and developmental perspective, incorporating developments from clinical research and neuroscience. This module introduces therapists to the Relational Paradigm, and what it means to view couple dynamics through a relational and dialogical lens. Participants will be introduced to the practice of the Imago Dialogue through both clinical and experiential work and receive an introduction to the impact of neuro-biological functioning on couple relationships, the need to integrate the positive (including the Appreciation Dialogue), and clear steps for relationship repair which promote safety and connection. These two days can be taken independently without proceeding to the next step, the Imago Clinical Training. There are no specific requirements for attending these two days of training.

Brenda Rawlings trained originally as a Social Worker through Massey University. In 1989 Brenda retrained in Counselling, beginning in private practice in 1991. She has specialised in relationship counselling since 1998. She is a leader, both in New Zealand and internationally in the field of relationships. She is currently Dean of the Imago International Institute and in 2013 was the recipient of the Harville Hendrix Award for Clinical Excellence.

Insight Focused Therapy Training Series

Presenter: Pauline Skeates and Sandy Fabrin: co-facilitator

Insight Focused Therapy is a mindfulness-based, integrative model of counselling which draws from the latest salient discoveries in neuroscience research and mindfulness studies. These, together with concepts from Attachment Theory, Coherence Theory, Developmental Theory, Polyvagal Theory and Clean Language are integrated into a cohesive and practical therapeutic process. Through this training you will discover, how this simple to use, gentle but potent method - with its focus on acceptance, kindness and compassion - will melt defenses and gently shift you into a present-moment, open spaciousness where life-changing insights can emerge into consciousness. In our training you will learn aspects of the latest neuroscience research drawn from many experts: Van der Kolk, Siegel, Schore, LeDoux, Cozolino, Porges, Kabit-Zinn and others. IFT can be used by therapists, mentors, coaches, and people-helpers. It can also be used as a personal development tool. In fact, anyone can use this open and accepting inner dialogue. 

Pauline Skeates is the Director of Insight Counselling Services, Auckland, New Zealand and the leader of Insight International. Pauline’s working history includes training as a nurse, working in a busy inner city church as a pastor and for almost 2 decades, working as a therapist in her thriving private practice. For the past 18 years she has been teaching and training pastors, counsellors, medical staff and people-helpers, in various parts of the world. Several years ago, she developed an innovative model of therapy called, “Insight Focused Therapy”. IFT is a highly effective, gentle and non-intrusive way of working with people who need emotional, psychological and spiritual help. It is a suitable tool for personal growth and also as a therapy for professional use. Pauline is married with 3 children and 3 beautiful grandchildren. In her spare time she enjoys water sports, reading and relaxing with friends and family. 

Adolescent Focused Therapy (AFT) for Anorexia Nervosa

Presenter: Kellie Lavender, Psychotherapist and Certified FBT Therapist and Supervisior

Adolescent Focused Therapy (AFT) is a manualised, empirically evaluated individual treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa. It evolved out of Ego-Orientated Individual Therapy (EOIT; Robin et al., 1994, 1999), which was adapted and manualised into AFT at Stanford University by Fitzpatrick, Hoste, et al. It was used as the control therapy in the well-known RCT comparing this model with Family Based Treatment (FBT), (Lock, Le Grange et al. 2010). AFT theory originates from a self-psychological model and views anorexia as a maladaptive coping tool used by the adolescent to manage the complex demands and transitions associated with adolescence. AFT consists of three phases of treatment spread across approximately one year. Although AFT is an individual approach it makes liberal use of separate collateral sessions with parents with the aim of engaging and educating them about anorexia. This workshop introduces the AFT model, its theory and application. Clinicians will gain an understanding of this model and how to practically implement the model into clinical practice. This training is suitable for clinicians with pre-existing knowledge of eating disorders and who are working in the field with adolescents and young adults with a diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa.

Kellie Lavender, Bed. MHSc (Hons) DipTchg Registered Psychotherapist (PBANZ), (NZAP), has worked in the field of eating disorders for over 16 years with clients of all ages and almost all eating disorder presentations. Over the past eight years, Kellie has specialised further in using FBT with adolescents and young adults, becoming a certified FBT therapist (2014) and supervisor (2016). She is a faculty member of the Training Institue for Child and Adolescent Treatment of Eating Disorders at Stanford University, USA and provides FBT supervision for certification in NZ and globally. Kellie works with individuals and families in a range of evidenced-based treatments and has a special interest in FBT modifications with different age groups and eating disorder presentations.

Family Based Treatment (FBT) and Avoidant Restrictive Food and Intake Disorder (ARFID)

Presenter: Kellie Lavender, Psychotherapist and Certified FBT Therapist and Supervisior

Avoidant restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a new eating disorder classification in the DSM-5. ARFID is more than just ”picky eating” and to date has often gone undiagnosed/untreated. The degree of food avoidance, in both type and variety in those presenting with ARFID, can have serious effects on physical and/or psychosocial development with detrimental and distressing effects on the individual and family. Being a new disorder, there is limited research to guide what is the best treatment. One approach is the use of Family Based Treatment but modified for this specific client group. Participants who attend this workshop will gain a full understanding of the diagnosis of ARFID and the modifications required when using FBT for children and adolescents presenting with ARFID. The workshop will include the use of role-plays along with providing resources and handouts to clinicians for use in their own practice. This workshop is ideal for clinicians who are trained in FBT and want to extend their scope of practice to include this new diagnosis. Professionals interested in learning more about diagnosing and recognising ARFID will also find this workshop helpful.

Kellie Lavender, Bed. MHSc (Hons) DipTchg Registered Psychotherapist (PBANZ), (NZAP), has worked in the field of eating disorders for over 16 years with clients of all ages and almost all eating disorder presentations. Over the past eight years, Kellie has specialised further in using FBT with adolescents and young adults, becoming a certified FBT therapist (2014) and supervisor (2016). She is a faculty member of the Training Institue for Child and Adolescent Treatment of Eating Disorders at Stanford University, USA and provides FBT supervision for certification in NZ and globally. Kellie works with individuals and families in a range of evidenced-based treatments and has a special interest in FBT modifications with different age groups and eating disorder presentations.