Developing Resilience

Presenter: Liese Groot-Alberts

Who should attend this webinar? Professional support workers and volunteers who work with people dealing with any loss, grief, trauma, or difficult change.

Overview: To work effectively as Health Care Professionals, it is necessary to be aware of life purpose and our own resilience as well as knowing how to work through doubts and experiences of clients’ despair and suffering, in order to be effective in working with people and their communities.

Strengthening our own sense of hope and resilience makes us better equipped to explore resilience and hope with the people we work with. Research shows that staff who actively practice self-care and self-awareness increase their resilience in the Health Care Professions, where empathy and compassion are important aspects of the work.

End 2020 with a gift to you and your work so you’re ready for 2021!

Key Learning Points

• Tools to develop and strengthen your own resilience
• Self-reflective practice and awareness

Liese works internationally as a public and keynote speaker, palliative care educator, presenter of loss, grief and bereavement training and clinical supervisor for healthcare professionals. Her passion is working with difference and finding strength and hope in connectedness.

A Closer Look at Eating Disorders

Presenter: Christine Deacon

Who should attend this webinar? Clinicians and healthcare professionals who work in social/community services, health and education settings, who wish to increase and supplement their knowledge about eating disorders and disordered eating from a valuable specialist and lived experience perspectives.

Overview: Eating disorders are complex mental illnesses that are often misunderstood, stigmatized and do not enjoy many accessible, affordable support and treatment services. Through understanding eating disorders and breaking common misconceptions, we are better able to support an individual with an eating disorder or disordered eating in sourcing fit-for-purpose support and treatment programmes that are easily accessed and affordable in New Zealand and Australia.

Key Learning Points

• The different types of eating disorders
• Common misconceptions about eating disorders
• Common co-occurring conditions
• Methods for treating eating disorders
• What current research tells us
• The impact of eating disorders
• Canopy innovation in NZ and AUS and worldwide
• The power of peer and non-clinical support
• Lived experience
•  

Christine Deacon is the Founder of Canopy Eating Disorders Support Service (launched in 2020) & EMBRACE New Zealand (launching in 2021). Christine has a lived experience with an eating disorder and has dreamed of creating affordable and accessible support and treatment services for all Kiwis. Her international work and living experience has opened her eyes how this can be delivered in a New Zealand setting. Trained in law, pharmacology and HR, and a pragmatic idealist at heart, Christine is passionate about bringing together changemakers from all over the world to not just talk about change - but actually implement it.

Tuesday evening Focusing 'Drop ins'

Presenter: Rachel Hendron

Focusing can be used by clients who feel stuck, stressed and overwhelmed to find just a little more space, it is useful in helping to make decisions or ways to move forward with blocked projects. Focusing helps us listen to our small voices which typically get overlooked or even stop speaking because of traumatic events. It is very helpful for brain-body conditions, fatigue, pain, addictive and obsessive behaviour. Focusing offers beautiful ways to find a new way of interacting with self-critical voices and dreams, even very hostile ones. Going at the clients’ pace and creating the right distance makes Focusing an effective but safe process that most people can learn with surprising ease even if they have never listened to their bodies before.

These weekly 'drop-ins' are an opportunity for individuals to have some self-care, community and time to practice Focusing as a way to relate to themselves and others in a more embodied, spontaneous and free-flowing way. Each event will be different depending on how many people attend and their interests.

For more information see www.vibrantlife.nz where you will also find a free downloadable guide which will be a useful accompaniment at the meetings.

Rachel Hendron holds an MSc in Person Centred Counselling and Psychotherapy from the University of Strathclyde. I’m a recognised Focusing-Oriented Therapist and Focusing Trainer by the Focusing Institute. I work with individuals, couples and families in a trauma-informed, relational way at Family Action in Auckland and in-person and online in Private Practice. I see adults and adolescents and children. I work to help my clients build better relationships with themselves and each other, using Nonviolent principles, Neuroscience and Attachment theories and the felt sense. Most recently I am training to become recognised by Brainspotting International using the optic nerve’s connection to the subcortical region to help my clients heal swiftly from trauma.

'Making the Difference' Online Training Module

Presenter: The Grief Centre

The course is designed to help participants support clients or staff who may be facing a difficult life situation, significant change, or any form of loss and grief. Participants will be asked to reflect on their own role and apply the content to their work.

This training consists of four modules:

Module 1: The Impact of Difficult Life Situations

• The nature and impact of difficult life situations, change, loss, and grief
• Common reactions that occur and influencing factors
• Ways people cope - helpful and unhelpful

Module 2: What Does Good Support Mean?

• What support can you offer?
• Support needs that people have
• Identify support priorities

Module 3: Providing Good Support

• Empathy versus sympathy and listening and empathy skills
• Handling difficult conversations and being with a crying, anxious or angry person
• When reactions are delayed or complicated
• Respecting boundaries and accessing extra support

Module 4: Strategies for Self-Care

• Strategies for self-care as you support others - working sustainably

At the Grief Centre we offer a variety of services to assist those who are grieving. They include counselling, support groups, brochures, books and articles. We also offer training and professional supervision to those who are working with individuals and families who are suffering from grief and loss.