Professional Development

Learn about the experience of common mental disorders: mood disorders, psychosis, and anxiety disorders. Develop a better understanding of how to best support those with mental illness and their family members.

This workshop will provide up to date information and introduce the fundamental skill set of Motivational Interviewing. Learn helpful skills to assist people to engage in behaviour change.

Introduction and overview of the mental health problems that older people experience most commonly, for the benefit of healthcare workers in all fields.

This interactive workshop will help participants develop cultural competency in their practice. Define culture, differentiate between observations, judgments, and evaluations, and be aware of your own cultural values. Learn the differences between refugee and migrant people’s experiences.

Gain the skills to identify and de-escalate an agitated person while keeping yourself and others safe. Gain confidence in managing distress and aggression, and strategies for self-control. Learn the role of communication and the importance of debriefing following a challenging situation.

Develop an understanding of significant ethics and boundaries concepts. Learn to make decisions that protect people’s rights while minimising the risks to the healthcare worker, and use an ethical dilemma problem-solving framework.

Develop your confidence in how to manage persons with suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviours. Discuss recent New Zealand data on suicide and self-harm, models for understanding risk and protective factors, along with recommendations for management plans.

Participants will gain skills and practice in a model for formulating risk and tools for intervention. This is an advanced workshop suited to professionals with some level of training and experience in screening and managing youth and adults with self-harm and suicidal behaviours.

This workshop will provide an introduction to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and some of its key components. It will give participants an understanding of DBT skills and how they may be used in their daily practice with clients.

Gain the knowledge and skills to use an evidence-based Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) model designed in a way that is fun and engaging for children and youth.

This workshop is an introduction to health-related legislation for community workers. It will provide you with the knowledge and understanding to ensure you are managing your role within the boundaries of relevant health-related legislation in Aotearoa in order to protect the rights of those individuals affected.

Learn skills to engage in safe and effective relationships with clients in support-focused situations while maintaining your own safety and boundaries.

Further develop your Motivational Interviewing (MI) skill set with a focus on enhancing evoking and change talk.

This workshop provides an overview and update of current approaches to working clinically with people with Co-Existing Mental Health and Substance Use Problems (CEP).

Gain a basic understanding of anxiety and how it particularly relates to children. Learn how to support parents/workers with anxious children to feel confident and competent to manage anxious behaviours in a way that promotes the child’s bravery and wellbeing.

Safety is important when travelling around the community, and working in private homes presents potential risks to staff and clients. This workshop will develop your confidence and skills to decrease risk and manage difficult situations.

This workshop aims to give people who are working with, or coming into contact with, residents who hoard, tools and methods to effectively assist them to clear space in their home.

Develop your skills to effectively and clearly document your work in supporting people with mental health issues.

ACT is a transdiagnostic model and has an impressive body of research showing its efficacy across a range of disorders. This workshop will provide an introductory overview of the ACT model and its components. Participants will have an opportunity to practice and build skills over the day.

Explore the reality of Te Tiriti, the issues it presents for healthcare, and its implications for practitioners and services in the broader healthcare setting.

This workshop follows on from Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: Key DBT Skills for Helping Clients with Emotion Regulation. This workshop will focus on individual sessions and incorporating DBT skills as well as other DBT strategies into practice.

Develop skills and increase your knowledge around assisting individuals who present with alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues. Recognise problematic AOD use, understand the impact on the individual and whānau and how to access support services in Canterbury. 

This workshop will provide an overview of traditional attachment theory as well as current approaches in relation to trauma in children and young people.

This workshop will cover current research on trauma, including Complex Trauma, and how this affects development for children and adolescents. Participants will learn about trauma and the relationship to Attachment theory. Develop practical skills and resources for trauma work and how mental health professionals can support clients.

Understand and recognise the presence of mental health issues in an individual with an intellectual disability and learn fundamental strategies that may be used to provide effective support.

This workshop introduces an advanced linguistic model which enables counsellors, therapists and helpers to conversationally assist healing and change in their clients.

This workshop will discuss why it is important to identify personality disorders, the aetiology of personality disorders including trauma and other life impacts, and key features of each personality disorder. Participants will learn effective, safe strategies and responses for support.

Discover what synthetic drugs are currently available, what they are, how to recognise use and how they have come to be used so frequently in today's society. Learn about longer term effects and gain tools and strategies around harm minimisation.

This workshop provides an overview of common mood disorders in order for participants to understand and respond appropriately. Identify ways you can offer support and what treatment options are available.

Revisit verbal de-escalation strategies and environmental considerations before teaching practical and evasive techniques to ensure that both you and your client are kept as safe as possible in an actual or potential physical assault situation.

Despite the advent of medications and other therapies over the last 50 years, rates of mental illness have been on the rise. Scientists have been uncovering an uncomfortable truth: What we eat is affecting our mental health.

This workshop will cover current research on trauma, including vicarious trauma, and how this affects the everyday life of people.

Develop your understanding of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and learn strategies for how to support each individual effectively and safely.

Learn how to support people better by not burning-out and being a support for your colleagues and agency. This is about recognising our recent experiences and how to work through it.

This workshop will guide you to provide the support and care that meets the client’s needs in a way that maintains their and your personal, social and cultural identity.

This workshop will provide a general introduction to the experiences and impacts of anxiety. Particular focus will be given to Phobias, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder and Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

This workshop will explore how we develop, maintain, adapt and sustain our resilience in order to preserve our wellbeing in demanding times.

This is a tailored one-day introductory workshop for anyone working in a health or social service setting that supports clients who may present behaviours (due to a health or development impact) that others might find challenging. PLEASE NOTE: The focus of this workshop is in the areas of intellectual/developmental/learning disabilities only.

In all aspects of our daily lives we are interacting and communicating with others yet so often there are times when there is miscommunication and confusion leading at times to conflict and less than satisfactory outcomes in the workplace.

This workshop will provide a general introduction to the experiences and impacts of Psychosis.