Child & Family Therapy Workshop, Wellington

Pre Conference Workshop March 2020 (PDF)

“Tūngia te ururua, kia tupu whakaritorito te tupu o te harakeke”

Clear the undergrowth so that the new shoots of the flax will grow

NZAP’s Child and Whanau Advocacy group are excited to present two innovative approaches to providing Child and Family therapy, from Auckland and Dunedin.

All NZAP members and related professionals are welcome; this will be a good opportunity to meet and talk with colleagues from the NZAP Child and Whanau Advocacy Group and discuss the social and political impacts on child therapy. Morning tea and lunch are provided.

Workshop 1 – Playful Approach to Serious Subject

Support for children’s emotional and mental health through arts therapy in educational settings.

Anna-Michele Hantler and colleagues of Arts & Play Therapy in Education (APTE) will share findings of their pilot project working in a South Auckland primary school, delivering group and individual arts and play therapy. They will show original material from children, parents and school and review what worked well and what didn’t. They will also describe the educational “fit” of group therapy work and the use of circle time techniques with puppets and games.

“Our preliminary findings with schools interested in having child therapists indicate they need help with developing pro-social and emotional development techniques. Group work and co-facilitation is a way we can support this staff development and probably easier for them to fund.” Anna-Michele Hantler

https://www.boosted.org.nz/projects/arts-play-therapy-at-park-estate-school

Workshop 2 – Reinvigorating Family Therapy

At one time Aotearoa was one of the foremost countries in the world in the development of family therapy. Sadly, this has disappeared in most parts of the country.

Joy Hayward and a group of colleagues have been meeting with a family for weekly family therapy sessions, sometimes as co-therapists and sometimes as part of an observing team. They will share their experience of family dynamics, of their groups dynamics and some of the theoretical background that has guided them.

Joy Hayward trained as a child psychotherapist at a time when working with the family was an integral part of working with children. A thorough family assessment was vital to avoid further pathologising the child. In fact, the child was often congratulated on finding a way to develop behaviour that enabled the family to get to therapy. On the eve of retirement, Joy is striving to pass on the knowledge from the excellent training she received. With new government mental health initiatives there is hope and scope for a resurgence in family therapy as one of the essential ways of improving the life of children and in tackling our appalling mental health statistics.

To register

Please email lyanda.info@gmail.com

Registrations open on 2 September.