Description

Working with Separated Families (On-demand)

Overview

*This 60minute on-demand webinar equips Australian child therapists (art therapists, play therapists, and child counsellors) working in private practice to support children (3-12 years) and their separated parents.

*Developed to bridge the competency gap left open by university courses, the webinar focuses on common practice issues that almost all child therapists will encounter but often feel uncertain in how best to respond. In supporting families who are separated or separating, it is essential to understand the intersection of ethical and legal dimensions to provide a service that is safe, responsible, and respectful.

*The main aims are to boost confidence and increase competence in child counselling by demystifying the common legal terms and processes of the Family Court and Children’s Court and making clear the responsibilities of child therapists using interactive, experiential, and reflective activities.

*Consent, confidentiality, and safety are explored using different examples from practice with the information provided able to be applied immediately.

Learning Objectives:

•        To understand the main ethical and legal issues relating to working with separated parents (consent, confidentiality, safety, and risk) as a child counsellor
•        To understand what dual parental consent means as it relates to working with separated parents
•        To learn about the high-risk pressure points and be introduced to approaches that can minimise risk in practice (policies and procedures).
•        To be introduced to relevant court processes and understand how counsellors can be implicated
•        To understand the role of supervision, consultation, and support

This webinar is a taster course offered to support child therapists and taken from the more comprehensive course, ‘Ethical Practice: Working with Vulnerable Children and Families’. This course is offered twice a year as a live webinar. If you would like to learn more about this course or sign up, please contact us.

About the presenter

This webinar is facilitated by Child Psychotherapist, Therapeutic Arts Practitioner, and researcher, Dr Emma van Daal who has 20 years of experience with children and families in private practice, community organisations, as a consultant and researcher, and clinical supervisor. Passionate and committed to ensuring children can access the highest standard of mental health care available, Emma has recently undertaken a scoping review of child counselling competencies with a view to develop an Australian framework.