Participants will gain a basic understanding of the principles of Arts Therapy and its uses in different contexts. We will engage in some simple examples of experiential, interactive processes to give you a little taste of different approaches in the field of Arts Therapy.
Art Therapy, An Introduction
For bookings call Byron Community College at Phone: 02 6684 3374
23rd ANZATA Arts Therapy Conference
Kinship Ties of Creativity: Past, Present and Future
19 and 20 October (with a Masterclass on 18 October)
University of Western Sydney, NSW (Parramatta campus)
The conference which will be held in October at the University of Western Sydney, NSW (Parramatta campus). This event marks the 20 year anniversary of Art Therapy Masters education at UWS which will be celebrated with a cocktail party on the evening of Saturday 19 Oct.
The theme of the conference is Kinship Ties of Creativity: Past, Present and Future, bringing together cross-cultural perspectives of the creative arts therapies within Australia, New Zealand and the Asia/Pacific region. The conference focuses on the modalities of drama, art and dance/movement. Interactive workshops and clinical presentations will address current issues experienced within the field of arts therapy, as well as provide opportunities for delegates to participate in interactive presentations that enhance creativity.
The keynote speaker is internationally renowned art therapist Dr Shaun McNiff, Professor at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. As well as local registered practitioners, this two-day event will feature speakers from New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and North America.
The conference will be preceded by a day of master classes on Friday 18 Oct. One masterclass will be presented by our keynote speaker, Shaun McNiff, while the other will be presented jointly by Andrea Gilroy and Jill Westwood of Goldsmiths University. These masterclasses are both absolutely world class events and will each have limited numbers, so make sure you book as soon as you can.
The Loving Brain – a free interview series by Dr. Rick Hanson
Dr. Rick Hanson is a neuropsychologist and is offering a free video interview series -Â The Loving brain , he is offering through en*theos beginning July 15.
He will talk with major experts on relationships, including (in order) Harville Hendrix, Ph.D. and Helen Hunt, Ph.D., Tara Brach, Ph.D., Paul Gilbert, Ph.D., Geneen Roth, Paul Zak, Ph.D., Sara Gottfried, M.D., and Christine Carter, Ph.D. Then I’ll do a wrap-up focused on practical takeaways.
Starting July 15, for eight Mondays a new interview will be available and then archived so you can watch it any time you want, or go back and see interviews that you missed. These free offered interviews are full of warmth and down-to-earth practical help. You can download them – including just the audio portion if you want – to your computer to access any time you like.
This series explores useful ideas and tools that people can use in their relationships with friends, family, romantic partners, children, or co-workers – including in difficult situations. What happens in their relationships is the most important factor in long-term physical and mental health for most people, and this series is dedicated to providing effective help.
The topics we’ll cover include:
- How experiences in childhood affect us today in our relationships
- Ways to grow caring and self-compassion
- Freeing oneself from unfair self-criticism
- The neurochemistry of love, and how to work with it
- How hormones and imbalances affect relationships
- Improving relationships with children and co-parents
- How relationships can change the brain for the better
http://www.entheos.com/conferences/The-Loving-Brain/Rick-Hanson
Free talk about the Power of Self Compassion
This is a free evening talkby Professor Paul Gilbertfor our local community at the Lismore Worker’s Club on Thursday July 4th, entitled Strengthening the Mind through the Power of Self-Compassion.Please come along if you think you might be interested in being a little more self- and other- compassionate in our rather stressed out world. See below for further details.
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 In just over two weeks time, Professor Paul Gilbert (UK), founder of compassion focused therapy – one of the most influential of the new psychotherapies – and his colleague Dr. Dennis Tirch (USA), author of the Compassionate Mind Guide to Anxiety, are coming to the Northern Rivers for talks/workshops. These are their only Australian events other than the international conference in Sydney which brought them to Australia.
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On Thursday, 4th July, 5.30-7.00, Lismore City Council, North Coast Medicare Local, Northern Rivers Social Development Council, Southern Cross University and the University Centre for Rural Health are sponsoring Paul to give a free talk for Northern Rivers residents at the Lismore Workers Club. The talk is entitled: Strengthening the Mind through the Power of Self-Compassion. Paul’s work is thought provoking and relevant to us all. The event is free to everyone. Do come if you can; and please invite any family, friends, colleagues, clients, students or patients that you think could be interested.
The difference between self-esteem and self-compassion
This is a beautiful presentation by Dr. Kristin Neff.
During Kristin’s last year of graduate school in 1997 she became interested in Buddhism, and has been practicing meditation in the Insight Meditation tradition ever since. While doing her post-doctoral work she decided to conduct research on self-compassion – a central construct in Buddhist psychology and one that had not yet been examined empirically.
In addition to her pioneering research into self-compassion, she has developed an 8-week program to teach self-compassion skills. The program, co-created with her colleague Chris Germer at Harvard University, is called Mindful Self-Compassion. Her book titled “Self-Compassion” was published by William Morrow in April, 2011.
Kristin was recently featured in the best-selling book and award-winning documentary called “The Horse Boy” which chronicles her family’s adventure with autism.
This is part of the bio found on Dr. Kirstin Neff’s website
Art Therapy for Cancer patients and their carers
The groups are run every Wednesday 1-3pm
Near the Lismore base Hospital at “Our House” Communal Lounge
Starting 17th of April- 26th of June for bookings call 66 294350
(The days will be run by different art therapists and Claudia will run the group on the 19th of June)
 these sessions are funded by the Cancer Council NSW
- No Costs involved, materials provided
- Working with Water Colour, Clay, Paint, Collage and much more,
- Meet People with shared experiences
- Express yourself, Take time Out
- Come for an Art Session or a chat and a cuppa
Art Therapy for women who have experienced domestic violence and trauma
I am pleased to let you know that I am offering an other Art Therapy Group
through the Women’s Resource Service in Mullumbimby
When:      Weekly Commencing Wednesday 1st May 10am – 1 pm
                  For 7 weeks until Wednesday 12th June.
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Where:Â Â Â Â Â Mullumbimby Neighbourhood Centre
                  55 Dalley St, Mullumbimby
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RSVP:Â Â Â Â Â Â contact Neroli to arrange a pre-group interview session
on 6684 4299
“These groups focus on connecting participants with their outer and inner resources and strength. We all tend to focus on the problem and often overlook resources already present. The groups are experiential and educational giving women the understanding and tools to establish a sense of control and stability which are fundamental for trauma resolution. The group-processes also assist women to move from isolation to new connections with other women to promote healing.†Claudia Gyr.
The program includes five major components.
1. Learning simple mindfulness practices
2. Somatic body centered exercises
3. Education about the biology of trauma
4. Listening skills and group sharing’s
5. Creative arts process to ground experiences and encourage further insights.
These processes are supported in a non-judgmental environment respecting each person’s pace and ability. This workshop prepares people to be better resourced to process trauma in therapy but is not a psychotherapy group. It is important that participants will have an initial interview session at the Women’s Resource Service to assess suitability.
Testimonies:
 “I was afraid and overwhelmed with negative emotions and now I feel positive, empowered and more able to copeâ€â€¦..
“Claudia uses her gifts and personal experience, understanding to guide you through a very powerful, healing and growing process that was so nurturing and empoweringâ€
Some Facts about Psychotropic Drugs
This video provides the facts about psychotropic drugs and the huge profits they create for the pharmaceutical industry. I am not saying that drugs don’t have a place in mental health but I do think that people get often too quickly treated just with drugs. This movie is a bit american but if you bare with it you will discover some important facts.
Healing Early Childhood Wounds Workshop
Diane Poole-Heller is teaching in Sydney 16th-18th of August 2013. In her words about the workshop:”Learn effective approaches to healing childhood wounds with essential body based tools that help clients enjoy fulfilling relationships”.
I can highly reckommend Diane Pooole-Hellers workshops for people interested learning more about childhood development, attachment styles and somatic experiencing. Her trainings are some of the best trainings I every attended and has influenced the way I work with people greatly.
She is also a very skilled presenter making the workshops engaging and very inspiring. For more information check out the link below.
