Course overview:

Family separation, divorce and remarriage can be a very difficult time for children. During or even a long time after, children can shut down through grief, have difficulty managing all the changes and even have their development and growth impacted. It can be a very painful time. Children experiencing family change can benefit from supportive professionals, parents, other family members and people outside the family to help them through.

Learn creative ways to help children and young people through the changes in their families. In this 3-hour workshop we will use art and play therapy methods to explore impacts of family separation on children and learn suitable tools to work creatively, safely and effectively with children. This course will offer a practical guide to the assessment of impacts of family separation on children and options for creative interventions.  You will also take away some ideas for working with parents, so that they can best support their children.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Know about the prevalence of divorce and separation in Australia
• Hear about children’s experiences of family separation, divorce and remarriage
• Learn about the impacts of parental conflict on children
• Take away tools and practical interventions for children
• Learn ideas to help parents to help their children.
• Work in the safety and support of a small group environment

What ideas are explored:

• Important adjustment tasks for children after family separation
• How to address self-blame in children 
• How children of different ages and stages respond to family separation
• What therapeutic messages children need to hear when their parents separate
• Ways in which adults can help children navigate living between houses
• How parents can best support children

Training methods will include:

• Interactive and practical presentation
• Large and small group discussions
• Methods practice
• Opportunities to reflect on method applications

Please note, this is a LIVE and INTERACTIVE training event. We don't record this.

Who Should Attend?

All those working with children. Psychologists, social workers, school counsellors, case workers, child and family counsellors, mental health and pastoral workers, other allied health professionals and students of these disciplines.

Workshop Facilitator

Presenter - Natalie Crake MHealthSci(Psych), MSWQ (Social Work), RPT (Play Therapy)
		Natalie is a Registered Social Worker with the Australian Association of Social Workers and Registered Play Therapist with Australasia Pacific Play Therapy Association. She has a Master of Child and Adolescent Health (Psychology) and Master of Social Work. Natalie has over 12 years experience in counselling, social work, group work programs and supervision in the not-for-profit sector and in the private family law sector. She uses humanistic and systemic modalities when working with children/families. She is passionate about hearing children’s voices and has worked for many years in the family law sector in furthering children’s participation in society. Natalie collaborates on a podcast for separate parents and anyone working in the post-separation field and can be heard on Apple Podcast “alwayschildfocused”.

Training Dates and Times

27th March 2025, 2pm - 5pm AEDT (Sydney Time)

&

19th September 2025, 10am - 1pm AEST (Sydney Time)

Attending from interstate or internationally?

You can use this time converter to check the exact day and time of this training for your location.

Cost

Special Price $200

Workshop Details:

• 3 CPD hours
• Access to slides and link to create Certificate of Attendance
• GST
  

Work paying?

Lucky you!

Send us an email requesting an invoice via the contact page with your name, the dates and name of course/courses you'd like to do and the name of your organisation who you want us to invoice and we will send you an organisational invoice and a registration form.

Approved ACA Event for 5 points

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