About Your Speaker

Carolyn has worked for all of her professional life with children and young people. She is currently a coeducational school counsellor, practicing and implementing Narrative Therapy ideas and concepts with students and staff who seek her sensitive guidance. Her work is informed by a Narrative philosophy based on the teachings of Michael White and David Epston, developed in the early 1990’s at the Dulwich Centre in Adelaide where she also resides. As an international speaker, she shares her passion for giving more space to young people and their views and opinions in a supportive and nurturing way, reflecting her deep commitment to child focused practice. Carolyn has consulted with young people and their families regarding: anti-bullying strategies, the effects of gender-specific violence, family violence, perfectionism and its tyranny, eating problems, drug and alcohol addiction, grief and loss and associated life transitions and change.

Course Brief

Level 2 Narrative Therapy (Part 2) course takes your existing knowledge of NT to a deeper level, providing a holistic framework reviewing theory, using transcripts, video and live stop-start interviews to give practical help. Topics to be covered include: extending externalizing conversations; extending re-authoring conversations from problem to preferred stories; delving deeper into the absent but implicit concept; responding to trauma; scaffolding conversations; stop-start interviews; and the use of outsider witness practices. Here are some highlights:

Externalizing Conversations: clients often come to therapy with assumptions that their problems are linked to their personalities or their identity. Through externalizing conversations and personifying the problem, clients begin to recognize that problems are separate from them, freeing them to see new options for living.

Re-Authoring Conversations: these conversations help individuals notice the “quiet” unnoticed stories of personal strength that are able to support a new perspective and identity separate from their old problem-saturated narratives. These preferred stories may be seen as unique outcomes or exceptions.

Absent but Implicit: there are always past experiences that are not spoken, yet shape the story being “foregrounded.” The absent but implicit indicates that each problem story holds an inverse and deducible story waiting to be nurtured. An example: a client shares unhappiness associated with lonliness implying an implicit desire for real connection and belonging.
There will also be practical helps in Carolyn’s sessions that will help the clinician scaffold conversations assisting individuals to move from the known and familiar towards what is possible to know and what is valued. Finally, there will be examples given using video, role play and the outsider witness technique, helping individuals to nurture a personal preferred story, and move towards a richer sense of a healthy identity within their community.

About Your Speaker

Mohammed Fareez is the Senior Assistant Director of the Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre and Graduate of the Masters in Narrative Therapy and Community Work in collaboration between Dulwich Centre and The University of Melbourne.

Course Brief

Based on the work of Michael White and David Epston, Narrative Therapy involves ways of understanding the stories of people’s lives and ways of re-authoring their stories collaboratively between therapist and the people whose lives are being discussed.

Session Key Concepts

• Externalization of the • Problem: Where Person is Not the Problem, the Problem is the Problem • Re-authoring Identity • Working with Maps of • Narrative Practices: • Landscape of Action & Landscape of Identity • Re-membering: Developing the Idea that Identity is Shaped by Social Connections and the ‘Club of Life’ • Use of Case Studies and Other Practical Examples • Outsider Witnesses • Definitional Ceremonies • Personal Agency • Gender Issues • Addressing Trauma with Narrative Therapy • Absent and Implicit: Enquiring Into Stories of Self Beyond the Problem Saturated Story

Your Speaker

Yoges is an experienced clinician, supervisor and trainer in the area of trauma. She has 20 over years of social work experience. She graduated from Washington University (USA) in 2003 with Masters in Social Work and is currently a full-time PHD NUS research scholar student in the area of trauma-informed supervision. She is studying on the impact trauma informed supervision and its impact on secondary traumatic stress, vicarious trauma and post-traumatic growth. Yoges also provides group and individual group supervision. Prior to that, Yoges was Senior Principal Social Worker in Child Protective Services in Rehabilitation and Protection branch at Ministry of Social and Family Development. From 2014 to 2016, Yoges was a principal social worker at Comcare and Social Support Division for the Strengthening Families Together Pilot which adopts a whole of government approach and aims to enable vulnerable families with complex needs access resources by addressing system barriers.

Her work in MSF, Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centres and Perth District Child protection in Western Australia has required her to be trained and skilled in trauma work with children, youth, adults and families. Yoges is also skilled in critical incident stress debrief and supervision and support for practitioners who work with trauma. Building on her foundational trainings in trauma work, Yoges now also integrates her learnings on trauma interventions from Babette Rothschild’s training and supervision and Expressive therapies. She has been invited to speak at conferences and seminars and conduct training or sharing on trauma relating to clients and professionals.

Course Brief

This three-day intermediate training will revisit basic principles of trauma, goals of trauma therapy and ethical and safe trauma practices. Participants will learn to integrate the current literature, key theories and evidence-informed practice. Intervention modalities such as

• Trauma-Focused
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Somatic trauma therapy
• Expressive therapies
• Life story work
• Mindfulness-based stress reduction

will be covered. There will be a workshop segment where cases will be discussed in-depth and skills application will be facilitated. Practitioners use of self is essential in trauma work as trauma work is about connection. The training will also focus on trauma-informed care, support and strategies for practitioners to prevent secondary traumatic stress and vicarious trauma. The training will conclude with an exploration of post-traumatic growth, health and resilience in the process of recovery and empowerment of the clients.

About Your Speaker

Dr. Stephanie Diez-Morel is an assistant professor of graduate social work at Pennsylvania Western University. Dr. Diez-Morel is the co-lead for the American Psychiatric Association’s DSM Gaming Disorder Taskforce where she leads an interdisciplinary group of international experts in Gaming Disorder on proposing up to date criteria for the diagnosis of Gaming Disorder. She is an international trainer and speaker and has presented clinical courses to 10,000 trained helping professionals. Dr. Diez-Morel has authored numerous scientific presentations and journal articles, as well as appeared in international media on a variety of radio, podcasts, and news outlets to discuss the topic of addictions, gaming disorder and other addictions. In 2013, Dr. Diez-Morel founded Reboot & Recover, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing education, prevention, treatment, and research on gaming disorder and other technology-based addictions.

Dr. Diez-Morel earned her Ph.D. from Florida International University where she was awarded a student scholar in Health Disparities Research Fellowship offered through the Center for Research on US Latino HIV/AIDS and Drug Abuse (CRUSADA) funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As a C-SALUD Student Scholar in Health Disparities Research Fellow, Dr. Diez-Morel’s research contributed to the reduction and prevention of health disparities affecting youth and families in the United States. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Dr. Diez-Morel has worked for decades within nonprofit community organizations and in community hospitals providing direct clinical services to children, families, and adults experiencing addiction. In addition, she has provided clinical trainings, education and consultation to address addictions among various communities including medical professionals, counselors, healthcare workers, educators, caregivers, and school aged children.

• Co-authored book on internet addictions
• Working member on DSM 5 Committee for internet gaming addiction
• Asst. Professor in Social Work in USA
• Understands the crucial convergence of gaming and gambling wants of the young
• Poised to become leading authority worldwide on internet addiction
• Founder and President, Reboot & Recover, Inc., 2013- Present

Course Brief

There are 3.2 billion gamers worldwide Today, more people have access to, and are participating in, gaming activities than ever before. While many can enjoy video games without developing any consequences, there are a proportion of those who stray from responsible levels of play, to areas of problematic or disordered video gaming. These concerns continue to challenge Singapore communities too. Knowing how video gaming can convert from leisure to problematic is key to helping prevent this from occurring and to know how to clinically assess and treat gaming disorder. Those who often progress to problematic or disordered gaming get to a point where several areas of their lives are impacted in a negative way. Considering this, it is vital to have clinical tools to capably treat those who are experiencing gaming disorder or problematic gaming.

In part 2 of this training, we will review evidenced based approaches available through high quality research and will discuss how to translate and implement the research into direct clinical practice. This will include: screening, assessment, intervention, and treatment. We will discuss how to apply best evidenced based treatments into practice scenarios. Furthermore the accompanying manual will provide guidance on how to clinically apply these approaches when work with clients that have a diagnosis of gaming disorder or problematic gaming The manual will also: 1) Foster awareness of the facts and clinical features of gaming disorder and the continuum of gaming behaviors 2) Describe the psychological, physiological, social, and environmental issues and beliefs associated with gaming and gaming disorder 3) Identify co-occurring mental health issues to be aware of and screen for at intake/initial session 4) Identify valid screening measures to assess for gaming disorder 5) Discuss how to utilize evidence-based treatment models for treating gaming disorder or problematic gaming 6) Apply evidenced based treatments into practice scenarios and provide examples of direct application when using this approach for clients with gaming disorder or problematic gaming.

About Your Speaker

Mr. Vik is a well sought after local trainer with over 16 years experience in training and teaching Motivational Interviewing for participants from the healthcare, social service, enforcement and the academic fields. He has also been in the counselling field for 19 years, spending 3 years in the social service industry and 16 years in the addictions and healthcare field. He has an academic background in both counselling and psychology, teaching at the Singapore University of Social Sciences for over 12 years. He is an executive committee member with the Association of Professionals Specialising in Addictions Counselling, a board member for the Singapore Anti-Narcotics Association and a council member for the National Council Against Drug Abuse. He is currently doing a workgroup project with the Ministry of Health looking at using Motivational Interviewing to work with individuals who have diabetes or pre-diabetes and teaching healthcare educators to better engage patients within hospitals and polyclinics.

Course Brief

This workshop aims to provide motivational interviewing (MI) training to achieve the following objectives:

• Understand the History of MI and it’s intended use
• Address key principles and basic techniques for Social Care Professionals without prior training in basic MI
• Enable the application of MI techniques in working with their specific clients/patients
• Health Care and Social Care Professionals having confidence in using MI on a regular and consistent basis
• Understanding how MI overlaps with other therapeutic methods
• Appreciate how MI principles and techniques can be incorporated into participants daily work
The workshop will consist of basic MI training focusing on topics like:
• An introduction to Motivational Interviewing and incorporating in daily work
• An overview of the basic techniques and strategies commonly utilized within the premise of MI, the spirit of MI as a style and a way of being
• An overview of the principles of MI and ways to elicit change talk
• Exploring how MI started and which group it targets (Pre-contemplators and & Contemplators)
• Challenges in bringing about behavioural changes via the trans-theoretical model (often perceived as a prelude to motivational interviewing and created by Prochaska & Diclementi)

DAY 1

• Brief History of MI, it’s intended purpose and the Founders Dr William Miller & Stephen Rollnick
• Bringing about behavioural changes, challenges and Introducing the trans-theoretical model
• Using the trans-theoretical model to assess for readiness to change/types of intervention ( Prochaska and Di clementi’s Model)
• An introduction to the concept of Motivational Interviewing and brief research findings on the efficacy of MI in a variety of settings
• video + discussion in small groups practicing behavioral change and activity + discussion on eliciting of behavioural change
• An overview of MI

DAY 2

• Effective versus non-effective physician video (on smoking cessation) + discussion
• The spirit of MI as a style and a way of being
• The principles of MI (DARES & OARS)
• Video on mandated client + discussion + identifying what principles were used in the video
• Simple and complex reflections used in MI (Double-sided, Amplified, Choice and Control, Agreement with a Twist)
• MI in individual session by (demo by trainer), discussion of the applicability of MI in their setting - limitations versus opportunities and bringing up case scenario’s that health care and social care professionals face
• Eliciting change talk + DARN C
• MI techniques summary and roadmap (OARS), (DARES), (SPIRIT of MI) and (DARN C). Putting it altogether, change plan contracts and closing