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In Australia the devastation wrought by catastrophic bushfires, extended drought and the pandemic has moved the climate emergency into our daily lives. We are now at a crossroads, with ecological breakdown threatening personal, societal and planetary wellbeing, and an unprecedented opportunity to restore a more respectful and balanced way of living.
Escalating threats and consequences for future generations can provoke complex emotions such as fear, anxiety, grief, despair and shame, and raise fundamental questions about who we are in our world and how to respond to what we are facing. These are understandable responses and healthy alternatives to numbing and denial, suggestive of deep caring and empathy for each other, for the next generations, and for Earth.
Therapists have a key role to provide safe and compassionate spaces, engaging our skills for working with complex behaviours and states of mind. We can support people to face, feel and cope with challenging emotions, and to do so in a way that they don’t become overwhelmed and disabled by them, or avoid facing the problems in order to avoid the feelings.
In this context therapeutic work means more than just helping people to cope with difficult emotions; it also includes supporting them to find their way to life-affirming action and to engage the imagination with generative possibilities. This can help to untangle cultural conditioning, relieve existential despair, inform realistic hope, and shape generative ways of living and relating.
Merle Conyer supports individuals, teams, organisations and communities responding to interpersonal, institutional, political, cultural and environmental trauma, healing and justice. Contexts in which she contributes include mental health, legal, government, academic and community sectors, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander services, organisations facilitating redress for institutional abuse, and those contributing to human rights, social justice and environmental justice.
Her track record includes board, management, service delivery and volunteer roles. Through her independent practice she currently offers counselling, supervision, debriefing, training, groupwork, wellbeing support and consulting services. She interweaves interdisciplinary wisdoms such as somatic psychotherapy, trauma-informed practice, narrative therapy, ecological psychotherapy, focusing and mindfulness practices, and is guided by both clinical and cultural supervision. Merle is an Accredited Supervisor and Clinical Member with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia. She holds a Master of Narrative Therapy and Community Work, Master of Counselling and Applied Psychotherapy, Master of Education, Graduate Diploma of Communication Management (Human Resource Development), and Diplomas of Somatic Psychotherapy and Energetic Healing.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Merle Conyer maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with Blue Knot Foundation. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Merle Conyer has no relevant non-financial relationships.
Morning Session
9:00am - 12:30pm (includes 15 minute break at 10:30am)
Lunch Break
12:30pm - 1:00pm
Afternoon Session
1:00pm - 4:30pm (includes 15 minute break at 2:45pm)
Learning objectives of this training:
“Develop your knowledge and skills for becoming a climate-emergency aware therapist by supporting people to cope with difficult emotions, find their way to life-affirming action, and engage the imagination with generative possibilities” Merle Conyer
How Will you Benefit From This Training?
Morning Session 9:00am - 12:45pm
(includes a short morning tea break)
Afternoon Session 1:30pm - 4:45pm
(includes a short morning tea break)
Mental health, pastoral care, social work and community services professionals
COVID-19 AND YOUR SAFETY
Our venue is registered with Service NSW as a 'Covid Safe' venue.
You will be required to checkin via our QR code and to abide by the safety measures current at the time and in line with public health orders. These will be advised in your pre-event reminder/information emails.
In the interest of everone's safety, PDP reserves the right to deny entry to any participant who is unable to follow the current COVID safety plans.
ACCESSIBILITY
This venue offers wheelchair access from the Brown Street entrance.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
4 minute walk from Chatswood train/metro/bus interchange
PARKING
Links to reasonable early-bird parking close to the venue:
https://www.secureparking.com.au/en-au/car-parks/australia/new-south-wales/sydney/lower-north-shore-and-northern-beaches/zenith-centre-car-park
NOURISHMENT
All day tea, coffee and chilled water are provided.
If you have not ordered lunch with your registration, we have a fridge and two microwave ovens should you wish to bring your own food.
The venue has a cafe on the ground floor and is surrounded by cafes and restaurants including an extensive food hall above the Chatswood Interchange.
ACCOMODATION
Mantra Hotel is next door to the venue: website here
Meriton Suites is a 4 minute walk from the venue: website here
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