Beyond the manual: how behavioural family interventions work in the real world

Professor Mark Dadds

University of Sydney

Working with families takes courage and skill. This workshop will cover practical skills for engaging families, dealing with resistance, and achieving positive change in child and family mental health problems.

AACBT, in conjunction with the World Confederation of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies, is proud to host Professor Mark Dadds in this exciting half-day workshop to celebrate World CBT Day.

A World CBT Day has been established as an annual event to be organised by the WCCBT member associations. The first World CBT Day will take place on 7th April 2022 to coincide with World Health Day which marks the anniversary of the founding of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 1948.

Read about the various events being organised around the world.

About this workshop:

A range of family intervention techniques can promote positive change in children with conduct problems and their families, however, engaging such families can be difficult, drop rates are high, and change can be hard to achieve when the parent’s own issues dominate. This workshop will focus on strategies that can be used to maximize parental engagement, reduce drop-out, and facilitate positive change, in difficult families. First principals theories and a process model of consultation will be presented that is utilizable across a range of child and family problems.

The structure of the workshop will be:

1) Theoretical tools: Behavioural, attachment, structural, and cognitive tools

2) Assessing the causes of child and family problems: didactic presentation of content advances and a process model for family therapy and empowerment

3) Therapy Process: work through the process phases using a videotaped example of a family in therapy

Structured but playful behaviour rehearsals will be used for skill development. Participants should emerge with a refreshing perspective on successfully working with families seeking help with child behavioural and emotional problems.

Key Learning Objectives

1. An integrated model for treating families
2. Methods for engaging and keeping families in treatment
3. Methods for achieving change

This session is designed for Advanced application of skills – attendees will be assumed to have considerable experience in the topic area.

Implications / Applications of Learning for Clinical Practice

The workshop will cover practical skills for engaging families, dealing with resistance, and achieving change in child and family mental health problems.

Duration & Format / Training Modalities

This workshop has 3.5 hours CPD, and includes morning tea.

Registration at 8:30am for a 9:00am start. The session is scheduled to conclude at 1pm.

The format of the day will be a didactic presentation, with video examples, role plays, group discussion, and problem solving.

References – readings

Dadds and Hawes (2006) Integrated family intervention for child conduct disorders. Australian Academic Press.

Hawes, D.J., Dadds, M.R. (2021) Practitioner Review: Parenting interventions for child conduct problems: reconceptualising resistance to change. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Non-members can join now and gain all of the other advantages of AACBT Membership!

There are no early bird rates for this event, but there are group discounts are available.

Please contact info@aacbt.org.au for more information.

COVID Safety:

Please note, the venue will be following all relevant Public Health Orders and checking delegates as per their obligations. Density, and mask requirements will be in line with relevant government guidelines. As per all events, please do not attend if you are unwell.

If you are required to cancel your attendance owing to a COVID isolation, please contact us for a full refund or ticket transfer.

Images: supplied