Overview
The Victorian Section of the College of Clinical Psychologists along with the Ballarat Branch of the APS is delighted to invite you to a rejuvenating and enriching professional development weekend retreat in Daylesford, Victoria. As well as the opportunity to escape the city, this retreat offers a rare opportunity to step back from the demands of clinical work and reconnect with your professional purpose. This retreat will involve a mix of professional development, restoration and the opportunity to connect with peers and professionals.
Through a curated program of evidence-based workshops, essential information and well-being activities, participants will explore contemporary issues in psychological practice, enhance clinical skills, and foster resilience and well-being.
Key themes include:
- An update on the new professional competencies for psychologists, the PsyBA Code of Conduct and the Psychology Higher Education reform project.
- A powerful session on trauma informed practice.
- A restorative workshop on self-care and movement.
- Theory, practice, personal insights and recent developments related to Schema Therapy.
Whether you're looking to sharpen your practice, connect with like-minded peers, or simply take time to reflect, this retreat offers the space and support to do so.
Schedule:
- 09/08/2024: Full day; 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM AEST
- 10/08/2024: Half day; 09:00 AM - 01:00 PM AEST
Workshop 1: Updates to Professional Competencies for Psychologists, the PsyBA Code of Conduct and the Psychology Higher Education training reform Project with Board Chair Rachel Phillips.
Presenter: Rachel Phillips
This presentation will provide an overview of the Psychology Higher Education training reform project (the project) and other PsyBA current program of work. The project is a once in generation opportunity to review the way Psychologists are trained in Australia. The Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care has asked the Board to provide recommendations on options for the redesign of the psychology higher education pathway. In particular, the project will consider the appropriateness and proposed design of a single, shorter, and more practical course of study to qualify as a registered psychologist in Australia, beginning in the undergraduate years. The presentation will provide an overview of the project plan and scope and there will be opportunities for feedback and questions.
The presentation will also cover other updates including the implementation of the Professional competencies for Psychologists, and the Board’s Code of Conduct, both of which will take effect on 1 December 2025.
Workshop Two: Trauma Informed Practice: Creating safer environments for clients, ourselves and our communities with Dr Erin Holloway.
Presenter: Dr. Erin Holloway PhD (Clin.Psych.), Post.Grad.Dip.App.Psych., BAppSci.
Trauma informed practice is grounded in a deep understanding of trauma that honours lived experience and co-creates services that are safe havens for staff and service users. This involves designing environments, relationships, and systems that reduce the risk of re-traumatisation and instead foster connection, trust, and healing. When effectively embedded, trauma informed systems become places for people to heal—places where staff and service users feel seen, valued, and supported.
This presentation will give an overview of ways psychologists can utilise Trauma Informed Practice in their work to create safer environments for clients, ourselves and our communities.
Workshop Three: Reclaiming Balance: Self-Care Through Gentle Movement with Jacqui White.
Presenter: Jacqui White – Psychologist, Yoga Teacher, and Self-Care Advocate
In this 45-minute session, psychologists are invited to step away from the demands of holding space for others and reconnect with themselves through gentle, restorative movement. Blending the mindful flow of yoga with the grounding energy of Qi Gong, this session is designed to calm the nervous system, release accumulated tension, and support emotional regulation.
You’ll be guided through accessible practices that include breathwork, progressive muscle relaxation, and slow, intentional movement—no prior experience necessary. The emphasis is on embodied living: shifting out of the head and into the body to cultivate presence, awareness, and genuine self-compassion.
This is a space to feel rather than do, and to explore simple ways to return to yourself, moment by moment. Come as you are. Leave feeling more centred, resourced, and connected.
Workshop Four: Schema Therapy – Theory, Practice, and Personal Insight with Prof Dixie Statham.
Presenter: Professor Dixie Statham
Schema Therapy (ST) has emerged as a robust, evidence-based approach for the treatment of a range of complex psychological disorders. While grounded in cognitive principles, ST distinguishes itself from traditional cognitive behavioural therapy by placing greater emphasis on the long-term impact of early adverse experiences in the development and maintenance of psychopathology. In addition, Schema Therapy integrates concepts and techniques from several therapeutic traditions, including attachment theory, object relations, psychoanalytic thought, and gestalt approaches, offering clinicians a broader and more flexible framework for treatment planning and intervention.
This workshop will introduce participants to the theoretical foundations and core constructs of Schema Therapy, with a focus on developing practical clinical skills. Through case material and structured activities, attendees will be supported to apply the model to both client work and self-reflection. As part of the workshop, participants will complete a schema questionnaire, offering an opportunity to explore their own schema profiles and deepen their understanding of the model from both a clinical and personal perspective.
Recent developments in the application of Schema Therapy to complex presentations will be discussed, along with emerging research directions. Each participant will receive a comprehensive resource pack including curated abstracts from peer-reviewed articles, recommended clinical and self-help texts, podcasts, therapy apps, and online media relevant to Schema Therapy. These resources are designed to support both the consolidation of workshop content and continued professional learning.
About the presenter(s)
Rachel Phillips is the Chair of the Psychology Board of Australia (2018 to current). Rachel is of Scottish descent and was born on the lands of Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people. She now lives on Tulmur country, the traditional lands of the Yagerra, Turrbul, and Ugarapul peoples.
Rachel has been involved in the regulation of Psychologists since 2010, and has a keen interest in the governance, culture and leadership of the profession and complex systems. Rachel has predominately worked in the Queensland public health sector, in clinical, professional and management leadership roles.
Dr. Erin Holloway is a Melbourne-based Clinical Psychologist who has worked with clinically with individuals as well as with teams, and systems across community, non-government, government, and private settings for more than 20 years. Erin has a passion for creating safe and healing environments for staff and service users using Trauma Informed Practices. She draws on science, evidence-based practice, and clinical skills to offer innovative approaches.
Erin is the director of the Trauma Informed Hub which provides support with the implementation of trauma-informed practice as well as reflective practice groups across services in a wide variety of industries including mental health, emergency, medical, legal, educational, and private organisations.
Jacqui White is a registered Psychologist and qualified Yoga Teacher with over 20 years of experience supporting mental health and wellbeing. She is passionate about helping other psychologists reconnect with their own inner resources through meaningful self-care practices. At the heart of Jacqui’s work is the belief that caring for ourselves is not optional—it is essential, especially for those in helping professions.
Blending evidence-based psychological approaches with the wisdom of yoga and mindfulness, Jacqui brings a grounded, compassionate lens to the conversation around burnout, compassion fatigue, and sustainable practice. Since completing her yoga teacher training in Brazil in 2018, she has offered trauma-aware yoga classes and integrated breathwork, somatic awareness, and gentle movement into her therapeutic approach.
At this retreat, Jacqui offers both clinical insight and lived experience to help psychologists move beyond intellectual understanding into embodied self-care. She understands the emotional toll of holding space for others and is committed to fostering spaces where practitioners can slow down, soften, and reconnect with what nourishes them—professionally and personally.
Professor Dixie Statham is a Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists and a member of the National College Committee. She coordinates the College awards and is co-chair of the College Conference Planning Committee.
At Federation University, Ballarat, Professor Statham’s academic work focuses on the education and training of postgraduate psychology students, with an emphasis on developing clinical competence and professional identity, particularly in regional and rural settings. In her role as a clinical academic, she is involved in curriculum development, classroom and skills-based teaching, supervision of clinical placements, and the integration of research and evidence-based practice into professional training. She also supervises several PhD students whose projects align with her clinical and research interests. In addition, she contributes to the broader discipline through academic leadership, mentoring, and ongoing engagement with clinical and professional standards in psychology.
Professor Statham’s research interests include substance misuse, trauma, anxiety, and depression, and she has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications in these areas. This work reflects and informs her clinical practice, which incorporates Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Schema Therapy in the assessment and treatment of complex, co-morbid disorders.