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Presentation - seminar Event

Schema Therapy with Forensic Clients and Contexts

Overview

The South Australian Forensic College Committee is pleased to announce Dr Lars Madsen and Ms Shay Addison as co-presenters for a fully face‑to‑face, one‑day workshop focused on the forensic schema modes. Familiarity with the forensic modes is essential for all budding or trained schema therapists, whether you work in a forensic setting or in private practice. Lars and Shay are dynamic educators, experienced clinicians, and skilled supervisors who will bring their unique and engaging style to Adelaide!

Don’t miss out! Numbers are strictly limited!

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this event, participants should be able to:

  • Conceptualise complex presentations involving severe personality pathology (e.g., antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, and psychopathic traits) through the lens of schema modes rather than static traits.
  • Differentiate between vulnerable child modes underlying longstanding emotional wounds and the dominant protector and overcompensatory modes that maintain offending cycles and resistance to change.
  • Identify and work effectively with modes that drive high-risk behaviours, including those that manifest as detachment, grandiosity, intimidation, or predatory detachment.
  • Apply mode-focused interventions to bypass entrenched protectors, access vulnerable material compassionately, and strengthen the Healthy Adult mode to support rehabilitation, impulse control, and reduced recidivism risk.

Presenter(s)

Dr. Lars Madsen and Ms. Shay Addison

About the presenter(s)

Dr. Lars Bang Madsen is a clinical and forensic psychologist, as well as an advanced accredited schema therapist, trainer, and supervisor recognised by the International Society of Schema Therapy (ISST). He specialises in applying schema therapy to forensic clients in both custodial and community settings across Australia and previously in the United Kingdom.

With more than 20 years of experience in forensic psychology, Dr Madsen has particular expertise in the long-term treatment of men presenting with histories of sexual and serious violent offending, often complicated by severe personality disorders, including diagnoses of psychopathy. He is among the few advanced accredited schema therapists in Australia practising within forensic contexts and has developed specialised approaches to forensic schema therapy for individuals with chronic and enduring difficulties arising from such conditions.

Dr. Madsen has presented at national and international conferences on the application of schema therapy in forensic settings, has contributed publications and training materials on the topic (including workshops and online courses), and currently provides supervision to other practitioners delivering schema therapy in forensic environments. He has also served as an expert witness in the Supreme Court regarding the use of schema therapy with high-risk offenders. In addition, Dr. Madsen co-hosts the podcast Beyond the Crime: A Psychological Analysis alongside Shay Addison and Dr. Robert Brockman. The podcast examines real-life criminal cases through a psychological lens, with a particular focus on the application of schema therapy to forensic clients and related issues.

Ms. Shay Addison is a psychologist with over 25 years of experience, specialising in the assessment and treatment of high-risk violent and sexual offenders. She is an advanced practitioner in schema therapy, applying this evidence-based integrative approach to individuals with severe and complex personality disorders, including borderline, antisocial, and psychopathic presentations, in both custodial and community.

Ms. Addison has expertise in tailoring schema therapy to forensic populations, addressing longstanding maladaptive schemas and modes that contribute to chronic offending patterns and interpersonal difficulties. A landmark achievement in her career includes providing expert evidence in the Supreme Court of Queensland on the efficacy of schema therapy for high-risk offenders. This testimony contributed to a significant judicial recommendation that schema therapy be implemented for a high-risk offender in custody— one of the earliest instances in which schema therapy was formally presented, accepted as credible evidence, and incorporated into a court ruling in Australia. Earlier in her career, Ms. Addison underwent specialised training as a polygraph examiner through an FBI-affiliated research project in the United Kingdom, focusing on the monitoring and management of sexual offenders in community settings.

She co-hosts the podcast Beyond the Crime.

Notes

Registration includes light refreshment and a light lunch.

Please note:

  • This event is in-person only.
  • The event will commence promptly.
  • There is ample ticketed parking near the venue.

Target Audience

This workshop is aimed at psychologists working with forensic clients. Some understanding of the schema model will be assumed.

Duration of Access

This event will not be recorded.

Please note:

  • This is a Member Groups event. All communication will be sent to the registrants’ registered email address. This includes event reminders with details (such as the venue details) and any pre-event or post-event resources, if provided by the facilitators. 
  • A post-event email will be sent within two weeks of the event’s completion to each registrant’s registered email address. This email will include the CPD certificate, and any additional resources shared during the session.

CPD

It is up to attendees to assess and determine how learning from this event aligns with the requirements of their learning plan. The providers accordingly do not make any representation that the event counts towards attendees’ CPD learning requirements. If an attendee determines themselves that the learning they complete aligns to their learning plan, then they can decide to count those hours towards their CPD requirements for the registration cycle.

The information in this presentation has been prepared in good faith and for educational purposes only. Therefore, the information is general in nature and should not be relied upon in the treatment of any condition and you should seek your own independent professional and/or legal advice concerning any specific issue. The APS accepts no responsibility for any errors, omissions or decisions relating to the information. The content should not be reproduced without permission or unless permitted by law.

If you are experiencing registration difficulties please contact APS Events Support.

In-Person Event

APS – CFP member $350
APS – CFP student member $200
APS member $450
APS student member $200
Non APS member $675

The event will not be recorded.
Registrations close: 18/03/2026 5.00pm ACDT

Norwood

Alma Tavern

66 Magill Road,
Norwood , SA 5067
Australia
Venue is wheelchair accessible


20 Mar 2026

09:00AM-05:00PM ACDT SA Time


Show Location

Organiser

Organiser Logo

APS - College of Forensic Psychologists - SA

Member Groups Supported Event

Contact: Lisa Chantler