Professional Development Delivery with Mind and Matter Psychology

Understanding older adult psychopathology:

•understanding cohort/societal effects

•presenting problems,

•suicide risk factors,

•challenges and changes of ageing. 

Outlining the sensory and cognitive profile of healthy older aging

A brief introduction to neurodegeneration

Common changes to enhance therapy effectiveness

2024. A 90minute seminar for Port Kennedy Mental Health Professionals Network.

How might your client benefit from a detailed understanding of their cognitive profile? Are there diagnostic questions? Eligibility questions? Ways to enhance your work? A detailed neuropsychological assessment (NPA) can help to answer these questions or more. Taking a lifespan perspective, we’ll discuss situations in which NPA can be useful, including how this relates to NDIS capacity building, and the available government and private services in Perth. This foundational-level talk may be of benefit to a wide range of allied health and support services.

2024. 90minute seminar for Fremantle and Fiona Stanley Hospitals Department of Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology.

One clinicians first-hand learning journey from CBT to death anxiety to Yalom and finally stoic philosophy when working with people facing health crisis's, life-limiting and neurodegenerative conditions.

2023. 60 minute video-conferenced presentation for the WA Stroke Network.

More than just sexual intimacy, there are many types of intimacy (e.g., emotional, experiential, intellectual) we have with different people in our lives. Suffering a stroke means people may have cognitive impairments in memory, language, emotional regulation and executive functioning let alone changed physical abilities and reduced participation in previously valued activities. Those who love the individual are also dealing with the cognitive, physical and functional sequelae of the stroke in addition to shouldering caregiving responsibilities.

This how-to session aimed to increase knowledge of the domains of intimacy, and how underpinning a presenting problem of a sense of isolation or low mood is often due to a loss of intimacy in itself a product of the stroke sequelae. Changes in sexual functioning post-stroke are also covered with the goal of empowering the multidisciplinary team to address this important area of intimacy with our clients.   

2023. Two hour webinar for the Australian Psychological Society Addictions Interest Group.

With illicit drug use having the potential to cause cognitive and structural changes in the brain at any stage of the lifespan, the potential for methamphetamine use to cause an Acquired Brain Injury must not be overlooked in rehabilitation treatment planning and service delivery. Using ABI principles treatment could be enhanced by direct skill building as well as tailoring treatment with an understanding of common possible impairments (e.g., memory, planning and problem solving).  

2021. 30 minute in-person and video-conferenced presentation for the WA Stroke Network.

This presentation delved into the interplay between neuropsychological phenomena and mental health concerns.

2021. 90 minute webinar for the Perth Dementia Mental Health Professionals Network.

The presentation outlined research on the negative impacts of caring on the mental and physical health of carers and uses the caregiver coping and distress framework (Tzuang & Galllagher-Thompson in Pachana & Laidlaw, 2014) to understand the variables that affect or enhance a person’s ability to care for a loved one with Dementia. What types of interventions that constitute ‘caring for the carers’ was also discussed. Other research as to the outcomes and economics of providing carer interventions in this client population was presented, including increased time to placement, increased carer well-being, and hospital cost savings. Finally, a list of references that may be useful for caregivers was provided.

2021. 30 minute invited video-conferenced Legalwise seminar.

Attendees were encouraged to examine the evidence base for the potential for ABI to be comorbid with or the result of psychiatric conditions in military veterans.

2019. 3 hour in-person workshop for the College of Clinical Neuropsychologists conference, repeated as APS webinar in 2020.

The aim of this workshop was to present psychological formulations and models of recovery from ABI such as ‘Autobiographical Disruption’ and the ‘Patient Experiential Model’, and how these frameworks can be used to strengthen the neuropsychological assessment and feedback as interventions. 

Knowledge of these models can also help Clinical Neuropsychologists to formulate real-world recommendations and inform ongoing psychotherapeutic interventions with individuals post ABI. 

Taking an eclectic approach in presenting different models of assessment and recovery from both psychotherapeutic and neuropsychological standpoints, attendees will gain an understanding of different models of psychological recovery post ABI. 

How acquired cognitive deficits would interact with psychological constructs is then explored (e.g., how reduced mental flexibility/set shifting can result in difficulties in utilising CBT strategies such as disputation of negative thoughts). 

Finally, how acquired cognitive deficits can impact therapy sessions and therapeutic progress are discussed. This will lead to attendees being able to make therapy specific recommendations in NPA reports to enhance engagement with and improve the efficacy of psychotherapeutic interventions aimed at promoting psychological recovery from ABI.