ONLINE SEMINAR | Developmental Trauma, Psychosis and Neurofeedback: Neuroscience guided assessment and treatment

PLEASE NOTE: This seminar was recorded and is now available on demand via registration. After registering, please click on the green button to access the event which will log you into the event portal. The event portal contains the recording and all supporting presentation files for your viewing.

~Organised by the Australian Neurofeedback Institute on behalf of headspace Early Psychosis and Parramatta Mission ~

The general public, leaders of public services, and mental health clinicians need to understand the really important advances in treating our most difficult and expensive public health issue - the effects of developmental trauma, illustrated by its contribution to psychosis.

This online seminar will make it clearer for you by informing you about developments in neuroscience that enable us to assess and treat brain dysregulation due to developmental trauma, which has been shown to be a major contributor to the development and severity of psychosis.

A pilot research case series is now commencing in the headspace Early Psychosis program in Western Sydney, and we wish to share with you the scientific basis for this and our research plans.

9:00-9:20
Welcome and introduction A/Prof Roger Gurr (Clinical Director, Early Psychosis, Western Sydney)

9:20-10:00
Developmental Trauma, Brain and Neuroscience Driven Therapeutic Strategies for Trauma Recovery - Ms Sejla Murdoch (Senior Psychologist, STARTTS)

10:00-10:05
Q&A, Discussion and Comfort Break - Ms Mirjana Askovic (Director, Australian NeuroFeedback Institute)

10:05-10:45
Clinical & Research Applications in Western Sydney – Dr Vivek Sharma (Neurofeedback Practitioner), Ms Mirjana Askovic (Director, Australian NeuroFeedback Institute), Mr Aydin Anic (Research Assistant)

10:45-11:00
Summary & Closure – A/Prof Roger Gurr (Clinical Director, Early Psychosis,
Western Sydney)

PRESENTER: A/Prof Roger Gurr.
Clinical Director, headspace Early Psychosis, Western Sydney, Conjoint Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Western Sydney University; Board Chair, NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS).

Roger was previously Director of Mental Health for Western Sydney Area Health Service, Western Sydney LHD and Nepean Blue Mountains LHD.

PRESENTER: Dr. Vivek Sharma
Neurofeedback practitioner at headspace Early Psychosis and ZenWaves Clinic. Dr. Sharma has interest in treatment of complex mental health conditions, such as Developmental Trauma, with neuromodulation techniques such as Neurofeedback.

Dr Sharma has trained as a Psychiatrist overseas with experience in full spectrum of mental health setting from general psychiatry inpatient unit, psychiatric hospital, high secure forensic setting, correctional centres, community and private practice.

PRESENTER: Mirjana Askovic Neurofeedback Program Coordinator at STARTTS and Director of the Australian Neurofeedback Institute (ANFI). The Australian Neurofeedback Institute (ANFI) established by STARTTS to offer neurofeedback training and mentoring to other clinicians in the field of trauma.

Mirjana is a PhD candidate with the Discipline of Psychiatry at the University of Sydney. Her research is focused on the examination of the mechanisms and efficacy of neurofeedback in reducing symptoms of PTSD in trauma affected refugees.

PRESENTER: Sejla Murdoch
Senior Team Leader of the STARTTS’ Neurofeedback Program and ANFI Deputy Director. Sejla has worked as a clinician and a clinical supervisor at STARTTS since 1998 and since 2007 assisted in the development of the STARTTS Neurofeedback (NF) Clinic.

Sejla is the Senior Team Leader of the STARTTS’ Neurofeedback Program and ANFI Deputy Director. Sejla is an accredited BCIA-A Neurofeedback Mentor.

headspace Early Psychosis is funded by the Commonwealth Government and provided by Parramatta Mission.