Layers: Exploring the complexities within perinatal, child, and adolescent mental health

The School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing's Clinical Psychology programme is proud to host these three day workshops. 

Day 1 - 25 June 2025 9am-4pm

Session 1. Thinking through the layers within child and adolescent mental health

• Key considerations within the field of child and adolescent mental health
• Understanding developmental trauma and emotional dysregulation
• Relevant theories and psychological models: developing a case conceptualisation
• Bridging theory with real world clinical practice

Key Presenters:

Dr. Emma Brown is a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of Canterbury, and a registered Clinical Psychologist. Emma completed her PhD and Clinical Psychology Training at Te Herenga Waka | Victoria University of Wellington. Since graduating, Emma has worked in Community Mental Health Services in the greater Wellington region and Canterbury, gaining experience in child, adolescent and family services, adult mental health and youth forensics. services. Emma joined the University of Canterbury as a Clinical Educator in The Psychology Centre in 2024 and continues to supervise students. Emma is also a lecturer in the Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology qualification. Emma’s therapeutic interests centre around attachment and emotion regulation, child and youth mental health, and trauma related difficulties.

Nadine Pow is a Clinical Educator for the Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology qualification at the University of Canterbury, and a registered Clinical Psychologist. Nadine completed her Clinical Psychology Training at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka|University of Otago in 2008 and has worked within public child and adolescent mental health services both in Aotearoa and in Australia. Nadine joined the University of Canterbury as a Clinical Educator for The Psychology Centre in 2021 where her teaching and supervision efforts are in working with children, adolescents, and families.

Session 2. Supporting children who have experienced sexual harm

• The role of the psychologist when working with children who have experienced sexual harm
• Managing child disclosures of sexual harm and approaches to support children to heal
• Focusing on the child and their ‘system’, including the vital role of parents and the professional system (including ACC).

Key Presenter: Catherine Gallagher is a clinical psychologist who has worked in the public, private and education sectors for 25 years. For the last 13 of those she has been the clinical practice manager of an NGO called START, which supports children, youth and adults who have experienced sexual harm. In this role she provides clinical oversight, supervision, community education (around the impacts of trauma and sexual harm), and engages in local and national advocacy around the needs of those who have experienced sexual harm (especially children and youth). She continues to hold a small private practice where she provides supervision, therapy and education workshops around a number of topics that relate to children and youth.

Per day or a 3-day Ticket Package are available. 

Day 2 - 26 June 2025 9am-4pm

Perinatal Mental Health: Key considerations and managing clinical complexity

• Introduction to perinatal mental health in Aotearoa: considerations and common presentations
• Trauma-informed screening and assessment
• Formulation and intervention: holding the whole whānau system in mind
• Navigating complexity and risk in the perinatal population

Key Presenter: Erin Helliwell is a University of Canterbury-trained Senior Clinical Psychologist at the South Island Perinatal Mental Health Service, based at Hillmorton Hospital. Her inpatient role involves working within the MDT to assess, formulate and provide intervention for tangata whaiora with severe and complex mental health concerns (including but not limited to trauma and dissociation, psychosis, OCD, affective instability and suicidality). She also runs a small private practice, where she sees adults with a range of mental health concerns, and carries out ACC Sensitive Claims work. She is passionate about supporting māmā, pēpē and whānau during the perinatal journey (pregnancy and postpartum) as well as sharing information and clinical insights about the perinatal field to other health professionals.

Per day or a 3-day Ticket Package are available.

Day 3 - 27 June 2025 9am-4pm

Session 1. Child Welfare Psychology: Effective practices working across family systems

Working within child welfare psychology requires psychological, legal and ethical knowledge across a broad range of areas including, trauma, child development, parenting, and mental health. In this workshop, Sarah will firstly discuss practice considerations when working within severe and complex family systems, when there is ongoing involvement with child protection services due to child maltreatment. Attendees will have the opportunity, using fictional case examples, to develop a plan for assessment and formulation, and identify priorities for intervention.

Presenter: Sarah Whitcombe-Dobbs is a senior lecturer and psychologist at the University of Canterbury, and the Programme Director for the child and family psychology postgraduate training programme. Sarah also practises, primarily undertaking ACC service provision and assessments for the Family Court. She has worked in a range of roles and sectors with children, young people and whānau for more than 20 years. Her enduring interests are child maltreatment and the intergenerational transmission of trauma, with her research focusing on ‘what works’ for families involved with Oranga Tamariki. She has a pragmatic approach, and is deeply interested in interventions that reduce harm within families, and support children to develop according to their potential.

Session 2. Therapeutic strategies, integrative practice, making links, and reflection

In this final workshop session, we will integrate key concepts, explore practical applications of common therapeutic strategies and techniques, as well as reflect on our learning. Through the use of case vignettes and guided reflection, the key objectives are to:

• Support and enhance clinical practice: applying knowledge across diverse clinical settings and scenarios
• Build confidence: reflect on knowledge and solidify therapeutic skills
• Strengthen learning: identify core takeaway messages

Key presenters: Emma Brown and Nadine Pow

Per day or a 3-day Ticket Package are available.

It is hoped that by the end of the workshop participants will have gained a greater awareness of the complexity that exists within these populations, appreciate areas of speciality within this, as well as advance their confidence, knowledge, and application, both at an individual and systems level, across formulation and intervention.