The Body as a Voice: Understanding & Working with Non-suicidal Self-Injury in Young People

Practical tools. Real insight. Meaningful impact.

If your work involves supporting young people struggling with self-injury, this comprehensive, research-informed workshop is for you.

Presenter: Dr. Madeline Wishart

Why do young people self-injure? The urge to cut, scratch, rub, tear and burn our skin seems in direct contrast to our innate instincts of self-preservation and survival. Yet, nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a significant physical and mental health concern affecting adolescents. In 2020 – 2022, an estimated 8.7% of Australians aged 16 to 85 years had engaged in NSSI across their lifetime (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023). NSSI is highly confronting and distressing to family, friends, and educators. The behaviour or its consequences results in significant personal costs, such as permanent physical scarring, significant distress, interference with interpersonal relationships, and academic and social impacts at school.

This full day workshop will focus on practical information and skills tailored for managing nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) that can readily be applied in your work with young people. Drawing from the latest research, including Dr Wishart’s PhD on NSSI, the workshop provides a comprehensive profile of NSSI, including differentiating NSSI from suicide; a concrete operational definition of the behaviour; identification of those at greater risk of NSSI. A significant component of the workshop is dedicated to strategies that can be employed to help decrease self-injurious behaviours. Additionally, it covers the management of NSSI within family, school, or other contexts; managing the environmental effects of NSSI amongst young people; and duty of care responsibilities.

WORKSHOP OUTLINE

Session 1
What is NSSI? Differentiating self-injury from suicide. Key features, prevalence rates, comorbidity, risk factors, short and long term consequences, and latest research findings.

Session 2
The myths about NSSI. Developing a theoretical understanding of NSSI and why young people self-injure. The functions of NSSI and how to assess them. The environmental effects of self-injury and how to manage these effects within the family, school or other contexts. Duty of care responsibilities.

Session 3
Managing & containing NSSI: working within schools supporting young people who are engaging in nonsuicidal self-injury and minimising the environmental or social effects of NSSI. Key components in minimising harm around self-injurious behaviours. Appropriate steps when a young person discloses self-injury for friends, parents, and school staff or other professionals

Session 4
Working with young people who self-injure: NSSI safety planning, exploring alternatives to self-injury, including targeted coping skills to meet the functions of self-injury. Developing a coping kit.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Increased understanding of self-injurious behaviours: key features, prevalence rates, comorbidity, risk factors.

• Increased knowledge of the latest research findings on NSSI.

• Gain practical and effective skills in working with young people who engage in NSSI.

• Develop knowledge of how to develop appropriate protocols for working with, and supporting young people who engage in NSSI.

• Develop skills in functional assessment and targeted coping skills.

PSYCH VOICE PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES TOOLKIT

Included complimentary with your registration, you'll receive The Body as a Voice: Understanding & Working with Non-suicidal Self-Injury in Young People Professional Resources Toolkit (PDF), an extensive 60+ page collection packed with practical worksheets, interactive exercises, curated references, and exclusive resources.

This workshop-specific toolkit has been purposefully curated to extend your learning beyond the session. It’s filled with targeted strategies and evidence-based tools you can immediately incorporate into your work with young people navigating distress, impulsivity, and emotional overwhelm.

DR MADELINE WISHART

Dr Madeline Wishart is a Clinical Psychologist with a special interest in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), and young people who experience difficulty in regulating their emotions and tolerating distress. She has a PhD, along with a Masters in both Professional and Clinical Psychology. Madeline has a combined history of both research and practical experience across a variety of settings. She has worked in the education, community, private and psychiatric sectors as a youth, school, trauma counsellor, and psychologist. In an academic and research capacity, Madeline has been employed as a sessional lecturer and project officer at Victoria University; and a research officer at Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS) in Melbourne. For the past two decades, Madeline has provided professional training in NSSI and distress tolerance in young people, and she has been invited to present at a number of international mental health conferences. Madeline currently divides her time between her private practice - Wishart Psychology; and Psych Voice, where she delivers professional development, supervision, and evidence-based workshops designed to equip professionals with practical strategies for working with young people.

With an academic background and extensive experience supporting individuals engaging in NSSI, including as a school counsellor and psychologist, Madeline understands the unique challenges of working with young people. Her workshops are comprehensive and highly practical, offering strategies that can be directly and immediately incorporated into your professional practice.

CPD Hours

Active CPD: This workshop includes an optional post-workshop assessment. Delegates who complete this assessment can claim 6 hours of Active CPD.

Self-Identified CPD: All other delegates can claim 6 hours of self-identified CPD in their respective professions.

‼️Please note this event is live and will not be recorded

Payment Options

We've got flexible payment options to make things easy. You can choose Google Pay, Credit Card, PayPal, or request an Invoice at checkout.

Need an Invoice?

We understand that schools and organisations often require an invoice before processing payment, and we’re here to support that.

To secure your place at the workshop, you must complete the full registration form in full and submit it. This step is essential, even if you plan to pay later via invoice.

Once your registration is successfully submitted:

1. Click the “Request Invoice” button.

2. A formal invoice will be generated.

3. This invoice can be downloaded, printed, and shared with your school or organisation for payment.

4. Your place at the workshop is saved once you’ve submitted your registration form,

5. Your ticket will be confirmed and emailed to you once payment has been received.

👉 Understanding self-injury is complex. Sharing resources shouldn't be.

↪️ If you know a colleague who supports young people navigating self-injury, please consider forwarding this email. Together, we can build a more confident & compassionate response.