Tuning into the Voice of the Child - A Professional Learning Series

A 3-part learning series (online) exploring creative, relational and trauma-informed practices with children, young people and their safe adults

Join Evon Fallon, a passionate child-focused Accredited Mental Health Social Worker (AMHSW) and Specialist Family Violence Practitioner & Advocate with 20+ years experience in child / youth mental health and family / sexual violence spaces.

A proud MIECAT graduate & social worker, Evon draws upon her two decades as clinician - trainer - supervisor who aims to inspire practitioners to build their skills in child focused relational practice, supporting children and their safe adults to make sense of their lived experience and encourage healing and recovery.

Evon is a strong advocate and values reflective processes. She has worked across a range of settings, including Private Practice: family & sexual violence settings, Education, youth mental health, hospital, community, Consulting, Supervision. You can expect an immersive short course, which covers lots of essential ground around working creatively and safely with children, young people & their safe adults.

Who is this course for?

Designed to meet the needs of a range of practitioners interested in working safely & reflectively with children, young people and carers / parent(s) who have experienced grief or traumas, such as family violence. It will suit those starting out or wanting to build their skills, confidence or develop a deeper understanding of the foundational perspectives that create safety in this work: developmental (including neuro affirming), relational, trauma informed and intersectional lenses - and how these can be woven together with creative approaches. 

This series is suitable for Practitioners and Clinicians who want to reflect on their work with their younger clients and their safe parents/carers, including Creative Arts Therapists, Mental Health clinicians, Allied Health practitioners, Social Workers, school Wellbeing roles, community workers & those wanting a space to reflect on practice.

SERIES OVERVIEW
3 x Thursday evenings, online, 6.30–8.30pm AEST

Over the course of these three sessions, we will cover the journey from:

1. Thursday October 22nd | 6.30–8.30pm

Intake: an opportunity for curiosity, playfulness (& safety first)
Understanding the child in their context - tuning into their voice 

Explore the importance of the initial consultation, assessment and intake process - a space for collaborating with parents to understand complexity together, whilst introducing your creative approach. Getting to know the child in their context, we think about the systems around the child, including considering any signs of trauma or family violence. We will unpack how to sensitively enquire around difficult and distressing topics. It is important to be intentional with the type of work we take on - particularly in private practice - whilst we sit with the questions of how to engage therapeutically with carers / parent(s) to support them to tune into the voice of the child.

2. Thursday November 12th | 6.30–8.30pm

Engaging with multimodal Arts Therapy - listening, playing & engaging with the Voice of the Child:  Exploring conditions for expression, stories, relationship & healing

How do we create safe, therapeutic spaces which invite creative expression and exploration for children and young people? We will explore different lenses to creative inquiry including sensory, play and arts based engagements to support children to feel seen & heard, to tell their story, while supporting connection & relational healing for young people and their safe adults. We will bring this together through the lens of relational practice, including the important role of co-regulation & integrating a reflective, therapeutic arts approach to all areas of your child focused practice.

3. Thursday December 10th | 6.30–8.30pm

Reflections on Practice: caring for self while caring for others
Sustaining oneself as the practitioner (how to exist with some heart ache in practice)

In this final session of the series, we will reflect on our self-in-practice & sustainability in our work,  through invitations for experiential creative art making, dialogue and creative writing. Whether you are in Private Practice or working through an agency - this session will support you to consider the importance of practices to keep you grounded & present as you hold space for others (as best as possible!)  Here, we think about you - before, during and after sessions. You will be invited to engage in creative Activities to explore your resources & connect with Self Compassion to nourish you-in-your-work & protect from vicarious trauma.   

This session supports you to ground your work in trauma informed practices, whilst navigating the many challenges & benefits of supporting journeys of recovery - staying safe & tracking well as you go.

What to expect

This series offers space for practitioner reflection, experiential learning, and sharing of practical skills you can apply in therapeutic, educational, group or other contexts where your focus is tuning into the voice of the child and supporting their healing and recovery.

• The importance of taking time through the initial consultation, assessment and intake process. 
  
  We ask: what do you know? What do you need to know-to assess safety?

• Evidence based identification of family violence, safe and sensitive exploration of difficult questions (Safe & Together, MARAM aligned - Vic)

• Exploring creative, relational, sensory processes that support young people to feel seen, tell their story

• Relational practice - supporting parents / carers to tune into the child’s voice through creative playful activities - helping them to build their confidence & capacity to support the journey of recovery for their young person

• Identifying your resources that nourish you, help protect from vicarious trauma & keep your work feeling safe & sustainable
  

Learning Format

Facilitated, experiential creative activities that encourage reflection

Grounded in evidence based frameworks for trauma informed and child focused work

Sharing of creative practice based strategies that you can integrate into your work

Opportunities for Q&A, peer discussion and community connection

Participants are invited to gather an array of materials to have available for their personal reflection and art making during the session:  (art - paper, textas, collage images, pens, pencils, paint), card decks, mixed media, toys, sensory or found objects - any objects that help you reflect, inspire or ground you! (NB:  There will be no pressure to share reflections or images)  

A certificate of completion will be provided.

Attendance consdeirations:

This course is not a therapy group nor a substitute for clinical diagnosis or care.

Participants are responsible for their own self-care throughout the sessions, although resources including help lines like 1800 Respect will be shared for participants who need to debrief. 

These sessions will be recorded and available to those who pre-register. Please note that by registering for and attending this online course, participants consent to the sessions being recorded.