"Deepening relational, trauma-informed practice in DFSV counselling through compassion, connection, and a commitment to healing."

Developing therapeutic expertise in the domestic, family, and sexual violence (DFSV) space requires more than technical skills, it demands deep ethical commitment, relational sensitivity, and the capacity to work with complexity and trauma. This two-day workshop series invites counsellors, therapists, and other practitioners to reflect on their professional practice, strengthen core counselling skills, and engage in peer learning. Grounded in trauma-informed principles, the series fosters respectful, responsive, and relational practice that contributes to healing and recovery, while upholding the dignity and agency of those impacted by violence.

Across the two days, participants will explore the beginning, middle, and ending phases of therapeutic work through an experiential and reflective lens.

Day 1 focuses on early engagement, trust-building, and deepening the core counselling micro-skills that support safety and connection. It also considers how to hold hope, manage emotional intensity, and incorporate empowering therapeutic messages.

Day 2 shifts focus to the practitioner, exploring wellbeing, self-compassion, and the role of supervision in sustaining ethical practice. The series concludes with a session on endings in the therapeutic relationship, including attachment dynamics, emotional closure, and ways to honour progress and growth.

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this two-day workshop series, participants will be able to:

Demonstrate enhanced confidence in beginning and sustaining therapeutic engagement with clients who have experienced domestic, family, and sexual violence, including strategies for building safety and trust in early sessions.
Apply and deepen core counselling micro-skills (e.g. attending behaviours, active listening, reflection, and challenging) in ways that are trauma-informed and responsive to the complex needs of DFSV survivors.
Identify and integrate key therapeutic messages that support empowerment, cultural connection, and healing in the middle stages of counselling.
Reflect on the emotional and relational dynamics that arise in therapeutic work, including transference, parallel process, and the practitioner's own responses and hopes.
Explore strategies for ending the therapeutic relationship that are sensitive to attachment, grief, and the importance of honouring growth and progress.
Critically reflect on practitioner wellbeing, including the role of supervision, self-compassion, and sustainable practice in the context of ongoing exposure to trauma.

Event Dates:

Session One: Thursday, 16th October 2025
Session Two: Friday, 17th October 2025

Time: 8:30am - 4:30pm (AEST time)
Location: Hilton Hotel Cairns, 34 Esplanade, Cairns City, QLD, 4870

Please note: This is a 2 part series. Participants should attend both sessions.

Who should attend:

This training is designed for counsellors, therapists, caseworkers, social workers, and other practitioners who provide counselling or therapeutic support to individuals impacted by domestic, family, and sexual violence (DFSV). It will be most relevant for those who have a foundational counselling framework and a working understanding of trauma-informed principles and practices. The workshop welcomes both emerging and experienced practitioners who are committed to strengthening their practice and contributing to the prevention of violence against women and children.

About the facilitator:

Tania Felstead is an Accredited Social Worker with over 25 years of experience across the social welfare and human services sector. She has worked as a frontline practitioner, supervisor, manager, trainer, and consultant, and now operates her private practice, Wattle Tree Wellness. Through her work, Tania supports individuals, teams, and organisations to engage in ethical, reflective, and trauma-informed practice. She delivers supervision, counselling, coaching, and training with a strong focus on practitioner wellbeing, skill development, and relational, values-based practice in the context of trauma, violence, and complexity.

Sue Kitchener is a proud Gadigal and Waradjuri woman living on Turrbal and Yuggera lands. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) and a Bachelor of Human Services. Sue has a long-standing career as a counsellor, team leader, and manager in the areas of domestic and family violence, sexual assault, child protection, and family preservation. She brings extensive experience in supervision, cultural support, and practitioner development, with a strong commitment to breaking the cycle of violence for First Nations women and children.

Tania and Sue’s partnership brings together their experience and knowledge, cultural insight, and a shared commitment to healing, justice, and sustainable practice in the context of domestic, family, and sexual violence.

Contact the host of Walking Alongside: Counselling with Survivors of Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence - Cairns (Oct 2025)

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