The Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University

10/08/2026

Family Therapy Foundations | 5, 6, 9 & 10 November
4 -day workshop | In-person
Systemic Practice Consultants: Liz George & Patrick Carroll

Learn about family therapy methods and their potential to strengthen relationships, heal trauma and promote mental health.

By attending this workshop, you will:
✔ Developed a foundational understanding of core concepts and practice skills in Family Therapy
✔ Explored the origins and evolution of systemic thinking and key Family Therapy approaches
✔ Applied contemporary Family Therapy principles across diverse practice settings and client presentations
👉 Register now https://bit.ly/BC-PD2026-FTF

07/08/2026

📣 Young carers deserve to be recognised, supported and heard.

The Statewide Young Carers Network brings organisations and individuals together from across a diverse range of support services and networks, to work alongside young people who support family members, friends and others experiencing mental health challenges and related experiences.

The Network is calling for:
👉 Greater awareness so young carers are recognised across families, schools, services and communities.
👉 Earlier identification so young people are supported before they reach crisis point.
👉 Funded support so young carers can access safe, inclusive and age-appropriate support when they need it.

Join us in making young carers visible by raising awareness, supporting early identification and championing access to the services they deserve.

Learn more: https://www.satellitefoundation.org.au/resources/make-young-carers-visible/

06/08/2026

Attention AOD practitioners!

Want to build your family work skills, strengthen family-inclusive practice, and improve outcomes for clients and their supporters?

The fully funded Family Work Champions Program from the Bouverie Centre is now accepting registrations. Designed exclusively for the AOD workforce, this program combines practical training, workplace implementation, and peer learning to support real and lasting practice change.

Program highlights
✅ In-person and online workshop learning opportunities
✅ Connect with AOD colleagues through a Community of Practice
✅ Practical tools to embed family-inclusive practice in your service

Join a network of practitioners committed to improving outcomes for people affected by alcohol and other drugs, their families, and supporters.

Learn more and register today https://bit.ly/BOUVERIE-AOD-FWC2026

03/08/2026

Working Relationally with Borderline Personality Disorder | 29 October
1 -day workshop | In-person
Systemic Practice Consultant: Peter McKenzie

Learn about the value of working relationally, mindfully and collaboratively to support clients living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)/complex needs.
By attending this workshop, you will:
✔ Reflect on and share your challenges, experiences, understandings, and learnings from working with this complex-needs client group
✔ Increase your understanding of the role of the relational system in responding to BPD and related complex needs
✔ Understand the value of working mindfully and relationally with better outcomes for clients, supporters/carers, family relationships and the service system
✔ Be able to apply key relationally mindful practices
👉 Register now https://bit.ly/BC-VCCMHW-WRWBPD

02/08/2026

What if one well-timed family therapy session could make a meaningful difference for some families?

📰 New publication: Single-Session and Multi-Session Family Therapy: Comparing Effectiveness

How many therapy sessions are needed to create meaningful change for families? This new Australian research compares the effectiveness of single-session and multi-session family therapy, providing valuable insights for service design, clinical practice, and access to care.

Supported by the Medibank Better Health Foundation and the Victorian Department of Health, this PhD research underscores the need for adaptable service models that provide families with timely and appropriate levels of support.

👥 Who is this research relevant to
This article is relevant for family therapists, counsellors, practitioners, service leaders, policymakers, commissioners, and researchers interested in improving outcomes while making services more accessible and responsive to family needs.

Key insights:
1️⃣ Both single-session and multi-session family therapy can support positive outcomes for families.
2️⃣ A single session may be sufficient for many families, even those experiencing complex challenges, particularly when support is timely and focused.
3️⃣ Family needs and circumstances vary, highlighting the importance of flexible service pathways.
4️⃣ Offering different levels of support can help services respond more effectively to demand and complexity.
5️⃣ Findings offer evidence for the effectiveness of single sessions in addressing family needs.
6️⃣ Single session models have potential to improve client experience and service efficiency.

Why this matters:
With growing demand for mental health and family support services, this study provides valuable evidence for the effectiveness of rapid access single session family interventions, which could potentially help organisations increase accessibility without compromising quality of care.

📰 Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1002/anzf.70090

❓️ How can services balance accessibility, flexibility, and effectiveness when deciding on the length of therapeutic support for families?

31/07/2026

Across Victoria, thousands of children and young people quietly provide care and support to family members experiencing mental health challenges. Many do not identify as young carers and may miss out on the support they need.

The Bouverie Centre, through its statewide coordination of the Families where Parents have a Mental Illness Program, is a member of the Young Carer Network, led by Satellite Foundation and Tandem Carers. Together, network partners and lived experience leaders are working to improve recognition, support and outcomes for young carers across Victoria.

The Statewide Young Carers Network is calling for:
1️⃣ Earlier recognition of young carers
2️⃣ Greater awareness of their experiences
3️⃣ Timely access to support and services

Make young carers visible. Recognition is the first step to ensuring young carers can access safe, inclusive and age-appropriate support when and where they need it.

Learn more: https://www.satellitefoundation.org.au/resources/make-young-carers-visible/

29/07/2026

Digital mental health is growing rapidly—but are we designing it with families in mind?

📰 New publication: Family Digital Mental Health Interventions: Aligning Design and Systemic Practice Principles

As digital mental health services continue to expand, how can we ensure they work not just for individuals, but for families too?

This new publication explores how the design of digital mental health interventions can better align with systemic and family-centred practice principles. It is essential reading for mental health practitioners, digital health developers, service managers, policymakers, researchers, and organisations designing online support services.

Key insights:
1️⃣ Digital mental health tools are often designed for individuals, creating opportunities to better incorporate family and relationship contexts.
2️⃣ Family-centred and systemic practice principles can strengthen the relevance and effectiveness of digital supports.
3️⃣ Intentional design choices can help foster connection, collaboration, and engagement among family members.
4️⃣ Integrating practice wisdom into technology development may improve user experience and outcomes.
5️⃣ Cross-sector collaboration is critical to developing digital solutions that are responsive to the realities of family life.

Why this matters:
With increasing investment in digital mental health services, there is growing recognition that technology must complement—not replace—the relational aspects of care. This research offers timely guidance for creating more inclusive and effective digital supports.

Research in practice:
The findings highlight the importance of bringing practitioners, families, and technology designers together to ensure digital mental health services reflect the complexities and strengths of family systems.

📰 Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1108/MHDT-03-2026-0021

❓️ What should digital mental health services do differently to better support families, not just individuals?

28/07/2026

Upcoming webinar | The Stuck Case | 18 August
Evidence and Insights for Effective Practice

Join us for this engaging webinar exploring The Stuck Case - an innovative exercise with more than 25 years of history in family therapy training at The Bouverie Centre, La Trobe University.

Consistently described by students as transformative, this session will unpack the evidence, theory and practical applications behind its enduring impact.

In this webinar, you'll discover:
✅ The Stuck Case model and how it is delivered in family therapy training
✅ Evidence from students on its impact on professional practice
✅ A neurobiological perspective on why the exercise is so effective
✅ Broader applications for family therapy practice, supervision and teaching

Webinar Details
Date: 18 August 2026
Time: 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Presented by: Robyn Elliott and Sandy Jackson, experienced family therapists and educators from the Bouveire Centre, La Trobe University.

🔗 Register: https://bit.ly/BOUV-WEBINAR-STUCKCASE

28/07/2026

📰 New publication: Family-Inclusive Practice After Acquired Brain Injury: Clinician Perspectives

When a person experiences an acquired brain injury (ABI), the impacts often extend beyond the individual to family members, carers, and support networks. This new research explores what helps and challenges clinicians in delivering family-inclusive practice.

👥 Who is this research relevant for?
This article is relevant for health professionals, rehabilitation services, policymakers, service managers, researchers, and family support organisations seeking to strengthen person- and family-centred care.

Key insights:
1️⃣ Families play a vital role in recovery, adjustment, and ongoing support after ABI.
2️⃣ Clinicians recognise the value of involving families but often face practical and system-level barriers.
3️⃣ Organisational structures, resources, and service models can influence how effectively families are engaged.
4️⃣ Building clinician confidence and capability can support more meaningful family involvement.
5️⃣ A stronger focus on family-inclusive approaches may improve outcomes for both individuals and their support networks.

The findings highlight the importance of embedding family-inclusive approaches into service design, workforce development, and care pathways—not as an add-on, but as a core component of high-quality rehabilitation and support.

Why this matters:
As demand for integrated, person-centred healthcare continues to grow, understanding how services can better support families is increasingly important for improving long-term wellbeing and recovery outcomes.

📰 Read the full article: https://doi.org/10.1002/anzf.70088.

❓️ What changes would help make family-inclusive practice more achievable in your service or organisation?

24/07/2026

WEBINAR | NEXT WEEK
Looking forward to this valuable webinar highlighting Indigenous knowledge, lived experience and culturally responsive approaches to family healing. Register now to join the conversation.

UPCOMING WEBINAR | 28 JULY

Bringing Indigenous Knowledge to Family Healing

Join us for a compelling webinar exploring a cross-cultural family service grounded in the integration of Indigenous knowledge into family healing. Bringing together the voices of families, therapists, and researchers to share powerful insights and lived experiences that are shaping more responsive, culturally safe practice.

Whether you’re a practitioner, service leader, or researcher, this webinar offers inspiring ideas and actionable insights to strengthen your work in diverse communities.

Webinar details
Date and Time: 28 July 2026 | 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Location: Online via Zoom
Presenters: Alison Elliott and Kelly Tsorlinis

Register now at https://bit.ly/BC-WEBINAR-072026