Dr Kate Owen

06/08/2026

I love visiting Townsville and walking The Strand in the afternoon after work…even though it’s always windy and my hair looks like a birds nest afterwards!

Had a fantastic day with CYMHS and Headspace clinicians presenting Key Skills in Family Therapy.

And got to catch up with another Family Therapist colleague who worked in Townsville for many years, and now sails the seas enjoying life.

If you are in Townsville and would like to attend this training, jump on to Compass Seminars Australia website and book your seat for 2027.

29/07/2026

I will be creating my free newsletter later this week. If you want free resources please feel free to sign up at www.drkateowen.com

I wonder what rabbit holes I will go down this time....

23/07/2026

Thank you to the Gold Coast Child and Youth Mental Health Services (CYMHS) for inviting me to facilitate Key Skills in Family Therapy again. I enjoy returning to my old stomping ground at least once in the year.

Thank you Alison for making the magic happen. Still amazed at how progressive the health service is by creating a Systemic Lead role to ensure systemic practice stays forefront in service delivery. And you do an amazing job in this role!

Next stop…..the advanced training! See you in a couple of months 🌸

06/07/2026

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted" - Aesop

Sometimes we don't realise the difference we're making.

The smile we offer a stranger. The message we send to check in. The patience we show when someone is struggling. The few extra moments we spend really listening.

These small acts of kindness often become the moments people remember long after we have forgotten them.

We may never know the battles someone is facing or how deeply they needed that small reminder that they matter.

So choose kindness whenever you can.

It costs so little, yet it has the power to soften hearts, lighten burdens, and remind someone they are not alone.

The smallest act of kindness may be the biggest gift someone receives today.

25/06/2026

Looking forward to a great day in Rockhampton with the dedicated Youth Justice workers in the region, and excited to explore how collaborative practice is at the heart of everything they do.

So what is collaborative practice? It's when workers, young people, families, and other services all work together as a team. Instead of different people working in isolation, they share information, coordinate their efforts, and make decisions together.

A practical example is when key workers hold regular stakeholder meetings. Imagine a youth worker, a case manager, a school representative, and a family support worker all sitting down together regularly. They discuss what's working, what challenges the young person is facing, and coordinate their support so everyone's on the same page.

This is systemic practice in action because it looks beyond just the individual young person and considers their whole system - their family, school, community, and all the services involved. Rather than trying to "fix" problems in isolation, systemic practice works to improve the relationships and patterns within the entire system that surrounds the young person.

Here's one practical tip you can implement right away if you would like to strengthen your own collaborative practice efforts: Before ending any meeting with a young person or family, ask them "Who else needs to know about this conversation?" Then make a commitment to share relevant information with those people (with consent of course). This simple question builds bridges between services and ensures everyone stays connected to the young person's journey.

24/06/2026

Hi Everyone

Just a quick note to say that I will be on leave from Monday June 29th through to Thursday July 9th.

I will return emails and phone calls when I return.

Take care of yourselves
Kate
###x

22/06/2026

Later this week I am running a workshop for Youth Justice workers on "Working Systemically with Stakeholders"

One thing that comes up every time in these workshops is communication.

People talking over each other. Conversations that escalate or shut down. Relationships that need repair, but nobody knows quite how to start the conversation.

We often treat communication as something people either have or they don’t. But it’s a skill. And like any skill, it needs to be named, modelled, and practised.

This is as true around the kitchen table as it is in a stakeholder meeting.

That is why I have been building structured communication activity packs for therapists working with families. Most families aren’t short on love, care, or effort. What they are often struggling with is a shared language and a safe enough structure to use it.

When communication improves, everything else becomes easier to navigate.

Stay tuned for more details.

18/06/2026

I am happy to share that I will be presenting at the International Family Therapy Association World Congress in 2027.

My presentation is called "Changing a System from Inside a System" and it tells the story of the past three years working alongside an Australian Child and Youth Mental Health Service, embedding systemic thinking, language, and practice across six sites and a multidisciplinary team of ninety clinicians.

It has been a rewarding project and stretched my creativity in developing unique ideas for large scale supervision. I can't wait to share what we learned, including what helps large institutions embrace change.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey.

18/06/2026

I released a YouTube video today on The Five Stages of Relationship Repair and then spent some time playing around with turning the framework into an infographic.

(If interested in the video: https://youtu.be/WwLdtR-CLe8?si=XbnAu0WxTDOPgu6z)

One thing I've been appreciating lately is how AI tools can help bridge the gap between an idea in my head and something tangible that others can engage with.

I hope you find the infographic and video a useful resource.

18/06/2026

Every close relationship experiences moments of disconnection.
A conversation goes sideways. Words land harder than intended. Someone withdraws. A conflict ends without resolution and lingers in the background.

Disconnection isn't a sign that a relationship is failing. In many ways, it's a sign that the relationship matters.

The real question isn't whether disconnection happens. It's what happens next.

In my latest video, I introduce a simple five-stage framework for repairing after relationship ruptures:
• Pause
• Reflect
• Return
• Repair
• Reconnect

This research-informed approach helps people move beyond good intentions and into meaningful repair conversations that strengthen trust, understanding, and connection.

The framework is also part of a new communication resource pack I am currently developing for therapists to use with clients.

The goal is to provide practical, evidence-informed tools that support healthier conversations both inside and outside the therapy room.

If you're a therapist, counsellor, coach, or anyone interested in helping people communicate more effectively in relationships, watch this space.

Every close relationship experiences moments of disconnection - a c...