A Bi - Monthly eNewsletter I July 2013

Feature Article DSM-5: Overview of Changes to Categories and Diagnostic Criteria

By Professor Ione Lewis

IN THIS ISSUE Editorial

Acting-President’s Report

Welcome to new PACFA Board member

Switch to Medibank Private for new counselling rebates

Submission to Treasury on self-education expenses

ARCAP’s lobbying strategy in a changing political environment

Update on the DisabilityCare Pilot Project

Ethics training planned for 2014

Last two Mental Health Training Courses for 2013

PACJA Call for Articles

New student research study

PACFA News

PACFA eNewsletter

Contents

Editorial

Acting-President’s Report

Welcome to new PACFA Board member

Feature Article

DSM-5: Overview of Changes to Categories and Diagnostic Criteria

By Professor Ione Lewis

PACFA News

Switch to Medibank Private for new counselling rebates

Submission to Treasury on self-education expenses

ARCAP’s lobbying strategy in a changing political environment

Update on the DisabilityCare Pilot Project

Ethics training planned for 2014

Last two Mental Health Training Courses for 2013

PACJA Call for Articles

New student research study

Classifieds and Professional Development

eNews Advertising Guidelines

Front Cover Image Copyright — Julia Bilecki

1

2

3

4

5

7

7

8

10

10

11

12

12

13

14

20

Editorial

Maria Brett

eNews Editor

Thank you to Ione Lewis for contributing a very informative feature article on the release of DSM-5. We have

heard many perspectives in the media that have been critical of DSM-5 so it was refreshing to read some

of the ways in which the new diagnostic manual may be useful for practitioners. We will get the other

perspectives on DSM-5 in the September edition of eNews when we will get part two of Ione Lewis’s article

reviewing the major controversies surrounding DMS-5.

This edition of eNews features an update on PACFA’s efforts to lobby government for recognition of

counsellors and psychotherapists, news of our recent submission to the Treasurer on the cap on self-

education expense claims, and a progress report on our pilot project for PACFA Registrants to get involved

in providing services through DisabilityCare Australia.

Rob Salmon reports on recent developments at PACFA in his Acting-President’s Report. Thanks Rob for

holding the fort in Ione Lewis’s absence and for an informative report. Rob has been very active with his

involvement in PACFA’s new Professional Development Committee which is working on plans for a new

Ethics course to commence in 2014. Rob has also joined the Conference Committee and work on the 2014

conference is now well underway. We are delighted to be collaborating with CAPA NSW (Counsellors and

Psychotherapists Association of NSW) and AARC (Australian Association of Relationship Counsellors) to put

on a joint conference from 30 May to 1 June 2014.

Petra Bueskens, Editor of PACJA (the Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia), is busily working

on the next edition of PACJA but would like one or two more articles. Have you considered writing an

article? Even if you are a new or aspiring author, you are encouraged to submit an article and the PACJA

editor can support you through the process.

Also a reminder that there are only two more online Mental Health Training Courses scheduled for 2013.

Only 21 training places are remaining for 2013 so book early to avoid disappointment. The course has

consistently received very positive feedback from students and is a great way to improve your

competence in mental health practice.

It’s been a while since we’ve given readers the opportunity to participate in a research study so we are

pleased to announce that a PhD student is calling for practitioners to participate in a study to map the

factors that influence practice in social care.

We are working very hard at PACFA to improve the membership experience of the many practitioners in

the wider PACFA community, and to represent and develop the counselling and psychotherapy profession

in Australia. I hope you enjoy reading about some of the fruits of our labours!

It’s great to be able to bring readers some positive results from our campaign for

private health insurance rebates for counselling and psychotherapy. Medibank

Private has introduced two new health insurance products for families which include

package bonuses that cover rebates for counselling. So, now is a great time for you

or your clients to consider switching to one of these new Medibank products in order

to get access to counselling rebates. The rebates can be used for any type of

counselling or psychotherapy provided by PACFA Registrants.

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 2

Acting-President’s Report

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 3

came to realise that the war many years ago had caused a dislike of this place. For me it reaffirms in my

own mind that we, as well as our clients, often develop beliefs that we do not question until we allow for a

non-judgemental place to explore.

The same has been true at PACFA Board meetings where we have a chance to explore things that we

often have certain beliefs about and can be quite dogmatic about. It is great to be in a place where we

feel respected and able to share our own perspective on the many items discussed. At the last Board

meeting in May we had a new member, Dr Elizabeth Day join the Board as SCAPE Representative, and

invited one of the Professional Practice Committee members, Dr Elizabeth Riley (Ethics Chair) to attend,

both of whom brought their own experience and insight into the Board. The time we shared as we

discussed the ongoing work of PACFA was extremely rewarding and fruitful. On that note the Board would

like to publically welcome Elizabeth Day to the Board as SCAPE Representative and also to welcome Dr

John Metyard as a member of the Research Committee. Please check out Elizabeth Day’s profile in this

edition of eNews.

In recent times PACFA has been working with ACA through our ARCAP partnership to lobby government for

recognition of counsellors and psychotherapists. With the forthcoming election, this is an ideal time to

lobby and we are starting to get the attention of government and to get some positive feedback. This

gives PACFA confidence we are on the right track and that our lobbying efforts will, in time, bear fruit.

The newly formed Professional Development Committee, of which I am Chair, has had a couple of

teleconference meetings and one of the areas that we are concentrating on has been Ethics training. I

would like to thank the Ethics Committee and especially the former Ethics Chair, Phil Henry, who developed

the initial training program in 2012, which was well received by practitioners in all states. It has been

noticed that the complaints have lessened in recent times and it would seem there is greater awareness of

the importance of ethical practice. The committee is currently working on building on this initial work and

will be offering ethics training in face-to-face mode as well as developing an on-line course which will

improve access to PD for practitioners in remote areas.

The Conference Committee has begun in earnest and I am happy to report that initial plans are well on the

way for the joint conference hosted by PACFA, CAPA NSW (Counsellors and Psychotherapists Association

of NSW) and AARC (Australian Association of Relationship Counsellors) to be held in Sydney from 30 th May

to 1st June 2014. The current committee consists of Ione Lewis (Chair), Charles Wilson and myself from

PACFA, Jo Fleet and Gina O’Neil from CAPA NSW, and Guy Vicars and Lorraine Earle from AARC. It’s a

great team and we’re all excited about the conference and are currently investigating possible venues,

professional organisers and keynote speakers. The theme for the conference is Complexity and

Connectedness in Life and Love – Working with Trauma, Mental Health and Identity. The call for Abstracts

will be made soon, so now is the time to consider what you could share to make this conference a

worthwhile experience. Please do keep these dates free to attend this important event to enhance your

practice.

By the time you read this report, my two week stint as Acting President and Di Stow’s stint

as Acting Vice-President will be just completed. Ione Lewis and Charles Wilson are both

away on well-deserved holidays and I do trust that they came back renewed – they

both put a large amount of voluntary time in the work of PACFA and the counselling and

psychotherapy arena. This morning I am sitting at home on a very cold morning with the

hail still sitting in the corners of the garden. I am looking forward to my own overseas

holiday in less than a month to Vietnam with my wife, one of our daughters and her

husband. Vietnam was not a place I had ever considered and as I pondered on this I

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 4

In July, Maria Brett, supported by PACFA Secretary, Di Stow, made a submission on behalf of PACFA to the

Treasury regarding the planned cap on deductions for self-education expenses. The Board would like to

thank members who participated in the survey which made our submission much stronger. To view this and

other submissions check out the PACFA website under the NEWS tab. Great work once again Maria and Di

- many thanks.

In our recent discussions at both Council and Board levels we are seeking ways to make the process of day-

to-day member administration of both PACFA and the MAs a simpler process. Administration takes a lot of

the time and many hours of these are given on a voluntary basis. This has been a constant theme heard

within our MA forums held at national Council meetings. We are a very diverse group with a shared vision,

all of which we want to retain, but there is a need to avoid many of the areas of duplication and to

improve the service we collectively provide to our members. There will be a presentation at the October

AGM on possible ways we could restructure PACFA to improve our efficiency and our capacity to focus on

promoting and developing the counselling and psychotherapy profession. I believe it will be a thought

provoking presentation and we will be seeking member consultation on these issues later in the year to

ensure that any proposals being developed meet the needs and reflect the views of members.

On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank the PACFA Office staff for the work they do. Currently the

focus is on processing renewals – an exacting task that is overseen by Nilu De Alwis. I know the work

involved with my own MA in overseeing the membership, both new memberships and renewals, and that it

is very time consuming. The new renewal process coming into effect for the next PACFA renewal period will

help and we are looking forward to seeing the new on-line membership system which is currently being

developed.

The next Board meeting will be held on August 10th and 11th at the ACAP office in Sydney. We are very

thankful for the support of PACFA by ACAP in allowing the use of their facilities. Your Board will discuss a

number of items especially in the lead-up to the AGM in October.

Thank you for the support and looking forward to continuing to serving you as a PACFA Board member.

Welcome to new PACFA Board member

Rob Salmon

Treasurer

nattreas@pacfa.org.au

PACFA is very pleased to welcome Dr Elizabeth Day to the PACFA Board as the new SCAPE Representative.

We also thank Elizabeth for taking on the role of Acting Research Committee Chair while we are recruiting a

new Chair. Elizabeth brings a wealth of experience and expertise to PACFA and the PACFA Board is

delighted Elizabeth has joined us.

Dr Elizabeth Day is a psychotherapist and academic working in Melbourne, where she is a

Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of the School of Counselling at the Australian College of

Applied Psychology. She practices relational psychotherapy informed by

phenomenological philosophy, training in Gestalt psychotherapy, and a 20-year

commitment to the cultivation of mindfulness. She has research interests in intersubjectivity

and social constructions of self, gender, and sexuality; and in field theory – specifically, how

to work intentionally with the field or resonance that is evoked through interpersonal

engagement. Professional memberships include member of Gestalt Australia New Zealand

(GANZ), Vice President of the Society of Counselling and Psychotherapy Educators (SCAPE), member of

PACFA Research Committee and member of National Heads of Counsellor Education (NHCE).

Feature Article

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 5

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) was recently released by the American

Psychiatric Association. The fifth edition was greeted with strong opposition in the US, Europe, Australia and

South America from many professions, including psychiatry. Even where there is no opposition, the DSM-5 is

not seen as a step forward for clinicians or consumers.

Although aware of critiques of psychiatry and the medicalisation of personal distress, I have always found in

my clinical practice that careful reading of diagnostic criteria for mental disorders may at times provide a

basis for alternative case formulations that reduce or limit pathologising. Examples are attachment disorders

rather than childhood psychosis, trauma symptoms rather than adult ADHD, and family stress rather than a

tic. Moreover, information on culture and spirituality in DSM-IV and concepts of cultural distress in DSM-5

read like a Lonely Planet psychiatric guide. The inclusion of cultural concepts of mental health and illness

encourages greater cultural sensitivity in mental health practitioners.

Some minor changes in DSM-5 relate to the names for conditions. For example, mental retardation has

been replaced by the more contemporary term intellectual disability.

The ADHD diagnostic criteria have been amended to facilitate diagnosis over the lifespan. Disruptive,

Impulse-Control and Conduct Disorders are now listed separately in one chapter as problems of emotional

and behavioural self-control, rather than being placed with disorders of infancy, childhood or adolescence

as in DSM-IV.

Dementia is now subsumed under a new category of Major Neurocognitive Disorder. There is a new

category of Autism Spectrum Disorder which is inclusive of autism, Asperger’s and other developmental

disorders.

A new childhood disorder has been added to the group of Depressive Disorders: Disruptive Mood

Dysregulation Disorder, which may assist with reducing the overdiagnosis of Bipolar Disorder, ADHD and

Conduct Disorders for children who have lived with serious environmental stressors such as domestic

violence. The DSM-IV diagnosis of Dysthymia has been retitled Persistent Depressive Disorder.

In the diagnosis of depressive disorders, bereavement is now included as a severe stressor able to

precipitate depression. The effects of bereavement are understood to last for a period of years rather than

months. While the inclusion of bereavement as a trigger for a depressive episode is viewed as controversial,

I found the description of bereavement to be experience-near:

DSM-5: Overview of Changes to Categories and Diagnostic Criteria

By Professor Ione Lewis

So what has changed in the DSM-5 compared to

DSM-IV? A helpful appendix contains highlights of

changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5 (APA, 2013, pp. 809-

816). Readers can access further information on

these changes on the web, or download the DSM-5

Diagnostic Criteria app (iOS and Android devices). In

this article, I highlight those conditions most relevant

to the practice of counsellors and psychotherapists. Image courtesy of www.zcool.com.cn

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 6

Careful consideration is given to the delineation of normal sadness and grief from a major depressive

disorder. Bereavement may induce great suffering, but it does not typically induce an episode of

major depressive disorder (APA, 2013, p. 155).

In grief the predominant affect is feelings of emptiness and loss, while in MDE [Major Depressive

Disorder] it is persistent depressed mood and the inability to anticipate happiness or pleasure. The

dysphoria in grief is likely to decrease in intensity ... and occurs in waves, the so-called pangs of grief.

These waves tend to be associated with thoughts or reminders of the deceased ... The pain of grief

may be accompanied by positive emotions and humour that are uncharacteristic of the pervasive

unhappiness and misery characteristic of MDE. The thought content associated with grief ... features a

preoccupation with thoughts and memories of the deceased, rather than the self-critical or pessimistic

ruminations seen in MDE. In grief, self-esteem is generally preserved, whereas in MDE feelings of

worthlessness and self-loathing are present (APA, 2013, p. 161).

There are major changes to the previous classification of anxiety disorders. Obsessive-Compulsive and

Related Disorders are now distinguished from Anxiety Disorders and include new disorders such as hoarding

and skin-picking.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder are also classified separately from Anxiety Disorders.

This grouping includes Reactive Attachment Disorder and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder, for

which social neglect is a contributing factor (APA, 2013). The trauma triggers for PTSD are limited to

“exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence” (APA, 2013, p. 271). Exposure to

media depictions of violence is excluded as a stressor for PTSD. Three symptom clusters were described in

DSM-IV: re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and arousal. In DSM-5, the avoidance cluster now includes

an additional symptom grouping of persistent negative alteration in cognitions and mood.

Dissociative Disorders are now a separate category to trauma disorders. Trauma experts such as Judith

Herman and Bessel van der Kolk have long advocated for this change.

Panic Disorder and Agoraphobia are no longer classified together in DSM-5. Sexual Dysfunctions have been

expanded. Gender Dysphoria is a new diagnosis which emphasises gender incongruence rather than cross

-gender identification (APA, 2013, p. 814).

Substance-related and Addictive Disorders no longer distinguish between abuse and dependence as was

the case in DSM-IV, and include new diagnoses for Gambling Disorder, Cannabis Withdrawal and Caffeine

Withdrawal (a state I avoid at any cost).

There are no changes to Personality Disorders; however an alternate DSM-5 model based on a literature

review is outlined in Section III which aligns well with psychotherapeutic concepts of the self and self

disorders. The Level of Personality Functioning Scale is likely to become a useful assessment tool for

psychotherapists (APA, 2013, pp. 775-778).

This article has briefly overviewed major changes to DSM-V. In the next issue of eNews, I will review the

major controversies surrounding its release, particularly around the Somatic Symptom Disorder which is

argued to be over-inclusive and may label those who are genuinely physically ill, and the over-medicating

of “normal” reactions in adults and children.

Reference

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. (5th ed.).

Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing.

PACFA News

In July, PACFA met with Medibank Private and received the fantastic news that two new Medibank Private

insurance products have been released that include rebates for counselling.

The new products are:

Family Essentials

Family Comprehensive

So if you or your clients are not members of Medibank Private, or if they have a Medibank product that

doesn’t cover counselling, now is a great time to consider switching to one of these new Medibank

products.

Like the old Medibank Private products that offer counselling rebates using the member’s package bonus,

the new policies offer rebates through the package bonus feature. Under these policies, bonuses are

available each year to spend on whatever services the member wishes to access from the list of approved

services – including counselling.

All PACFA Registrants are eligible to have a Medibank Private Provider Number. This is a great reason to

consider listing on the PACFA Register if you have not already done so.

PACFA looks forward to continuing our positive collaboration with Medibank Private. We will be pursuing

other opportunities for private health insurance rebates for counselling and psychotherapy in the future.

Are your clients having problems with Medibank Private claims?

PACFA has received some reports from Registrants that some clients have encountered difficulties getting

their counselling rebates paid. We have prepared an Information Sheet for clients who are making

Medibank Private claims. You can download the Information Sheet at the PACFA Website.

Please remind your clients that only Medibank Private members with policies that include Package Bonuses

will be eligible to receive rebates for counselling. Clients can now switch to one of the new family policies

with Package Bonuses that can be used to access rebates for counselling. Clients should check with

Medibank Private for details.

Practitioners must include the required information on your invoice or receipt. Invoices or receipts must

always be in English and must clearly identify:

Your name and address as the provider who provided the service

Your Medibank Private provider number

Name of the Medibank member who received the service

Date of the service

Details of the service provided (i.e. counselling) and the relevant Item Number

The fee for the service

Whether the account has been paid or not

Please contact Nilu De Alwis, nilu@pacfa.org.au, at the PACFA if you or your clients still have problems

making Medibank Private claims.

Switch to Medibank Private for new counselling rebates

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 7

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 8

Submission to Treasury on self-education expenses

In May and June, PACFA wrote to the then Treasurer, Wayne Swan, to ask him to reconsider the

government’s plan to cap deductions for self-education expenses at $2,000. We were just one of the many

professions which had expressed concern about this policy change and as the campaign opposing the

cap heated up, the Treasurer announced a consultation process. While this consultation should have taken

place before the policy change was announced, the consultation at least provided an opportunity for

PACFA to have a voice about the impact the cap will have on counsellors and psychotherapists and our

clients.

On 12 July, PACFA made a formal submission the consultation, arguing that if the government proceeds

with the cap on self-education expenses, it should reconsider the level of the cap. Based on a recent

survey, PACFA Registrants spent an average of $4,029.12 on self-education expenses last financial year.

Those undertaking post-graduate study incur much higher expenses (more than $12,000 per annum). A cap

of $10,000 would be more appropriate, but at a minimum, the cap should be set at $3,000.

Practitioners incur considerable costs in order to meet the required 15 hours of professional development for

registration purposes. It is also important that practitioners are able to access further specialist training in

order to continue to develop their skills, given that they are supporting vulnerable clients with their mental

health.

The cap on self-education expenses will discourage practitioners from undertaking specialist training and

post-graduate study and this will have a significant impact on the profession and the clients we serve. It is

important that we have a highly skilled and trained mental health workforce to be able to meet the needs

of the community for high quality counselling and psychotherapy services. Practitioners living away from the

main metropolitan areas are at a particular disadvantage because of the travel expenses they incur to

attend professional development activities, which generally take place in the metropolitan centres.

In its submission PACFA made recommendations for some alternative approaches to the self-education cap

such as excluding the following from the capped amount:

Professional development that is mandatory for registration purposes; and Travel expenses to professional development for practitioners living outside the major metropolitan

areas.

PACFA’s submission is available for download at the PACFA website.

If you would like to support the campaign against changes to self-education expense claims, please

consider signing the online petition at www.scrapthecap.com.au/.

Another option, as suggested in our last edition of eNews, would be to your to the Treasurer at

ministerial@treasury.gov.au. Remember to include your full name and address to ensure you receive a reply.

Results from member survey

In preparing our submission, PACFA surveyed members and a very encouraging 453 participants responded

to the survey (others tried to respond but encountered technical difficulties with SurveyMonkey, for which

we apologise). Thank you to every-one who completed the survey.

The survey revealed some very interesting trends which are summarised below.

Professional Development:

For the members that responded to the survey, the average expenditure on professional

development was $4,029.12 last financial year. This indicates many practitioners will be

disadvantaged by the cap on self-education expenses.

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 9

31.4% of survey respondents reported that they were undertaking post-graduate study. This is a

positive and encouraging finding as the profession needs more practitioners to undertake

advanced training.

Of survey respondents who were employed, 38.3% said their employers did not provide any

professional development at all. This is not surprising as practitioners who are employed are often

employed in the under-resourced not-for-profit sector.

89% of practitioners who were employed said they paid for their own professional development

outside of their employment, suggesting that professional development provided by many

employers was inadequate.

Clinical supervision:

Survey respondents spent an average of $1,736.04 on clinical supervision.

Of survey respondents who were employed, 37.3% said their employers did not provide clinical

supervision.

73.1% said they paid for supervision outside of their employment, suggesting that even where

supervision is provided it is inadequate. These statistics raise concerns about the quality and safety

of services provided by agencies who do not provide adequate clinical supervision for their staff.

However, it is a credit to these counsellors and psychotherapists that are paying for their own

supervision outside the workplace to ensure the quality of the services they provide.

Clinical supervision was treated by most practitioners as a direct business cost, not as a self-

education expense. However, many were still claiming supervision as a self-education expense. If

self-education expenses are capped at $2,000, it will be essential for practitioners to claim

supervision as a work-related expense and not as a self-education expense.

PACFA’s submission highlighted the distinction between self-education and clinical supervision and

submitted that clinical supervision should never be treated as a self-education expense. It is an integral part

of the counselling or psychotherapy process that takes place at regular intervals and must continue

indefinitely, for as long as the therapist is working with the client in order to ensure client safety. These are

essential practice costs and not optional professional development activities and should therefore never

be treated as self-education expenses.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Set the cap on self-education expenses higher, ideally at $10,000. However, at a minimum, the cap

should be set at $3,000.

2. Remove the non-claim threshold of $250 to avoid a further reduction in the amount of the cap. For

example, a $2,000 cap may be effectively only $1,750.

3. Mandatory professional development hours required for professional registration purposes should be

excluded from the capped self-education expenses.

4. For practitioners living in specified postcodes outside the metropolitan areas, travel expenses required

to attend professional development activities within Australia should be excluded from the capped self

- education expenses.

5. Clinical supervision is not a self-education expense. It is a work-related expense that is an essential part

of the therapy process, ensuring client safety.

a) Where clinical supervision costs are incurred in private practice, it should be treated as a direct

business cost. It should never be treated as a self-education expense.

b) Where a practitioner is employed (e.g. in an agency) and clinical supervision is not provided by the

employer, or the employer provides inadequate clinical supervision, expense claims for clinical

supervision should be an employment-related expense and should never be treated as a self-

education expense.

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 10

ARCAP’s lobbying strategy in a changing political environment

In June, I was in Canberra, lobbying for recognition of counsellors and psychotherapists, together with our

ARCAP partner, the Australian Counselling Association.

The Canberra trip was overshadowed by the continuing media speculation about a change in leadership

of the Prime Ministership, Fortunately, all of our meetings went ahead as planned and we were able to

meet with 14 Parliamentarians – from all political parties - over a two-day visit.

Unfortunately, the then Minister for Mental Health, The Honourable Mark Butler MP, did not make it to our

scheduled meeting but we did meet with his Chief of Staff and found this to be an extremely productive

meeting.

We were greatly encouraged by the feedback we received. There seemed to be general agreement –

including from the Minister’s Chief of Staff – that counsellors and psychotherapists have a valuable

contribution to make in mental health and wellbeing and that there is no clinical reason for us to be

excluded from provision of Medicare-funded services. It was noted that we have progressed significantly

as a profession and that the collaboration with the ACA through ARCAP has been a positive step forward in

uniting our profession.

But, just when we thought we were heading for some positive results, it was all change with a new Prime

Minister and new Minister for Mental Health. The new Minister for Mental Health is Senator Jacinta Collins.

Senator Collins served as a Senator representing Victoria from May 1995 to 2005, and again from May 2008.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University and a Bachelor of Social Work from La Trobe University.

Prior to entering Federal Parliament, she spent ten years working as a Social Welfare Officer and Research

Officer for the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association.

We have been actively chasing the new Minister for a meeting which we hope will take place in August.

We will build on our discussions with the previous Minister’s Chief of Staff and continue lobbying for

Medicare numbers for counsellors and psychotherapists. We are increasingly confident that in time this goal

can be achieved.

No-one knows when the federal election will take place or what the election result will be. We have now

had positive meetings will all political parties so either way, we are well-positioned to work with the party

that forms government in order to advance the interests of counselling and psychotherapy.

Update on the DisabilityCare Pilot Project

PACFA has commenced work on our DisabilityCare Pilot Project which we are rolling out initially in the

Barwon region in Victoria. Barwon was selected for quite pragmatic reasons as the proximity of Geelong in

Victoria to the PACFA office will make it possible for PACFA CEO, Maria Brett, to personally visit agencies in

Geelong which are involved in delivering supports to people with disability.

We are currently developing a resource pack to support PACFA Registrants in Barwon to apply to be

providers with DisabilityCare Australia. We look forward to the outcome of this process and then to

replicating the process for Registrants in other DisabiltyCare launch sites.

In the last edition of eNews we reported some success with our DisabilityCare lobbying. We had made a

number of submissions to the consultations on the development of the NDIS, particularly in relation to the

Rules for the scheme. Our cause was greatly supported by the lobbying efforts of the Mental Health

Council of Australia (MHCA) of which PACFA is a member.

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 11

In June MHCA reported that the Rules for DisabilityCare had been amended in response to lobbying efforts.

The NDIS (Becoming a Participant) Rules now allow for the fluctuating nature of mental illness and

psychosocial disability, while the NDIS (Supports for Participants) Rules allow for early intervention for people

with psychosocial disability. The rules are still not perfect (and FahCSIA is quite aware of this fact) but the

rules will not be changed for at least the first six months of the scheme. The launch sites for DisabilityCare

will enable monitoring of the rules and will gather feedback to inform future improvements.

Unfortunately, PACFA’s efforts to lobby for changes to the NDIS (Registered Providers of Supports) Rules

were not taken up by the government but Maria Brett has met with Dr Nick Hartland, Group Manager of

the NDIS taskforce within the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs

(FaHCSIA) to discuss the Rules. This was an opportunity to discuss the requirements for counsellors and

psychotherapists wishing to register as providers with DisabilityCare Australia. PACFA’s position is that only

registered counsellors and psychotherapists are appropriate practitioners to deliver counselling services for

DisabilityCare Australia. We also hope that by building a close working relationship with FaHCSIA we will be

able to influence the future development of the DisabilityCare program.

Maria Brett will now meet with DisabilityCare Australia staff to ensure they understand that where

counsellors and psychotherapists are used to deliver DisabilityCare services, they should be registered

counsellors and psychotherapists. We also want to ensure that PACFA Registrants applying to be

DisabilityCare providers can easily navigate the application process.

New ethics course planned for 2014

The PACFA Professional Development Committee is finalising a Call for Tenders for educators interested in

developing a course for PACFA on Practical Ethics for Counsellors and Psychotherapists. Watch out for

news of the tender process which will be publicised soon in PACFA Updates.

The new course will build on the course developed in 2012 by former PACFA Ethics Chair, Phil Henry, and

will be offered in face-to-face and online modes. PACFA is developing its own online learning platform -

using the Moodle system - to enable the delivery of this new online course. This platform will be a great

resource for PACFA which we will be able to share with our Member Associations in the future.

Once the ethics course has been developed, PACFA will be seeking expressions of interest from

experienced practitioners with training expertise to deliver the face-to-face version of the course

throughout Australia. This will be another opportunity to watch out for.

The development and implementation of the new Ethics course is a collaboration between PACFA and

Member Associations. Four Member Associations are represented on the new PD Committee but it is

expected the collaboration will benefit all PACFA Member Associations going forward, as we develop

effective models and processes for delivering professional development activities for the wider PACFA

community.

Future opportunities for collaboration could include:

Moodle training and access to PACFA’s Moodle platform for Member Associations interested in

developing their own online courses;

A train the trainer course for Member Associations interested in delivering Practical Ethics for

Counsellors and Psychotherapists locally to their members; and

Replicating the model used to develop Practical Ethics for Counsellors and Psychotherapists to

develop professional development on other topics of interest to practitioners.

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 12

Last two Mental Health training Courses for 2013

Bookings are open for the last two online Mental Health Training Courses for 2013. There are only 21 places

left to do this course in 2013. The courses will take place on:

19 August - 1 September

14 October – 27 October

The online course is run by PACFA in conjunction with the University of Canberra and covers four modules

on key topics of relevance to mental health practice:

Module 1: Mental Health and Illness

Module 2: Mental Health Assessment

Module 3: Mental Health Interventions

Module 4: Consumer Centred Models of Care, and Ethical Questions

Participants complete the course at their own pace over a two week period using

the Moodle e-learning system. Teaching and learning approaches include audio-

visual materials, case studies, recorded lectures, online communication threads and

facilitated discussions.

Participants are issued with a certificate of completion for 8 hours of PD, which can

be used towards PACFA’s professional development requirements.

Enrolments are now open to all practitioners, not just PACFA Registrants. The course

costs $220 including GST for members of PACFA Member Associations or $330 for

non-members.

To book a place, please ring PACFA on (03) 9486 3933 or email luisa.moreno@pacfa.org.au.

Call for articles – PACJA

PACFA is calling for articles for the second edition of The Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of

Australia (PACJA), PACFA’s official e-Journal. PACJA’s aim is to publish articles that contribute to the

evidence base of psychotherapy and counselling in the form of theoretical essays, experiential reports,

and empirical studies featuring quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method approaches.

PACJA encourages practitioners, researchers, students and educators (even if you have never published

before) to submit articles for publication. The process is intended to be supportive in order to mentor

aspiring authors to contribute to the dissemination of knowledge in the counselling and psychotherapy

field.

Image courtesy of www.zcool.com.cn

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 13

New student research study

Rosalyn Darracott, PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, has Ethics Approval Number QUT HREC

1200000139, to undertake a study exploring the range of factors that influence practice in social care. This

information will help develop a framework to assist practitioners, managers and

supervisors to make sense of complex practice situations and make more

informed practice choices.

Participants are being sought who:

Hold a certificate, diploma, bachelor or higher degree in a social care

related field such as counselling, community services, occupational

therapy, human services, psychology, social work or behavioural

sciences;

Have two years practice experience in their profession/occupation;

Are engaged in direct practice with individuals, couples or families. This may involve things like

counselling, support work, or case management. Team leaders or managers who make decisions

about individual cases are also welcome to participate.

The survey can be found at https://survey.qut.edu.au/f/175657/24d3/. A link to the information and consent

form is provided at the beginning of the survey. Alternatively, you can contact the researcher for more

information at rosalyn.darracott@qut.edu.au or on 0427 047 893.

Editorial Policy:

All PACJA manuscripts (10,000 words maximum inclusive of references) and an abstract not

exceeding 150 words are to be submitted electronically to the Editor, Petra Bueskens

at editor@pacja.org.au

Manuscripts must be formatted as a Word document or similar (Microsoft or Macintosh

compatible).

Authors should include a separate page with manuscript title, name(s) of author (s), and contact

information (postal and email addresses, phone, fax). Author identification should not appear on

the manuscript itself.

Upon submission, the manuscript should be completed with references and tables and figures (if

any), and follow APA style (6th edition).

As the PACJA is peer-reviewed, authors must be prepared to address comments and make

required changes to their manuscripts.

Prior to publication, the author or authors will be required to sign the Grant of an Exclusive

Licence to the publisher of PACJA, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia Inc.

in accordance with PACJA’s Copyright Policy.

Once the article is accepted for publication, the author (or first author if the article is a co-authored

submission) will be notified of an approximate publication date, whereupon it will be understood

that permission to print is granted (unless the author and/or co-authors withdraw). Upon publication

PACFA holds copyright of the article.

eNews Advertising Policy

Advertisers are reminded that our Advertising Guidelines require payment at the time of booking advertisements. This hasn’t been

strictly enforced in the past but this has led to more work when invoices are not paid on time. Please forward payment with your

Booking Form and a receipt will be issued promptly.

Professional Development August/September/October 2013

Bookings/details: E qca@qca.asn.au W www.qca.asn.au P 0411 468 369

Friday 2nd August 5-7pm Making the Most of Supervision – Jean Tulloch

Saturday 7th September 9-10.30am What does the evidence tell us about evidence based practice – Prof. Robert King

Friday 4th October 5-7pm Complex Trauma – Assoc. Prof. Brett McDermott

Australian Association of Buddhist Counsellors

and Psychotherapists

AABCAP - 2 Year Professional Training Course in

Buddhism and Psychotherapy

PACFA Accredited Course commencing February 2013

A unique integration developing professional and interpersonal skills

training in mindfulness based therapies

deepening insight and compassion

Applications Open Aug 1 – Nov 1, 2013

Prospectus and further information available at our website

Classifieds and Professional Development

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 14

Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Counselling and Psychotherapy

Full time, ongoing, Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane Campus

Introduction to the role

Applications are invited for the position of Senior Lecturer or Associate Professor in

Counselling and Psychotherapy to teach in the ACAP School of Counselling

undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The successful applicant is expected to

have considerable teaching and research experience and will be responsible for

developing and teaching courses and units in the School of Counselling. The

successful applicant is expected to conduct research supported by the School and to

attract external grants and consultancies, and contribute to academic administration

and course coordination within the School. The position provides an exciting

opportunity to be involved in the School of Counselling and in the development and

delivery of accredited, quality counselling and psychotherapy courses.

What we offer

An attractive remuneration package will be negotiated with the successful candidate.

The Navitas Group offers outstanding long-term career opportunities within Australia

and abroad, and is values driven and an equal opportunity employer. The successful

applicant will be subject to relevant pre-employment checks, which may include a

National Police Check and/or a Working with Children Check. Only people who are

eligible to work in Australia may apply for this position.

Enquiries can be directed to Eileen Davis, Senior Lecturer in Counselling and

Psychotherapy, Australian College of Applied Psychology, phone (02) 9964 6333,

email eileen.davis@acap.edu.au Applications, which will need to include a resume

and a letter addressing the selection criteria, must be submitted via the following web

link www.acap.expr3ss.com Applicants will be asked to respond to a number of

questions which will assist with the selection process. Applications close on

15 August 2013 at 5PM AEST.

Workshops with Laurie MacKinnon Ph.D.

Deactivating the Buttons: Integrating a Trauma Lens into a Counselling

Framework

Sydney, Thurs & Fri Sept 5 & 6 — Melbourne Fri & Sat Aug 23 & 24 2013

This workshop provides an overview of current therapeutic approaches to processing traumatic

memories and provides a conceptual framework for understanding how successful resolution of

traumatic events results in persisting interpersonal difficulties. Laurie uses video of real client

interviews, role-play demonstrations and opportunities for participants to practice.

For more information and to register,

visit www.insiteconsulting.com.au

E: training@insiteconsulting.com.au

M: 0449 271 273

Advanced Practice in Radical Exposure Tapping

Sydney, Thurs & Fri Nov 7 & 8 — Melbourne Fri & Sat Oct 25 & 26 2013

This workshop is a follow-up to Deactivating the Buttons and provides opportunity for

participants to practice and consolidate their skills, learn how to work with more difficult

presentations and incorporate imaginal reworking into their therapy.

For over 20 years, Laurie MacKinnon Ph.D. has been providing counselling for individuals, couples and families; supervision and

training of couple and family therapists; and consultation to counselling organisations. She has presented internationally and

published widely within the field of couple and family therapy. She is the 2012 recipient of the American Family Therapy

Academy’s award for Distinguished Contribution to Family Theory and Practice. In 2012, the Australia and New Zealand Journal of

Family Therapy awarded Laurie the Special Award for Distinguished Contribution to Family Therapy.

Balance Those Hormones

There ARE answers to hormone problems.

Lyn Shand, a psychologist & family therapist,

has been counselling women successfully for problems associated with P.M.S.,

post-natal depression and menopause, for 20 years.

She also specialises in stress and, in particular, relationship issues.

Lyn is also the author of a book with

the above title.

www.elkanahcounselling.com.au Ph: 03 9817 5654

1 Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn, 3103

Registered with Medicare and for Private Health Fund rebates.

CAPA (NSW) regional & rural committee are hosting a

low-cost PDE/mini-conference in The Southern

Highlands with an opportunity to accrue 12-PD hours.

Highly-qualified Practitioners will present on topics such

as Post-modern Family Systems Theory, Group Process,

The role of conflict in Couples Counselling, Transactional

Analysis, Childhood Anxiety, Grief & Loss, Ethics and

dual relationships in rural communities and Moving from Content to

Process. And for something different, there is also a presentation on

Voice work for trauma clients..."Singing out the Pain".

The weekend will coincide with The Bowral Tulip Festival so set aside 28

and 29 September, 2013. Go to the CAPA(NSW) website for further

details of cost and registrations as spaces are limited.

Australian and New Zealand Society of Jungian Analysis

Invites you to a seminar for clinical practitioners and trainees:

Complexes: Theory, Personal Experience and Clinical Application

Speakers: John Merchant (ANZSJA Sydney) - Sue Austin (ANZSJA Sydney)

Date: Saturday 21th September 2013 Times: 8.45am – 4.00pm Venue: Sydney University Village, 90 Carillon Ave, Newtown, NSW 2042 For bookings, further details, please contact pds@anzsja.org.au or leave a message on +61 2 9436 0040.

PACFA eNews is the electronic newsletter from the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia

that is published bi - monthly and also available on the PACFA website.

Schedule of Issue 2013

January: Submissions received by 15th January for publication end of January

March: Submissions received by 15th March for publication end of March

May: Submissions received by 15th May for publication end of May

July: Submissions received by 15th July for publication end of July

September: Submissions received by 15th September for publication end of September

November: Submissions received by 15th November for publication end of November

Bookings and Payment

Please provide your advertisement and booking form before the submission date. All prices include GST and

payment is required at the time of booking advertisements. Please forward payment with your Booking

Form.

Rates

UNIT SIZE (width x height) PRICE

Full page 20cm x 27cm $530 (Includes GST of $48.18)

½ page (horizontal) 20cm x 13.5cm $330 (Includes GST of $30.00)

½ page (vertical) 10cm x 27cm $330 (Includes GST of $30.00)

¼ page 10cm x 13.5cm $150 (Includes GST of $13.64)

1/8 page 5cm x 6.75cm $110 (Includes GST of $10)

Line items Up to three rows $55 (Includes GST of $5)

Special Offer

o Book your advertisement for 2 consecutive editions of the PACFA eNews and receive a 15% discount off the total cost.

o Book your advertisement for 3 consecutive editions of the PACFA eNews and receive a 20% discount off the total cost.

o Book your advertisement for 4 consecutive editions of the PACFA eNews and receive a 25% discount off the total cost.

o MA’s receive an additional 5% discount on these special rates

Special Offer for PACFA Member Associations

o All PACFA Member Associations may include details of forthcoming conferences and professional development

opportunities in the PACFA eNews. There is no cost to Member Associations for these line ads.

o Member Associations are entitled to a 5% discount on the advertised rates.

All advertising - both free and paid advertising – must be sent to enews@pacfa.org.au within the timeframe specified

Artwork

Artwork is to be sent to the PACFA office as an email attachment. Preferred document types: jpeg or pdf. For full

Advertising Guidelines please see the PACFA website or email enews@pacfa.org.au

Submission of News and Articles

We welcome your feedback and input in the form of news, views, poetry, letters, articles etc. Please forward these to

Julia Bilecki at enews@pacfa.org.au

PACFA eNews Advertising Guidelines

Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia I eNews I July 2013 20