Schema Therapy Child and Adolescent (CA-ST) certification workshops: modules 1 and 2

The workshops look at the formation and perpetuating of maladaptive schemas against a background of age-specific developmental tasks, risk and protective temperamental factors. Relative to the children's age, early maladaptive schemas are outlined with their typical child and adolescent appearance and coping strategies. Other topics include multi-modal diagnostic techniques (use of exploration, survey, imagery and case conceptualisation) and exploring the significance of the therapeutic relationship, psychoeducational strategies and empathetic confrontation.

Therapeutic strategies are demonstrated including working with drawings and pictures, finger and hand puppets, working with stories, metaphors, chair work, imagery, play and the use of flash cards. We will consolidate the learning with video examples, live demonstrations and role-play in groups of two or three.

Module 1

• Strength-based assessments
• Imaginary parent interview
• Inner house exercise
• Timeline mode work
• Conducting a mode interview
• Working with finger and hand puppets
• Working with chair dialogues
• Working with mode cards
• Fun imagery to strengthen the wise and caring mode

Module 2

• Imagery rescripting
• Play therapy
• Introduction to sandtray work
• Working with stem stories
• Parent coaching
• House of generations exercise

Conditions

• Times: 9AM–6PM daily
• Cost of each three-day workshop: 750 NZD

Who can attend

This workshop is open to mental health professionals who work with children and adolescents. If a participant wishes to pursue certification then the following criteria apply:

1. The STTaC New Zealand CA-ST programme will accept those therapists who are registered with a regulatory body for the following mental health professionals: psychologists, psychotherapists, clinical social workers, mental health occupational therapists, art therapists and counsellors who have a minimum of a bachelor's degree followed by a master's degree or post-graduate diploma in a psychotherapy such as CBT, DBT, psychodynamic etc.
2. Specific psychotherapy training in working with children and adolescents should have been part of the professional training, or afterwards at post-graduate level.
3. If this did not occur, then at least 3 years of working with children and adolescents in a therapeutic setting undertaking psychotherapy with this client group and evidence of having attended relevant child and adolescent psychotherapy training.
4. Potential candidates also need to be currently working in a therapeutic setting where they see children and adolescents for psychotherapy.
5. All applicants must have a current annual practicing certificate.
6. Certificates of training will be requested, as well as CVs.
7. International applicants wanting to undertake certification with the STTaC CA-ST programme must check their country's certification criteria to see if they are eligible to do so.

Supervision for certification

If an applicant wishes to follow the standard certification process then they will be required to attend 20 hours of supervision and this can be provided by Estelle or a colleague, who is also a certified supervisor. Two video recordings of sessions will be required, one of these will be marked by an external examiner and an overall score of 4.0 is required.

For those wishing to pursue advanced certification, 40 supervision sessions are required and 4 video recordings. Two of these will be marked by external examiners and each one needs a score of 4.5 or higher. External examiners charge their own fees.

If receiving supervision from Estelle this will cost 210 NZD per 60-minute session. Estelle charges the same hourly rate for marking videos for ISST certification and providing feedback.

To attend this workshop

Please fill in our application form (Google Forms).