NZAC Professional Development Symposium July 2nd, The Rydges Hotel, Wellington

We are warmly inviting you to come to our National Professional Development Symposium.

We are excited about the full and varied program being presented by our NZAC members.

The registration for the NZAC Professional Development Symposium Day on 2 July 2021 is open on our website.

Only 7 weeks left to register, so don’t miss out.

Our kaupapa is Kaitiakitanga. 

Registration:

Link: https://www.nzac.org.nz/professional-development-day-2021/programme/

To register please follow the instructions below:

1. Log into your NZAC profile or if a non-NZAC member, create a free log on and password.
2. Click on the small NZAC logo in the top left-hand corner
3. Scroll down, past members, to Professional Development Symposium 2021 and click on it
4. Click on the Programme & Abstracts

• You will find the abstracts placed below the programme

1. Read and select one presentation from each of the three streams. Please note most of our presentations have a limit of 50 people.
2. Click on the green register button
3. Click on the grey button: Register yourself by selecting the appropriate ticket: 

Member, Non-member, Full day, Half-day and select your chosen presentations to complete the registration process.

1. An email will be sent immediately, to you, thanking you for registering.
2. You will receive an invoice under the invoice tab on your profile.
3. Once the invoice has been paid, you will receive an email confirming your registration.

Accommodation

Rydges Hotel, the Professional Development symposium venue, is offering reduced rates for the Symposium participants, this is valid until 8th June.

When reserving your room: Quote code R-NACO721  

Te Roopu Kaiwhiriwhiri o Aotearoa NZAC AGM

The AGM is held on Saturday 3^rd July 2021, also at the Rydges Hotel.  

Registrations for this will be available shortly.  We hope to see as many of you as possible, being involved in your organization.

Looking forward to seeing you.

Ngā mihi nui,

Niccy Fraser, NZAC Professional Development Manager

Dr Julia Rucklidge: The Better Brain

Dr Rucklidge is fed up.

The University of Canterbury’s Professor of Clinical Psychology has dedicated much of her career to proving the role of nutrition in our mental health.

She and her collaborators have shown in two very well controlled studies – following an earthquake and a flood – that nutrients are “incredibly powerful at helping people overcome the stress associated with being exposed to a natural disaster”.

She is fed up because, while the public is listening, the public health care system is not.

“I’ve been looking at it for over 10 years, banging my head against the wall most of the time, in terms of trying to bring awareness to this topic.

“Lots of people who are struggling with mental health issues are absolutely listening, because they have not been well served by our current treatments.”

Dr Rucklidge and her team published the Shaken but unstirred? Effects of micronutrients on stress and trauma after an earthquake: RCT evidence comparing formulas and doses in 2012, comparing and assessing the impact of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) on emotions and stress related to the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

All treatment groups experienced significant improvement psychological symptoms.

And the group that was given a higher dose reported greater improvement in mood, anxiety, and energy.

Following the horrific Christchurch Mosque Shootings in 2019, Dr Rucklidge and a team of researchers offered micronutrients to survivors as a clinical service based on translational science principles and adapted to be culturally appropriate.

According to the study’s abstract, the findings clearly replicated prior controlled research – those who took the micronutrients self-reported as “much” to “very much” improved, in line with those reported in the earthquake (42%) and flood (57%) randomized controlled trials.

Probable Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder rates reduced from 75% to 17%.

Here is where the rubber must meet the road for Dr Rucklidge if the public health care system is to properly treat those seeking mental health support following a disaster: “this evidence supports the routine use of micronutrients by disaster survivors as part of governmental response.”

“This is not a new idea,” she says. “It is not like the idea that nutrition is relevant to your brain should be that foreign to any of us.

“The biochemistry is clear that we need nutrients for brain function, brain metabolism, feeding our mitochondria, keeping our genes healthy, getting rid of toxins, helping us with infections.

“Micronutrients are needed in every single one of those pathways.

“I appreciate that people get well for all kinds of reasons, it can be the placebo effect, or it can be the kindness that we provide to people.

“But you can’t ignore the fact that when people go through our studies, we see a lot of people getting well. And that’s certainly better than what I can see happening in the public health care systems.”

For those counsellors interested in Dr Rucklidge’s research, there is a course on Mental Health and Nutrition that can help you learn what foods and nutrients should and should not be consumed to improve mental wellbeing and explore the fundamental role that nutrition plays in our mental health.

Or you can read Dr Rucklidge’s recently released book – The Better Brain.

“What I would say to people who are sceptical is do the course, read the book, and then ask me whether or not there’s any evidence whatsoever for thinking that nutrition is relevant to brain health.”

Separating our minds from our bodies is causing harm

Sonia Voldseth understands the importance of eating healthy, not just for her body but for her mind, too.

The provisional NZ Association of Counsellors member – and a former lawyer – has seen first-hand the effects healthy eating can have in what she describes as her “own journey of chronic inflammation”.

“And so, it’s been a real learning curve for me around how the gut microbiome impacts fatigue, my mood, mental health, and everything else in between.”

Her comments follow the introduction of Dr Julia Rucklidge’s research into the impacts nutrition can play on our brains and mental health.

As a result, Sonia has signed up to Dr Rucklidge’s course on Mental Health and Nutrition, and encourages other counsellors to investigate, too.

“I think it’s really exciting what she’s doing because I think that, largely, the mind-body connection and how what we put into our body impacts how we feel has not been ignored, but hasn’t been highlighted enough.

“And I guess I would say in the medical system, not so much in the counselling realm, it has hasn’t been given enough attention.”

Sonia is cautiously excited for future clients, as she hopes that the newly acquired knowledge from Dr Rucklidge’s course will be another tool to better support people.

Her only concern is the public health system’s reluctance to place more importance on nutrition for the mind, the same way it does for our bodies.

“We’re very much using a band aid approach at the moment, and not focusing on how what we feed our bodies impacts us.

“Not to mention that there is also the issue of healthy produce often being too expensive for much of the population, while fast food and highly processed foods are much more accessible.

“I know that for me, healthy eating is really important in how I feel. And we all know how overdoing coffee and alcohol impact our moods, as well as eating a lot of refined carbohydrates and junk foods.

“I think that’s something everyone knows, but it’s just hard to make the switch sometimes.

“And it might be possible that the public health system isn't giving it more attention because we seem to have separated the mind from the body. And the mind-body connection isn’t given enough attention.

“As counsellors, we always try to see the whole person. We look at what someone is eating, whether they’re exercising, how they’re sleeping, and what their sleep hygiene is like. So, I think this is a really important thing for us to learn.”

Overwhelming demand for mental health services like a tidal wave

The demand for mental health services is being overwhelmed, and it particularly acute in Nelson and Marlborough where wait times have more than doubled in the past three years.

A Stuff report found that recent figures show wait times for the Infant, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (ICAMHS) have increased from 23 days to 48 days – among the longest wait times in the country.

Other figures show the average wait time across 16 of the 20 district health boards (DHBs) increased to 33 days for the year ended July 2020, up from 21 days – with some DHBs seeing wait times as high as 72 days.

While more young people and parents were trying to find support, a greater number of referrals to the service was also due to the impacts of COVID-19.

NZ Association of Counsellors President, Christine Macfarlane, says the increase in people seeking help from mental health services was due to a deterioration in wellbeing and a stronger awareness of the importance of seeking help.

“What that looks like is an increase in anxiety, depression and psychological distress which was slowly increasing across society pre Covid, but that has increased it even more.”

She had heard from school counsellors that when young people were referred to ICAMHS, they were not necessarily accepted into the service.

“There doesn’t seem to be any extra funding for ICAMHS or the mental health specialist teams who are seeing more people, but they haven’t the resources ... so you have huge amounts of people coming to services that can't cope.”

Christine says there was also no funding for those with moderate to high needs, who needed therapeutic counselling in the community.

“The overwhelming demand for services, private therapists as well as community services and mental health services is like a tidal wave that keeps coming.”

She says some people were facing “dire” circumstances.

“We want people to seek help as early as possible, so they don’t need hospitalisation in the mental health unit, we want to help them earlier so it doesn't turn into a chronic mental health disorder.”

Government mental health inaction troubling

Recent media reports highlighting the Government’s actions in the mental health space has the NZ Association of Counsellors worried for Kiwi’s wellbeing.

Following the delayed mental health services annual report and the revelation that the Government will spend less than it promised on mental health initiatives in its 2019 Budget, President Christine Macfarlane is calling on the Labour Party to do better.

“I was gladdened at the time of the Labour Government’s announcement to allocate $1.1billion in operational spending on mental health initiatives over five years.

“And while I agree that COVID-19 has slowed the Government’s progress, it shouldn’t be an excuse for what amounts to failing to deliver much needed mental health care to thousands of Kiwis.

“Instead, it should’ve galvanised the Government into placing much greater emphasis on mental health with a comprehensive plan.

“We don’t know what their plan is, and it seems as if they are building the railway line while the train is already moving along the tracks.

“This makes it very difficult for those at the coalface to trust that the process will achieve better results, because they don’t know what that process is.

“The Government hasn’t put out a plan for consultation, which is crucial to show taxpayers and Kiwis suffering from an overwhelmed mental health system where and how their money is being spent.

“The lack of communication also creates a sense of uncertainty and distrust rather than building a place of trust.”

The Labour Party billed their policies as crucial to slowing the decline of the country’s worsening mental health statistics, however, Christine says not enough is being done.

“School guidance counsellors are overburdened, so too are the secondary mental health services. Anecdotally, I know there is a month-long wait in Auckland for children to be seen by child and youth mental health services.

“All district health boards are overburdened and under-resourced, and we haven’t seen or heard anything about how or when this will change.

“We need a plan; we need services to know what’s happening. HIPs is a really great early intervention service but they’re now sending all the referrals to secondary mental health services.

“There is a huge gap between services. The Government hasn’t built enough of the railway track. They don’t even know where the track will end up finishing.”

NZAC’s new Professional Development Manager

The NZ Association of Counsellors has appointed its Professional Development Manager, a process that has been four years in the making.

Former Audit Convenor –an NZAC member since 1993 and a member of the Association’s interview panel – Niccy Fraser has taken on the role.

 Niccy sees her appointment as the next step in the Association’s efforts to further support members in their professional development. 

The first step in supporting our members is asking them what their specific needs are in relation to their own professional development as a counsellor, a supervisor, and a counsellor educator.

And of course, what their needs are in relation to their clients’ needs.

One of her first projects has been working with the professional development working group to arrange the National professional development day in Wellington on 2 July 2021.

She is excited that a new initiative this year has been to formally invite all members to present.

“We have many members from diverse backgrounds and roles with fascinating counselling and supervision specialisations. Hence this year’s professional development program looks particularly varied and interesting.”

Another of Niccy’s first responsibilities is undertaking a workforce survey, in conjunction with NZAC President Christine Macfarlane, to fully profile the counselling profession, the Association’s members, and what is needed for both long into the future.

She is also making contact with all the branches via zoom meetings to ascertain what members’ concerns are, their professional development needs, and what they would like the Association to supply them with.

“One clear message from members is that they would like more training on trauma counselling, and at a more advanced level,” Niccy says.

“In our counselling practice, trauma always appears in all kinds of places and it can be a complex issue to work with and respond to.

“So, to better prepare our members, they’re very keen to have more training in this area.”

Another concern shared with Niccy is what qualifications are required, or what training courses are available, to become a supervisor.

While Niccy says the Association hasn’t yet endorsed one particular supervision counselling qualifications or course, they are looking at doing that.

“And ideally, I’d like for the access of professional development to be more equitable across the country.

“The Association is really aware that it can be easier for members that live in big cities like Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, to access professional development.

“And so one of the aims of this role is to find ways to reach more members around the country, so it’s better supported and more equitable.