April counselling conference sold out

Guidance counsellors and youth workers from across Australia have snapped up all 180 tickets to a youth counselling conference in Hervey Bay in April.

The three-day Rural Training Youth Support Conference at USQ Fraser Coast sold out on Tuesday (February 9). Anyone who missed out can put their name on a waiting list as there may be some cancellations.

Conference organiser and Education Queensland Guidance Officer Rob Symon said it was a fantastic response considering it is still more than two months away.

'Most of the participants have some connection to education, with both government and non-government sectors being represented. We have participants who are based in regional offices, primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, TAFE colleges and universities.

'About one quarter of participants do not work directly for an education provider, with the majority of those being providers of support services and particularly counselling services. There has been an excellent response from local support services providers.'

One of the attractions to this year’s conference has been the keynote speaker, who is eminent United States counsellor and author Allan Ivey.

Conference co-organiser Dr Patrick O’Brien, from USQ Fraser Coast, said it was an absolute coup to secure such an eminent person as guest speaker.

'Professor Ivey is a leader in the field and is author of many text books used in Australian universities, including USQ,' Dr O’Brien said.

Other speakers include: counsellor and author Mary Bradford Ivey, from the United States; Expressive Therapies educators and authors Mark Pearson and Helen Wilson, from Western Australia; the CEO of the Australian Counsellors Association Philip Armstrong, from Brisbane; Fraser Coast teacher Peter Miles; Brisbane-based private therapist Helen Kershaw; and private practitioner Lyn Fox, also from Brisbane.

The biannual conference began in 2001 as a program to deliver professional development and training to rural guidance officers.

Its theme, Authentic Counselling Practices: Challenging Current Thinking, Creating New Knowledge, was produced in direct response to feedback from the last Rural Training conference.

Further information is available from Rob Symon on rsymo1@eq.edu.au