Dr Kate Owen

08/10/2025

Master the foundations of systemic family therapy.

Key Skills in Family Therapy
Leopold, VIC | November 26-27, 2025

This 2-day intensive covers essential techniques every family therapist needs:

- Genograms and family mapping
- Circular questioning techniques
- Reframing and positive connotation
- Working with resistant families
- Managing complex family dynamics
- Engaging children in family sessions

Perfect for counsellors, psychologists, and social workers beginning family work OR experienced practitioners wanting to refresh core skills.

18 seats available. Early bird from $575 including catering, printed handbook, electronic resources and PD certificate

Register: https://www.compassaustralia.com.au/event/key-skills-in-family-therapy-ksftgee261125

05/10/2025

With a customer rating of 4.92/5⭐ , NGO's and Government agencies across Australia trust and choose this training as part of their core induction.

Learn the Key Skill of Family Therapy that will transform how you work with clients - individually, as couples or families. This intensive 2-day workshop covers systemic, structural, solution-focused, and narrative therapy models with practical interventions you can use immediately.

Perfect for mental health professionals, educators, and anyone working in mental health.

Led by Dr Kate Owen - Clinical Psychologist & Family Therapist with 25 years experience. And author of the popular Keep Calm Cards.

Early Bird from $575 includes full catering, printed handbook, and PD certificate.

Book now: https://tickets.mentalhealthtrainingnz.com/events/mentalhealthtrainingnz/1787151

01/10/2025

🧠 Why Your Workplace Needs Mental Health Training (And Why It Actually Works)

Most employees will face mental health challenges during their careers. That's not speculation - it's reality. Especially when helping young people and families who have experienced trauma. The question isn't whether it will happen in your workplace, but whether your team will know how to respond.

Workplaces that invest early in mental health support create competitive advantages. They become employers of choice while building resilient teams. It goes beyond ticking boxes. It's about practical skills that help real people in real situations. Teams report better communication, stronger relationships, and increased psychological safety. Leaders gain confidence to address concerns before they become crises. The business case is solid:
✅ Reduced absenteeism
✅ Better employee retention
✅ Higher productivity
✅ Lower crisis management costs

When your team knows how to support each other, everyone wins, including the people your organisation seeks to help.

Invest in your mentally healthy workplace today by attending our Empowering the Helping Professional workshop coming to Melbourne next month:

https://www.compassaustralia.com.au/event/empowering-the-helping-professional-ehpmel281125

22/09/2025

Free webinar for healthcare workers on Psychosocial Wellbeing in the Workplace.

Healthcare professionals often work in busy, high-pressure, and emotionally demanding environments. At this webinar, our expert multidisciplinary panel will share practical insights on spotting early signs of stress in yourself and colleagues, and offer strategies and tools you can use straight away...

17/09/2025

I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be working reduced office hours from September 18th through to October 7th as we head into the school holidays here in Australia.

No big trips on the horizon this time, but I am looking forward to slowing the pace a little and enjoying some quality family time. And with the warmer weather finally arriving, I’m hoping for plenty of time outdoors, a bit more progress on our ongoing home renovations (there are still plenty of walls left to paint!), and the chance to dedicate some quiet moments to working on a journal article.

I’ll still be checking emails periodically, so feel free to reach out - I may just be a little slower to respond than usual. My monthly newsletter will also be going out as planned.

I hope this new season is bringing you a sense of renewal too, whether it’s the promise of spring here in the southern hemisphere or the cozy arrival of autumn elsewhere.

Wishing you all a wonderful few weeks ahead - take care and talk soon.

Kate
###x

07/09/2025

Only two tickets left! Come and join me in Toowoomba this week.

Enhance your skills in trauma stabilization and family therapy at our 2-day workshop in Toowoomba, 11-12 Sep 2025.

04/09/2025

Thank you to for recommending these two books in the recent EFT Masterclass for chronic illness and auto immune disease.

Such a fascinating area!

02/09/2025

I found this card in my bag today! I have never seen this before and I have no idea where it came from.

I think the Universe is on to me 😉

01/09/2025

This is a highlight reel from my 2025 presentation at the Australian Association of Family Therapy (AAFT) Conference. In it, I revisit the Leeds Systemic Family Therapy Manual (Pote, Stratton, Cottrell, Boston, Shapiro, & Hanks, 2003) Theory of Change — and propose an important addition.

The Leeds model identifies two pathways for systemic change:
- Sequences: shifting relational patterns and interactions
- Stories: reshaping meaning and narratives within families

My contribution introduces a third pathway: State.

This acknowledges that the body itself is a system. By integrating neurobiology alongside sequence and story, we expand systemic practice to include regulation, embodiment, and the nervous system as central to systemic therapeutic change.

If you are a family therapist, systemic practitioner, or simply curious about how mind, body, and relationships intersect, this talk offers a fresh perspective on theory and practice.

Watch the YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/bffVlueYNn0

Useful References & Resources:
Pote, H., Stratton, P., Cottrell, D., Boston, P., Shapiro, D., & Hanks, H. (2003). Systemic Family Therapy Manual.Leeds: University of Leeds.

Owen, K. (2025, March 26). How do people change? A therapist’s behind-the-scenes secret [Blog post]. Dr Kate Owen. https://www.drkateowen.com/post/how-do-people-change-a-therapist-s-behind-the-scenes-secret

The full presentation is available to members via the Australian Association of Family Therapy portal: https://www.aaft.asn.au

https://youtu.be/bffVlueYNn0?si=nxT4L8-5s4sbR10R

This is a section of my presentation at the Australian Association of Family Therapy (AAFT) Conference in 2025. I revisit and expands the Leeds Systemic Fami...

28/08/2025

Running my Rethinking School Refusal workshop today and this is my stunning view.

27/08/2025

I am loving Dr Peta Stapleton podcast and particularly enjoyed this episode. Listen if you are interested in the mind-body-illness connection.

Mental Health Podcast · In a world where mental health has taken center stage, a new wave of innovation is sweeping through the therapy field. Join me as we embark on a journey uncovering the latest breakthroughs, emerging t...

25/08/2025

My latest newsletter is out now! Check your inbox.

This edition is a little catch-up after a very full couple of months — from conferences and workshops to house renovations!. All the images give clues as to what I have been doing :)

I am also sharing a free self-reflection sheet with thoughtful questions to pause and ponder, like “What would you do if you had more courage?”

If you haven't joined my free monthly newsletter just yet, head to my website and sign up - www.drkateowen.com