Charles Sturt University

Charles Sturt University

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    • Reading the Landscape: How Social Sciences Research Might Shape Outdoor Therapy’s Future

    Virtual , Australia

    Charles Sturt University

    Outdoor therapies encompass a range of practices, from nature-based therapy and surf therapy to equine-assisted approaches. In practice, these outdoor approaches are growing fast, yet the available evidence base hasn't always kept pace. This webinar draws on more than two decades of research to share key lessons about what we know, and what we still need to learn, about outdoor therapies in research and practice. We explore the role of therapeutic factors, the importance of client voice, ethics, the diverse pathways clients take toward change, and the shift from anecdote to accountable, data-driven practice. Social science disciplines, such as social […]

    Free

    Exploring Men’s Experiences in Walk-and-Talk Therapy- Results from a Pilot Study

    Virtual , Australia

    Charles Sturt University

    Traditional therapy has often been built around ways of connecting that don’t suit everyone, and many men find it difficult to open up while sitting face-to-face. This talk discusses the experiences of 11 men who participated in walk-and-talk therapy sessions in a randomised pilot study at the University of Newcastle. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we’ve found that the informal approach and physical movement gave men a culturally familiar entry into therapy through reshaping the therapeutic relationship, lowering the barrier to showing up to therapy, and making it easier to be open and vulnerable once they did. In addition, walk-and-talk therapy […]

    Free

    Beyond the Challenge: When Cultural Narratives Replace Therapeutic Goals

    Virtual , Australia

    Charles Sturt University

    Adventure therapy often uses challenging activities as a pathway for personal growth. However, participants - and sometimes facilitators - can unintentionally confuse the task of a certain activity with the therapeutic goal. This presentation explores how cultural values, such as perseverance, achievement, resilience, and "never giving up" can overshadow participants’ individual therapeutic intentions. Using a real case from an international university programme, we will examine how well-intentioned support can become subtle pressure, preventing participants from recognising their own boundaries, needs, and authentic success. The session invites practitioners to rethink how we frame activities and how we continually reconnect participants with […]

    Free

    Is Social Media Killing Kids, and Why Do We Keep Getting Suckered By These Things

    Virtual , Australia

    Charles Sturt University

    Over the last decade, widespread concern that social media is harming young people, and the recurring cycles of moral panic that often accompany new technologies, have been growing. But is this really new? Drawing on the available evidence, Dr. Chris Ferguson will explore why alarming narratives about youth and media gain traction, and how they shape public opinion and policy responses, including social media bans. This webinar is a critical reflection on the evidence behind these claims, as well as the broader social and cultural forces that sustain them. About the Presenter Dr Christopher Ferguson holds a PhD in clinical […]

    Free

    Just Because It Worked… Doesn’t Mean It Was Right: Good Outcomes + Bad Process = Harm

    Virtual , Australia

    Charles Sturt University

    If a young person returns more compliant, polite or settled, has the intervention genuinely helped, or simply produced obedience? This webinar introduces an ecological model of psychological development to examine why good outcomes do not necessarily indicate good practice. Revisiting critiques of coercive wilderness therapy, Australian boot camps and related interventions, we examine how lasting wellbeing develops through experiences that strengthen agency, relationships and a healthy sense of self, while the opposite happens if we seek compliance. The session explores the ethical and practical implications for adventure therapy and the wider helping professions, asking whether we have sometimes mistaken behavioural […]

    Free

    Where Does Healing Live? Outdoor Therapy invites us to Reimagine the Whos, Wheres and Hows

    Virtual , Australia

    Charles Sturt University

    Around the world, Outdoor Therapy practices have been challenging us to question some of our deepest assumptions about healing. Who is recognised as a legitimate facilitator of change? Why are some places considered therapeutic while others are not? What makes a practice worthy of trust? This session is an invitation to creatively rethink the opportunities for therapeutic practice: we will visit different perspectives, listen from varied experiences, connect research findings, and share critical reflections in this collective exploration of where healing resides. About the Presenter Maria Jose (Mache) Treviño Gonzalez is passionate about outdoor experiential learning with a focus on […]

    Free

    How Adventure Therapy Works? What Do We Need to Know?

    Virtual , Australia

    Charles Sturt University

    This webinar examines an evolving conceptualisation of how adventure therapy facilitates change across diverse practice settings, informed by prior scholarship in the field. It presents a synthesised model of key mechanisms of change, emphasising experiential processes that may shape client outcomes. The presentation explores how these mechanisms intersect with practitioner training and program design. Recent findings on the preparation of adventure therapy providers are outlined, including core competencies, professional pathways, and emerging standards. Critical gaps in the current evidence base are identified, especially concerning training quality, implementation fidelity, and the translation of theory into practice. Finally, the webinar proposes priority […]

    Free

    Bridging the Missing Middle: Evidence from the Charles Sturt University Evaluation of the Human Nature Program

    Virtual , Australia

    Charles Sturt University

    This presentation addresses the “missing middle” in mental healthcare - the gap for young people whose needs are not adequately met by traditional services. We introduce the Human Nature Program, a nature-based therapeutic model that delivers  therapy and mentoring outside conventional settings. Drawing on the evaluation of Human Nature by Charles Sturt University, we present evidence of significant positive impacts on participants’ mental health and wellbeing. By combining these findings with powerful stories from the field told by Human Nature mentors, we show how this innovative approach can help bridge a critical service gap. About the Presenter From chasing goannas […]

    Free

    Considering the Tale of the Spinning Wheel: Beyond Crisis Management in Outdoor Learning and Outdoor Adventure Therapies

    Virtual , Australia

    Charles Sturt University

    Outdoor learning and outdoor adventure therapies, like all therapeutic approaches, are shaped by ethical dilemmas. However, unlike many therapies, these dilemmas unfold in dynamic and unpredictable environments where challenge, uncertainty, and risk are often integral to the experience. Rather than offering simple answers, this talk explores how ethical principles can help practitioners recognise and navigate these tensions. Using a familiar fairy tale as a narrative guide, we consider how beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and other ethical principles support everyday ethical decision-making. We examine how practitioners and organisations are required to justify not only how their interventions prevent harm and respond to […]

    Free

    PhDs with publications & creative practice: Demonstrating influence, translation and impact

    Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture 15 Blackall Street, Barton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia +1 more

    Charles Sturt University

    This one-day workshop provides insights for PhD candidates, supervisors, academics and researchers on: How PhDs with publications (including prior publications) and creative practice contribute to knowledge, policy, practice and impact. Planning a coherent publication strategy and integrating publications into a thesis. Demonstrating research influence, translation and impact using program logic. Publishing within and beyond the PhD, including strategies for securing a book contract. Building collaborations, networks and communities of practice. Optional Prereading: Beyond the Evidence Paradox: Engaging with Service Users and Citizens in the Implementation of Social Work Practice Research (Webber et al., 2026)

    Free

    Creative Flow Open Studio: An Experiment in Everyday Creativity

    Virtual , Australia

    Charles Sturt University

    Why is it so hard to sustain something we know is good for us, and what might happen if we designed the conditions differently? How might rhythm, shared practice, and accessibility reshape the way we engage in everyday creativity? We know that regular creative engagement is linked with improved wellbeing, yet many people struggle to maintain a creative practice amidst the demands of everyday life. This presentation shares the story of Creative Flow Open Studio, a simple experiment that began with one question: What happens if we make just thirty minutes of creative practice part of each weekday? After beginning […]

    Free

    Never Mind the Neurobullocks: The Three Biggest Myths of Neuroscience

    Virtual , Australia

    Charles Sturt University

    Ana Lund will share the three neuroscience myths that live rent-free in your brain and in your textbooks and why they need an eviction notice. Attendees will explore how these misconceptions arise, why they endure, and the consequences they have for therapeutic practice and human understanding. Rather than dismissing neuroscience, Lund advocates for a more thoughtful, evidence-informed integration of neuroscience into social and therapeutic contexts. About the Presenter Ana Lund is an integrative psychotherapist with a foundation in Transactional Analysis and a member of BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy). Ana holds a PhD in science and has spent […]

    Free