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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

    Loneliness in a Digital and AI-Driven Society

    Virtual , Australia
    Virtual Event

    RMIT

    In the AI age, loneliness is becoming a critical issue, exacerbated by rapid technological advancements and societal shifts. AI's integration into workplaces and daily life, while offering efficiency and growth, often reduces meaningful human interactions, leading to increased feelings of isolation. This is particularly concerning as loneliness is linked to severe mental and physical health challenges, reduced productivity, and economic costs. For older adults, loneliness is a public health crisis, affecting over a quarter of this population and contributing to cognitive decline and poor health outcomes. Ignoring this issue risks long-term societal and economic harm. AI offers both challenges and […]

    The False Divide between Nature and Culture

    Virtual , Australia

    Newcastle Youth Studies Centre

    The False Divide between Nature and Culture: How Estrogens, Yeasts and Snakes Reveal the Entanglement of Everyday Life Hosted by the Newcastle Youth Studies Centre Featuring: Mary Lou Rassmussen (ANU) and Celia Roberts (ANU) Ben Matthews (University of Newcastle) Gavin Smith (ANU) “Culture” is often equated with all things human, and “nature” with the external environment; distinguished from each other as if they were two separate realms of reality. This idea stemmed from modernist ideals of progress, where nature and ‘the environment’ were framed as separate distinct from humans as something to exploit or dominate, external to human endeavours, or […]

    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

    Transformative social sciences: education & partnerships in action

    Virtual , Australia

    University of Melbourne

    Join us for a special Social Sciences Week 2026 panel focused on embedding social science students in industry, hear from: current & past social science students industry partners academics We'll celebrate the breadth and depth of social science training across all types of workplaces, hear about the value of learning by doing during your degree and the value-add of social science students contributing their skills in a range of industry settings. Speakers include: Dr Carmel Goulding, Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare (CFECFW) Zali Cohen, Crazy Ideas College (CIC) India Winter, Master of Social Policy, University of Melbourne Dr […]

    Kummargii Yulendji Symposium 2026

    RMIT Storey Hall 342 Swanston Street Building 16, level 5, Melbourne, Victoria +1 more

    RMIT

    Co-convened by Informit and CAVAL, Kummargii Yulendji Symposium is in its fourth year in 2026. Focusing on how we describe, apply and amplify First Peoples’ Knowledges, research and publications, the symposium offers a collegial forum for the Indigenisation of Australian research, libraries and publishing sectors. Kummargii Yulendji means ‘Knowledge is rising’ in Boonwurrung, named by Professor N’arwee’t Carolyn Briggs, senior Boonwurrung Elder and academic. This title reflects the current upwelling of First Peoples’ Knowledges and research being undertaken and applied in vital contemporary contexts. Keynotes: Dr Bianca Beetson, (Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi, Wiradjuri) Director, First Nations, Queensland Museum Peter Lucas Kaaka […]

    Can Students Defend Their Thinking? Oral Assessment, AI, and Professional Judgment

    Megaflex 3 Building 8, 124 La Trobe St, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia +1 more

    RMIT

    In an era of changing assessment practices, oral assessment is attracting renewed interest as a powerful way to evaluate student learning, communication, and disciplinary understanding. This interactive workshop invites educators from across disciplines to share positive and challenging experiences of oral assessment, explore what should be assessed, and discuss level benchmarks and potential gatekeeper questions. Participants will also be guided to work collaboratively on devising interactive oral assessment task question sets. The group workshop outcome will be a practical, adaptable framework disseminated to participants. It could be adapted for assessing oral performance fairly, consistently and transparently across diverse disciplinary contexts

    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

    Rebuilding Cities After Disasters and Conflicts: Perspectives on Housing Recovery

    RMIT Green Brain 336/348 Swanston Street, Storey Hall, Building 16, level 07, rooms 7&8, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia +1 more

    RMIT

    This seminar brings together researchers, industry practitioners, and policymakers to explore approaches for facilitating effective housing recovery and reconstruction in disaster and conflict contexts. The event will provide a platform for knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary dialogue, and collaboration to explore strategies that support resilient and sustainable recovery within the housing sector. The keynote presentations and panel discussion will draw on lessons from diverse international contexts to examine the challenges, opportunities, and pathways for housing recovery. The session will explore how governments, communities, industry practitioners, and researchers can work together to support resilient and sustainable rebuilding, from emergency and temporary accommodation to […]

    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