Resilience and Relationships: Fresh Perspectives from Family Systems Theory is an invitation to participate in a conference that explores how key ideas in Family Systems Theory connect with the real and complex challenges in relationships.
Join Amie Post, Interim Executive Director from the Bowen Centre for the Study of the Family, Washington DC, as our guest keynote speaker for this dynamic conference as she explores the natural tension of being a self and belonging to something larger, and how management of that tension promotes an opportunity for resiliency and authentic connection in day-to-day life.
How does the idea of differentiation of self in family systems theory help us understand and manage the tension of being a separate self, while also relating in rich and genuine ways with others?
How might emotional reactivity serve to protect us at times, but contribute to fewer alternatives being available to respond at other times?
How does seeing the bigger picture in multigenerational families, what different family members have coped with and chosen to do, help get more objective about what our own challenges are?
How might the current trend of cutoff and estrangement be wearing down our resilience in relationships? How can we distinguish between relationship distance that is helpful, and that which reduces the opportunity to develop relational muscles to aid us in the future?
These questions and more will be explored through keynote sessions, symposium presentations, workshop choices, discussion panels and Q&A sessions.
Are estrangement and cutoff contributing to a lack of resilience in relationships?
We welcome Dr Linda Mackay – experienced psychologist, consultant supervisor and international presenter – as our second keynote speaker for this conference presenting on this pertinent topic.
Estrangement has been described as a ‘silent epidemic’ affecting families. Research suggests that almost a quarter of Australian families experience some form of family estrangement, whether between siblings or between parents and children. While the prevalence of this issue has gained popular attention in recent years, it is not a new phenomenon. Over 50 years ago, Dr Murray Bowen identified familial cutoff as a key concept in his theory of how families attempt to manage the intensity of the relational system.
How might patterns of cutting off relationships shape a family’s capacity to navigate stress, connection, and difference? Are there circumstances in which cutoff may serve a protective or adaptive function? And what might Bowen theory offer in a context where distance and cutoff in relationships are increasingly common?
Join keynote speaker Dr Linda Mackay as she weaves together personal and professional perspectives from her work with individuals and families, including those with a history of trauma, to explore the concept of cutoff in Bowen theory and how it shapes contemporary family relationships. She will also briefly consider how these patterns echo more widely in our disconnection from one another, from community, and from the natural world.
Conference workshop program:
Hear from a range of family systems practitioners through our conference workshops, which will explore the application of systems thinking to a range of fields of practice and complex cases. How do the ideas of resilience and principles in family systems theory intersect when working with:
*Note that all workshops will be recorded and available to participants as part of the conference delayed stream package. Online participants will default to having the main auditorium workshop livestreamed, and have access to other workshops as part of the delayed stream package.
Thursday Conference Symposium – facilitated by Dr Paul Fung
Don’t miss our Thursday afternoon conference symposium, this year considering the question – “What help is helpful? Perspectives on promoting agency in service provision”.
During this symposium on Thursday afternoon, four presenters will share their thinking on this question from different levels of engagement with services:
Join us in-person in Sydney, or live online* – and if you can’t make it you won’t miss out with our full conference package available via delayed stream.
Register now for Resilience and Relationships: Fresh Perspectives from Family Systems Theory.
**After you purchase your ticket please check your junk-mail for your order confirmation. This email will include a link to the Conference Resources online folder, which is where you will find all the conference materials closer to the conference including the online link for those joining the live stream conference**
ADDITIONAL Masterclass – Family Systems Theory in Clinical Practice with AMIE POST
Friday 21st August – Crows Nest, Sydney (live in-person only)
Join Amie Post and FSI faculty on Friday 21st August for this masterclass on applying Family Systems Theory in Clinical Practice.
Each attending participant will be expected to bring a case study to workshop throughout the day, applying key ideas and principles to their own case. Amie will illustrate key Family Systems Theory ideas in practice using case examples, including differentiation of self, triangles, and the multigenerational emotional process in families.
This Masterclass is open to anyone interested in the application of Family Systems Theory to clinical practice and particularly what it means to consider the family as a relationship system and what sort of resource a therapist might be in working with families in clinical practice from this approach.
It can be attended as an adjunct to the Family Systems Institute’s Annual Conference or as a stand-alone workshop.
Note this Masterclass is in-person only and will be held at Crows Nest Community Centre.
*Masterclass tickets are offered with an exclusive discount for only $200 for FSI Conference delegates when purchasing at the same time as their conference registration
About our Keynote Speakers – Amie Post
Amie Post is the Interim Executive Director of the Bowen Center Study of the Family, Washington DC. She has been a student of Bowen theory since 2001 when she was a master’s student in Marriage and Family Therapy at Seton Hill University. She deepened her study of Bowen theory in the Postgraduate Training Program 2012-2016 and also served as a Clinical Intern 2015-16.
Amie served as the Executive/Clinical Director (2015-2023) and Clinical Director (2023 – 2024) of the Family Crisis Center of Baltimore County, Inc., a Baltimore based non-profit organization whose mission is to assist families as they experience the impacts of domestic violence. During her tenure, Amie collaborated with clients and staff to develop innovative programming informed by Bowen theory that aims at building functional capacity in families and enhancing family leadership ability.
Amie teaches about Bowen Family Systems Theory and provides consultation and coaching based in the theory to many different audiences. In June 2024, Amie was appointed Executive Director of the Center for Family Systems Theory of Western New York. She is committed to developing Bowen theory and providing high quality learning opportunities for students who are interested in understanding and effectively applying Bowen theory to a wide range of family challenges.
Amie is an oldest daughter of an oldest son who is married to a middle daughter who is married to an oldest son of an oldest son and a middle daughter.
Dr Linda MacKay
Dr Linda Mackay is a consultant supervisor and engaging speaker known for making complex theory accessible and relevant in practice. She holds a PhD in Critical Psychology (UWS) and qualifications in counselling, couple and family therapy, and university teaching. She provides training and supervision to child, youth, and adult mental health teams, and lectures in Australia and internationally. Her work is grounded in a systems view of trauma and adversity. She is an Accredited Supervisor with the Australian Association of Family Therapy (AAFT) and Clinical Practice and Bowen Family Systems Theory Editor for the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy (ANZJFT). Linda is an Associate Faculty Member and Ambassador of the Family Systems Institute.
Delayed Stream tickets available!
(All tickets include access to the full conference program delayed stream which will be available 1 week after the conference)
Costs
| Ticket | Early Bird
(ends 30th June) |
Normal Price |
| Onsite – 2 days | $570 | $630 |
| Onsite – 2 days FIRST FSI CONFERENCE | $350 | |
| Online – 2 days | $500 | |
| Online – 2 days FIRST FSI CONFERENCE | $300 | |
| Onsite Ticket 1 Day Only *plus full delayed stream access | $530 | |
| Delayed Stream – 2 day package | $500 | |
| Group Discount (4+) – Onsite | $500 per person | |
| Group Discount (4+) – Online | $450 per person | |
| Amie Post Masterclass Conference Package | $200 |
| Session | Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Keynote Session 1 | Resilience and Relationships | Amie Post |
| Morning Tea | ||
| Keynote Session 2 | Resilience and Relationships | Amie Post |
| Lunch | ||
| Workshops Session 1 | Holding the Family in a Room That Wasn’t Built for Them: One therapist’s attempts at differentiation in youth alcohol and other drugs services Mirror, Mirror: Who is the least differentiated of them all? Seeing the intensity of the family emotional process play out in the tension of treating team triangles Houston we have a problem! When mental health systems struggle and an individual is left to launch on her own: A case study | Rochelle Oshlack Michelle Varcoe Veronica Pym |
| Comfort Break | ||
| Workshops Session 2 | The Helping–Helplessness Cycle: When our helping efforts intensify parental helplessness — and how helping less could help more From Fusion to Infidelity: Understanding the process of relationship affairs and rebuilding trust in self and the relationship Resilience in the Face Death and Dying: A family systems lens | Katie Small Clare Speirs Erla Newhouse |
| Special Event: | The Parenting Paradox (by Dr Jenny Brown) book interview | Dr Jenny Brown & Amie Post |
| Session | Title | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Keynote Session 1 | Cutoff & Estrangement | Dr Linda MacKay |
| Morning Tea | ||
| Keynote Session 2 | Resilience and Relationships | Amie Post |
| Lunch | ||
| Symposium – What help is helpful? Perspectives on promoting agency in service provision” Hosted by Dr Paul Fung (Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist) | Can Science Tell Us What Works? Using science to feel good vs. using science for good thinking Senior Leadership in a Service: How can theory help? Holding on to principles under pressure – Deciding on clinical intervention in the tumult of anxious systems Help! I need things to change! Who makes that happen, you or me? | Jacob Lee Dr Lisa Newling Michelle Varcoe Kim Rowan |
| Comfort Break | ||
| Live conversation | What is the place of family systems theory in the future of family therapy and mental health work? | Lauren Errington & Amie Post |
| Close of Conference |
Once you register, your ticket confirmation will include a link to a Google Drive conference folder where you will find the conference resources. This folder will be updated closer to the conference and will include slides for the keynote sessions which will be uploaded a few days prior to the conference.
The links for the livestream for each conference day will be included in the Google Drive conference folder.
The delayed stream of the conference will include the full program from the 2-day conference, including all workshops which means delegates will have access to any workshops they did not attend during the conference, as well as panel discussions and Q&A sessions. While keynote sessions will be available to purchase in years after the conference, the delayed stream is the only opportunity to engage in the whole conference program.
Yes – All conference tickets will receive access to the delayed stream for the day/s they are registered. E.g. 2-day conference registration will have access to the full delayed stream. Registration for one day of the conference will only receive the delayed stream for that day unless purchased separately.
The delayed stream will be available 1 week after the conference.
Confirmation of your registration (which includes links to conference resources) will be sent to the email address you registered with. In some cases, you may need to check your junk mail or spam folder in case your account has diverted the email into those folders.
If you are unable to attend onsite, you can easily participate in the conference online by accessing the livestream via the links in the Google Drive conference folder. Transition to online participation at late notice will not include refunds.
Yes – Following the conference a certificate of attendance will be uploaded with the conference resources which you can save and print out for your own records.
Yes – Closer to the conference you will be emailed a workshop form where you can nominate your preference for a workshop. While we try and accommodate your preferences, in some instances due to numbers and room capacity, you may be assigned your second or third preference. Please note that in this case, you will not miss out on your first preference, as you will have access to all the workshops in the delayed stream of the conference.
Yes – Morning tea and lunch will be provided on both days for onsite delegates. Dietary requirements can be listed when registering.
No – there is not parking available onsite, however there is a fixed rate of $20 per day for FSI Conference attendees available at Broadway Shopping Centre which is a 5 minute walk away from the conference venue. The conference venue is easily accessible via train and bus.
There are no accommodation options affiliated with the conference, however Ultimo is close to the city and universities and there are plenty of accommodation options available for those travelling to Sydney for the conference.
0432 530 513
info@www.thefsi.com.au
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