There was a great turn out to the event with over 70 attendees, which was a fitting reflection of the quality of the speakers, and the relevance of this topic in our work as counsellors. Both presenters came armed with a lot of material for registrants, with an intriguing 200 page book full of the latest research and current knowledge relating to alcohol and young people and a brochure explaining the new alcohol guidelines.

Both speakers brought handouts of their presentation and a variety of resources from DASSA and NCETA. This was greatly appreciated as I was able listen to the presentation more fully, rather than scribbling notes and will allow me to reflect upon the material at a later point.

Professor Ann Roche presented first describing various cultural influences on the consumption of alcohol, particularly young people, which was very comprehensive, and displayed an incredible depth of knowledge of the topic. Her presentation discussed changes in society that have supported a strong alcohol culture in our society, which can inform us as counsellors to better understand our clients from the context in which they live. Anne talked about how people are getting married later, getting a mortgage later, and having children later, which is leading to greater disposable incomes for young people.

Ann also talked about the marketing and consumerisation of youth culture, and provided an insight into current cultural drinking norms. Professor Roche expertly weaved both qualitative and quantitative research into a powerful, well rounded picture that was easy to understand and answered a number of questions from the audience before we had a break. I suggested to the people on my table that I didn’t want her to stop talking because I wanted to hear more from her and I felt that we had only just scratched the surface. This was reflected back to me by those that I talked to, having really enjoyed the presentation.

A refreshing experience for attendees at the July PD

The food during our break obviously struck a chord with attendees, with the soup disappearing fast, along with the variety of cakes that accompanied it. The foyer was filled with noise of people talking about the presentation and networking. I always enjoy the opportunity to catch up with my peers that I don’t normally get to see.

Our second speaker Sandy Dunn commenced after the break, and focussed on how we as counsellors should approach the issue of alcohol with our clients. Sandy spoke from 25 years experience at DASSA as a drug and alcohol counsellor, which was evident in her examples taken from personal experience and expert knowledge in this area. Sandy was full of humour and helped to demystify alcohol counselling and increase our confidence in using these strategies in our own practice. It was a shame that Sandy didn’t get through all her notes as she provided for us a wealth of information and resources and many members said that they wanted to hear more.

I left the event enthusiastic to talk to my girlfriend about what I had learnt and to start reading the book that was given to all attendees. I’m also looking forward to our next Professional Development event in November as they seem to get better and better each time!

Ryan Carr

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July 1st 2009 represents the starting date for the operation of ARCAP and the implementation of the Private Health Insurance (Accreditation) Rules across Australia. PACFA and the ACA are now working together to approach the private health insurance corporations to draw their attention to the existence of ARCAP and begin to negotiate provisions for inclusion of the services of psychotherapists and counsellors as associated health professions. An interim code of conduct and compliance procedure has been adopted as the basis for further consultation and development of appropriate arrangements for maintenance of professional standards as a step towards seeking professional title protection using the ARCAP trademarks. (page 3)

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