Diversity in the Arts Therapy Practice: Understanding the Person beneath their Culture. The Search for Uniqueness, Wellness, and Cultural Context with Aleksandra Gosteva

Acquiring cultural competence is a life-long process, not a short-term achievement. The goal of this workshop is to support Arts Therapists in developing cultural competence by offering introductory training in the practice of culturally adaptive interviewing to work with clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Participants will develop an understanding of culturally adaptive interviewing that is person-centred, evidence-based, safe, ethical, and relevant. They will learn how to utilise culturally adaptive interviewing in Arts Therapy practice in order to create an interpersonal therapeutic environment where the client feels welcome, respected, and safe to share whatever thoughts and feelings come to mind. The practicum component of the workshop will involve case discussions to provide participants the opportunity to participate in skill practice exercises in order to develop an understanding of what culturally adaptive interviewing is and how it can be utilised in order to effectively engage with clients and better understand the complexity of their experiences and challenges.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

1. demonstrate an understanding of theory relating to cultural competency
2. demonstrate an understanding of the applied practice of culturally adaptive interviewing
3. demonstrate a beginning ability to apply the core principles of culturally adaptive interviewing in Arts Therapy practice.

PRESENTER

Aleksandra Gosteva MHealSc, MEdPsych, MA AT (Clinical), PhD (Psychiatry) candidate. NZPsS, AThR. Aleksandra is a Registered Psychologist with the New Zealand Psychologists Board, a Full Member of the New Zealand Psychological Society (NZPsS), and a member of the NZPsS Institute of Educational and Developmental Psychology. Aleksandra is also a qualified and registered Play Therapist and Arts Therapist. Aleksandra has had over 17 years' experience working with toddlers, children, parents and caregivers with a wide range of educational, developmental and emotional issues, including learning difficulties, Attention Deficit Disorder and a variety of complex developmental conditions and disabilities. For almost seven years, she has led the Child and Family Play Therapy Centre, a private
psychology practice which specialises in supporting children and families through Play and Arts Therapy. She has also worked as a Psychologist for a large Multidisciplinary Early Intervention Centre. Aleksandra frequently collaborates with education settings, agencies, and mental health organisations to help them deliver high quality play therapy programmes to support children's psychological health and wellbeing.

Date: Saturday, 11 December 2021
Time: 12:00pm - 2:00pm NZDT (10am AEDT, 7:00pm HKDT)
Where: Zoom (zoom link will be sent via email a few days before the event)