Conceptualising our Work with Refugee Families Affected by Refugee Trauma through the Application of Strategic Family Principles
Held on 26 March 2025 | Free webinar | → View Recording
Explore how organised violence, loss, and displacement disrupt family structures, values, and relationships — and how strategic family therapy can help refugee families rebuild connection, resilience, and support in the aftermath of trauma. This free Clinical Master Class will highlight practical frameworks and techniques to strengthen family dynamics and foster healing.
LEARN FROM LEADING EXPERTS IN FAMILY THERAPY AND REFUGEE MENTAL HEALTH
Join Elisabeth Shaw, Psychologist and CEO of Relationships Australia (NSW), and Haseeba Shamal, STARTTS Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Supervisor, as they share therapeutic strategies and case-based insights drawn from frontline work with refugee families recovering from the impacts of war, exile, and resettlement.
WHAT YOU’LL GAIN
✅ A deeper understanding of how refugee trauma affects family systems, relationships, and coping
✅ Insights into the application of strategic family therapy principles to refugee contexts
✅ Tools for case planning, therapeutic goal-setting, matching, reframing, and making effective referrals
✅ A case study of a Palestinian family illustrating practical techniques for strengthening family relationships
✅ Guidance on how to engage the broader social network in supporting recovery and resilience
✅ Direct access to the presenters in a live Q&A panel moderated by Jorge Aroche, STARTTS CEO and Clinical Psychologist
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
This webinar is ideal for:
- Mental health professionals including psychologists, counsellors, and social workers
- Family and relationship therapists working with refugee and migrant communities
- Caseworkers, youth workers, and community practitioners supporting families in settlement
- Clinicians seeking practical family therapy tools to integrate into trauma-informed care
- Anyone working at the intersection of trauma, migration, and family systems
Elisabeth Shaw
Elisabeth is the CEO of Relationships Australia (NSW) and a clinical and counselling psychologist with Masters degrees in Couple and Family Therapy (UNSW) and Professional Ethics (UNSW), who has focused her whole career on how people live and work well in relationships and communities. This has led her into post graduate teaching, coaching and consulting, and she has authored a number of publications in relation to relationships, clinical practice, organisational life, moral courage and ethics. She is very proud to lead Relationships Australia NSW, part of the RA federated network across Australia, the foremost organisation in relationship well-being assisting NSW through the provision of therapeutic, trauma informed support, mediation, education and family safety services. She continues to see couples and families in her own practice and provides clinical supervision across a range of therapeutic contexts.
Haseeba Shamal
Haseeba Shamal is a Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Supervisor with a strong commitment to supporting individuals and families through mental health and social challenges. Currently, she works as a counsellor and Team Leader in direct services at STARTTS. Haseeba specialises in working with refugees and asylum seekers, an area close to her heart due to her own background as a refugee. Haseeba holds a Master of Counselling Social Work (MCSW), and her therapeutic approach combines evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), trauma-informed care, and strength-based approaches. She focuses on creating a safe, non-judgmental space where clients can explore their emotions and challenges, with the goal of empowering individuals and families to heal and thrive.
Jorge Aroche
Jorge Aroche is a clinical psychologist and STARTTS’ Chief Executive Officer. Jorge was born in Uruguay and has worked with migrants and refugee survivors of torture and organized violence since before 1989, when he joined STARTTS. He has led the organization since March 1997, through some of the most challenging times for refugee services in Australia, helping STARTTS grow from a dozen staff to more than 200, assuming a truly state-wide role and becoming a world leader in this field in the process, while continuing to learn from its clients, its culturally diverse staff and the latest scientific advances. Jorge has also held a number of honorary positions in international humanitarian organizations, Australia government advisory bodies and NGO boards. He was the President of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT) from 2016 until November 2020.
FORMAT AND INCLUSIONS
Presented by experts in the refugee trauma field
Includes real-life scenarios, practical tips and a Q&A panel
Claim 1.5 CPD points
Receive a certificate of completion and a PDF of the presentation slides
Free access to the webinar recording
WATCH THE RECORDING
Watch the recording now via the on-demand replay and watch at your convenience. The full catalogue of recorded webinars is available here.
CONTACT US
stts-training@health.nsw.gov.au
(02) 9646 6700 Ask for the Training Administration Officer