Brisbane Student Wellbeing Seminar, Engaging Adolescents in High Schools face to face in Sydney, and upcoming webinar dates

Student Wellbeing Seminar

Join us in Brisbane on 17 October

Student anxiety is rising. The time to act is now.
We invite you to attend an important Student Wellbeing Seminar  in Brisbane on Friday 17 October at the South Leagues Club.

Anxiety among young people is one of the most pressing issues facing schools today. According to a national study led by Professor Patrick McGorry, almost one in three Australians aged 16 to 24 (32%) experiences an anxiety disorder. Alarmingly, the signs appear earlier, with around 7% of 11-year-olds already showing symptoms. These issues are rarely short-term. Without intervention, they tend to worsen over time — affecting academic outcomes, social development, and long-term wellbeing.

But this trend can be reversed.
The evidence shows that early, coordinated responses from the adults around children — at home, at school, and across the community — can make a significant difference.

That’s why this seminar brings together leading voices in education, psychology and school leadership to share what works in real school settings.

What you’ll learn:

• Insights from Michael Hawton, lead psychologist for The Anxiety Project and Resilience In Our Teens, on shifting from traditional therapy models to whole-school strategies for change

• Case studies from participating schools, presented by school leaders, highlighting their progress and lessons learned

• Research findings from both primary and secondary projects

• A clear and practical session on teacher burnout, including warning signs and intervention strategies

• A detailed walkthrough of effective implementation planning — including timelines, key milestones and how to bring your team along for the journey

This seminar is about more than raising awareness. It’s about equipping school leaders with practical, system-wide solutions to support students and staff alike.

Student Wellbeing Seminar | Brisbane | South Leagues Club | 17 October | Full day event
Cost: $129 pp inc. GST

Upcoming professional learning opportunities

Engaging Adolescents™ in High Schools

How do school staff build trust with teens in a busy school environment?
Teachers, student advisors, and heads of department are under increasing pressure to engage meaningfully with adolescents while juggling packed schedules, complex behaviour, and high expectations. So how do they build trust, foster safe independence, and keep communication open?

Engaging Adolescents™ in High Schools is a practical workshop designed for Australian secondary educators. It helps staff navigate the real-world challenges of working with teens who present with difficult, defiant, or uncooperative behaviour.

Led by psychologist and former teacher Michael Hawton, author of Engaging Adolescents™ (with over 10,000 copies sold worldwide), the workshop shares a clear and effective formula for communicating with young people while holding appropriate boundaries.

Participants will gain:

• Practical skills for handling difficult but necessary conversations
• Video examples showing what works and what doesn’t in real dialogue with students
• Tools for staying calm and confident when a student shuts down or pushes back.

Teachers and student advisors will walk away with renewed confidence in their ability to support young people without conflict escalating or connection breaking down.

This course offers a structured approach to one of the hardest parts of the job: reaching teenagers in a way that actually works.

Live webinar | 21 October | Full day training
Cost: $410 inc. GST

Face to face | 18 November | Sydney | Full day training | Morning tea, lunch and training materials provided
Cost: $460 inc. GST

Tough Conversations™ for School Leaders 

Handling difficult conversations is part of the job. But doing it well takes practice.

Every school leader faces tough conversations — with staff, with parents, and with students. Whether it’s managing underperformance, responding to complaints, addressing behaviour issues, or de-escalating conflict, these conversations are often high-stakes and emotionally charged.

Tough Conversations™ for School Leaders is a practical professional learning experience designed to give you the skills, structure and confidence to handle sensitive issues with clarity and calm.

You’ll learn how to:

• Stay composed and in control when tensions rise
• Deliver difficult feedback without triggering defensiveness
• Manage emotional pushback professionally
• Hold others accountable while preserving trust.

This training is grounded in real-world school leadership experience and informed by evidence-based communication strategies.

Join us at an upcoming face-to-face workshop or attend a live webinar session from wherever you are. You’ll walk away with tools you can apply immediately — and a renewed sense of confidence in your leadership voice.

Face to face | 28 October | Brisbane | Full day training | Morning tea, lunch and training materials provided
Cost: $535 inc. GST

Live webinar | 20 November | Full day training
Cost: $480 inc. GST

Tough Conversations for Frontline Staff

Frontline school staff hold the line every day. It’s time they had the tools to do it with confidence.

Front office staff are often the first point of contact for parents, carers and visitors. They are the face of the school, the voice on the phone, and the calm in the storm when situations start to escalate.

But too often, these staff are expected to manage frustration, outbursts and emotionally charged interactions — without having been given the practical skills to do so.

Tough Conversations for Frontline Staff is designed to change that.

This one-day, hands-on training equips frontline professionals with a clear structure, calm language, and practical techniques for managing difficult interactions. Whether someone is raising their voice, refusing to listen, or demanding more than you can give, you’ll walk away with tools you can apply immediately — no jargon, no theory overload.

What makes this training different? It’s grounded in:

• Real-world frontline experience
• Evidence from psychology and neuroscience
• Proven communication strategies that defuse conflict and protect professional boundaries.

If your frontline staff are the ones holding everything together, give them the support they deserve to stay calm, effective and respected — no matter what the day brings.

Live webinar | 9 March | Full day training
Cost: $410 inc. GST