The idea for a local ROC for members from Australia and New Zealand was formed in late 2022 as we were preparing for the Melbourne Regional Conference. A small group formed at the conference, but at this stage, our ROC was really just a germ of an idea.
Luckily Susie Luchetti, a psychologist from Sydney, and Valerie van Loggerenberg, a psychologist from Perth decided to assist me and generously put up their hands to be secretary and moderator respectively. Our first goal was to invite members through the ISSTD News, ISSTD World and through our own contacts, and the second was to generate some online discussions. Slowly this year our ROC has begun to add new members and make connections. We are still small with a membership of approximately 30 people, but hope to grow.
We conducted a survey of members to identify what they wanted from a ROC and the most popular options were:
- Online discussions, a safe place to ask questions, seek referrals and discuss issues related to treating trauma and dissociation down under
- Regular meetings by Zoom
- Potentially a study group to read and comment on articles and books together.
We held our first online meeting just this week and planned meetings for 2024. We hope to meet monthly or bi-monthly. Meetings will alternate between informal question and answer discussions (set around a theme) and some occasional presentations, with a connection and discussion time after the meetings. We hope to offer meetings across a couple of different time slots to accommodate everyone across a vast distance that encompasses four time zones! The ROC exec will release a schedule shortly after discussions with staff.
If you are from Australia or New Zealand and would like to meet other local colleagues and belong to a safe place to discuss, debate, question and learn about complex trauma and dissociation, then please join us. Contact me on katemcmaughpsychology@gmail.com for more information.