2022 PACFA Board election

PACFA recently called for nominees for the positions of President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Counselling and Psychotherapy Representatives. Nominations for these positions closed on 24 October 2022. All positions apart from the Psychotherapy Representatives were uncontested, so no election is required for these positions. Successful nominees for all Board positions will be announced at the PACFA AGM, to be held online 2-3pm (AEST) on 8 October 2022.

Election for Psychotherapy Representative

For the position of Psychotherapy Representative, there were 2 nominees: Ernst Meyer and Valerie Redman. As 2 eligible members have nominated for the Psychotherapy Representative position, an election will be held for this Board position. For eligible PACFA members, voting will be open until 11.59pm, 5 October 2022. Eligible members will be emailed details of the ballot.

The 2 nominees for the position of Psychotherapy representative are:

 

Ernst Meyer

Nominee's statement

My name is Ernst Meyer, I am originally from Bavaria in the south of Germany. I have been living in Australia for 27 years, am a contemporary somatic psychotherapist, have been in private practice in Sydney since 2012, and have been an educator in somatic psychotherapy since 2021. I joined the 
leadership group of the Somatic Psychotherapy modality in 2017. 

Why am I nominating for the position of "Psychotherapy Representative"? 
It is my conviction that the field of psychotherapy is a valid clinical alternative to psychiatry and clinical psychology. Grounded in humanistic philosophies, the profession of psychotherapy stands in its own right, independently from medically and natural-scientifically informed approaches to so called mental health. 

I am finding it unacceptable that those in need of so-called mental health support are, in general, limited to the medical model for assistance, and cannot choose seeing a psychotherapist unless they pay out of their own pocket. Also, psychotherapists have been ignored throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and were neither financially supported nor invited to respond to the mental health crisis since early 2020. 

As a practitioner and educator I find it unacceptable that psychotherapy finds itself more and more pushed to the margins, and has become more and more irrelevant at government level as a valid treatment approach for so called mental health issues. 

Out of these sentiments emerges my motivation for this nomination which is twofold: 

a) to achieve better outcomes for those who seek the support of so-called mental health services by having access to government funded psychotherapy and
b) for psychotherapists to be acknowledged as valid providers of so called mental health services.

What are the issues that psychotherapy in Australia is currently facing? 

There seems to be a lack of understanding amongst decision makers in politics, opinion makers in the media, the community at large, and perhaps even by the psychotherapy community itself what psychotherapy actually is, how it differs from psychiatry and clinical psychology, and the value it offers to those who seek support. This is yet to be effectively communicated.

Even though psychotherapies are a powerful treatment approach to disturbances of emotional well being, and even though our tradition predates that of modern psychology, the numbers of psychotherapists are dwindling. In my view this is a consequence of:

• a lack of public understanding of psychotherapy distinct from psychology/psychiatry, resulting in a lack of recognition 
• having been excluded from government funding which exposes psychotherapists to the financial uncertainties of being in private practice
• training providers not offering sufficient and accredited training opportunities for people interested in our field
• a reluctance within the psychotherapeutic community to define and embrace professional standards and competencies that form a basis for our clinical practice, act as guiding beacon for current and future training providers
• psychotherapists struggling when it comes to doing qualitative research and making visible the results of their clinical work.

In my view this has created an existential crisis for both the field of psychotherapy itself, and the profession of psychotherapy in Australia.

What needs to be addressed? 

Should I be given the opportunity to work as the psychotherapy representative within PACFA, my priorities would be: 

a) To strengthen the psychotherapy leadership group additional members would be invited to join that group. This will allow for new ideas to emerge, and for work and responsibilities to be distributed and shouldered by more people. 

b) To attract new members into the psychotherapy college, the entry requirements need to be clear for applicants. I propose translating the training requirements for psychotherapy (as published in December 2020) into competencies that are agreed on and shared by the psychotherapy members, and are true to our psychotherapeutic values 

c)Enter into a dialogue with existing training providers about meaningful and quality psychotherapy training. 

d) Work with PACFA towards effective ways of communicating how the psychotherapies differ from psychiatry and clinical psychology, and what it is that we collectively have to offer.

e) Enter a dialogue with PACFA how the psychotherapy college can support the organisation in promoting psychotherapy effectively when it comes to negotiating with government authorities.

How would I approach the role of psychotherapy representative?

Working with people has always been at the heart of my professional life. Before becoming a psychotherapist I had careers in the police form, in IT support and project management. These experiences taught me how to pay attention to people’s needs, attend to them respectfully but also how to make decisions and put the decisions into practice.

PACFA members then can expect me to both empathic, pay attention to professional relationships, as well as being pragmatic with a focus on getting things done. At the same time, the challenges (but also opportunities) ahead require a concerted effort. To address them, the psychotherapy representative would require the support of the psychotherapy community.

Ernst was nominated for the position of Psychotherapy Representative on the PACFA Board by PACFA member Nigel Polak, Reg. No. 23441.

 

Valerie Redman

Nominee statement:

Valerie is a Psychotherapist and Supervisor, and the Director of the Redman Institute, a Registered Training Organisation. She has a Master of Science in Transactional Analysis Psychotherapy from Middlesex University, London, and is an Internationally Certified Teaching and Supervising Transactional Analyst through the International Transactional Analysis Association. This provides Valerie with an experiential background and knowledge of Psychotherapy both in Australia and globally. 

Valerie is President of the Australian Transactional Analysis Association (ATAA) and was a founding member of the Australasian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ASTSS). She has been a provider of Advanced Transactional Analysis Training, and currently provides Supervision to a wide range of TA and healthcare practitioners. The Redman Institute still holds Nationally Accredited courses, including a Graduate Diploma of Relationship Counselling specialising in Transactional Analysis. Her private practice includes working with individuals, couples, and families, and provides ReturnToWork and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) for clients in organisations dealing with complex traumas and mental health issues. 

Valerie has been involved with PACFA in different roles over the last 3-4 years, including:

• member of the PACFA College of Psychotherapy
• Convenor of the Leadership Group for the PACFA College of Psychotherapy 
• member of the working party developing the PACFA Psychotherapy Training Standards 
• current Psychotherapy representative on the PACFA Board.

Her passion is to have Psychotherapy recognised for the important role it plays in the support and healing of deep and complex trauma, and to continue to develop and grow the College of Psychology within PACFA. By representing and embracing Psychotherapy within PACFA, Valerie will continue to advocate for, strengthen and support Psychotherapy, Counselling, Aboriginal Healing and experiential therapies. As she appreciates and values the overlaps and differences of both good Psychotherapy and Counselling, Valerie would like to continue in this role to ensure the professional positioning of these important areas of mental health practice.

Valerie was nominated for the Psychotherapy Representative Board position by PACFA member Lindy Spanger, Reg No. 23741.