This past week, Dee Hardy, President of ACA, had the pleasure of connecting with esteemed researchers in the realm of child and adolescent mental health: Dr. Jasmine MacDonald, Dr. Melissa Willoughby, and Kirstie Northfield. Together, they delved into the critical issues impacting young minds and the pivotal role counsellors play in fostering resilience and well-being across all age brackets, whilst enjoying a coffee on the Gold Coast. Their lively discussions underscored the vitality of collaborative efforts within our industry, emphasizing how these partnerships drive progress in addressing the challenges we face and finding solutions that benefit clients Australia wide.

This engagement stemmed from a dynamic webinar jointly hosted by Jasmine and Melissa, both Senior Research Officers at the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) for our ACA members. The webinar, which explored the intricacies of technology-facilitated coercive control, provided our members with invaluable insights earlier this month.

At ACA, we deeply value the professional bonds we share with trailblazers in the mental health arena. We eagerly anticipate further collaboration with Jasmine, Melissa, Kirstie, and the AIFS team, recognizing that such partnerships are at the heart of our industry’s vital contributions to mental health and the well-being of our clients.