ACOTS2019

20th Australasian Conference on Traumatic Stress

The 2019 ACOTS conference is a collaboration between ASTSS (the Australasian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies) and Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health.

The conference will be held on September 13th & 14th in Sydney, NSW at ICC Sydney in Darling Harbour. Pre-conference workshops on the 12th September will be presented by our international keynote speakers. The 2019 conference will be of interest to a broad range of people interested in trauma, including practitioners, researchers, consumers, service developers and policy makers.

Conference Theme

Trauma, recovery and growth: Advances in research and practice

While trauma may have a severe negative impact on an individual’s life, trajectories that promote recovery and growth are possible. The conference will explore research and clinical advancements in the field of traumatic stress studies which continue to transform our understanding of treatment and recovery for those affected by trauma and its aftermath.

Research into the science of posttraumatic growth further demonstrates that trauma can bring a deeper response to personal transformation. The Scientific Committee has brought together leading clinicians and researchers on trauma, recovery, and growth to highlight advances in the field at the social, biological, and treatment domains.

Clinical Skills Stream

ACOTS2019 will launch a dedicated clinical training stream that will provide clinicians and practitioners working with those affected by traumatic stress a unique training opportunity to refresh their skills in core evidence-based trauma-focused treatments, and be exposed to some of the latest treatment innovations in the field.

Keynote Speakers

Professor Richard Tedeschi

University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA, renowned for 35 years of research at the forefront of advancements in understanding posttraumatic growth.

Professor Frank Neuner

Bielefeld University, Germany, who has developed Narrative Exposure Therapy, the leading international evidence-based treatment for treating PTSD amongst populations in low-income settings effected by mass conflict and forced displacement.

Professor Kim Felmingham

Chair of Clinical Psychology, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, a leading neuroscience researcher in the biological and hormonal process underpinning the traumatic stress response.

Professor Richard Bryant

NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow, School of Psychology, University of NSW. Richard has published well over 500 research papers across the full spectrum of trauma research making him the most prolific researcher in the field of traumatic stress studies in Australia.

Conference Program

Information