Ethics: Staying on the Right Side of Complaints with Trish Purnell-Webb (19 May 2026)

Tue, 19 May 2026 08:00:00 GMT

About

One of the most stressful situations a health professional can find themselves in is dealing with a professional complaint through our state authority and/or professional body. Tens of thousands of notifications about psychologists, social workers, counsellors and psychotherapists are made every year across Australia. This workshop will explore the most common notifications made about health professionals offering sex therapy as part of their services. The workshop will be interactive and illustrated with case studies. Tips for protecting your practice will be offered.

Presenter

Trish Purnell-Webb is a Clinical Psychologist, Certified Gottman Therapist, Advanced Clinical trainer and Consultant for the Gottman Institute. Trish has worked with couples for 30 years in her private practice based on Burleigh Heads, QLD and is the founder of Relationship Institute Australasia, a training organisation for those wishing to work therapeutically with couples.

Trish is an active educator teaching into Masters programs in several Australian and Singaporean universities as well as being a board-approved supervisor (AHPRA), Assessor for the Supervisor Training Accreditation Program and Supervision Masterclass Facilitator (AHPRA).

Trish regularly provides support and supervision to professionals facing notifications and conditions set by AHPRA, QCAT, HPCA and regularly provides professional development workshops for many community and professional organisations throughout Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the USA.

Beyond Shame: Integrating Faith and Sexuality in Clinical Practice with Monica Cook (22 Jun 2026)

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:30:00 GMT

About

Many clients seeking support for sexual difficulties come from conservative or faith-based backgrounds where sexuality has been shaped by rigid beliefs, shame, or silence. For clinicians, this can create a complex therapeutic space where sex-positivity, religious values, and psychological safety must all be carefully navigated.

This professional development session is designed for sexologists, counsellors, psychologists, and allied health professionals who want to work more competently, respectfully, and effectively with conservative Christian clients experiencing sexual distress.

Drawing on clinical practice and theology-informed understanding this training will explore:

What it means to be spiritually and culturally respectful and common clinical missteps that unintentionally alienate Christian clients.
How to affirm sexual wellbeing without invalidating deeply held faith values especially with regards to topics such as masturbation, desire, fantasy and sex toys.
Common presentations when working with Christian clients (spiritual shame and guilt, self sacrifice and sexual entitlement).
Trusted resources including books, podcasts, and faith-sensitive educational tools that clients can engage with safely.

Participants will leave with a clearer framework for working with Christian clients in a way that is ethically sound, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and clinically effective, while honouring both sexuality and faith as meaningful parts of the human experience.

Presenter

Monica Cook - Sexologist & Educator

https://www.reconceived.com.au

Monica is a psychosexual therapist and sexuality educator based in Sydney.

In 2018 Monica was offered a position as a Senior Research Fellow at Anglican Deaconess Ministries. It was here she had the unique opportunity to design a sex and fertility program built on theological principles for the Church.

She has also worked for CatholicCare educating engaged couples, is a regular speaker for Family Planning NSW, a subcommittee board member for the Australasian Institute for Restorative Reproductive Medicine (AIRRM) and managed the Christian Society for Sexual Wellbeing (CSSW).

Monica has had many years of experience in education presenting to a range of audiences including couples, parents, students, doctors and church congregations. She holds a Masters of Sexual and Reproductive Health (Psychosexual Therapy) with additional university qualifications in health education and medical research. She is a member of the Australian Counselling Association and Society for Australian Sexologists (SAS).

Society of Australian Sexologists Ltd upcoming events

Ethics: Staying on the Right Side of Complaints with Trish Purnell-Webb (19 May 2026)

Beyond Shame: Integrating Faith and Sexuality in Clinical Practice with Monica Cook (22 Jun 2026)