Resilient Practice Forum | Navigating Trauma and Family Violence Matters

Continuing Professional Development

1 May 2026 2.00pm

Resilient Practice Forum | Navigating Trauma and Family Violence Matters

As part of the FCFCOA Family Violence Best Practice Principles, all professionals working in or appearing before the Courts are expected to undertake ongoing training and professional development to ensure that they have a sound and contemporary knowledge of family violence (see p.14).

The program for the Resilient Practice Forum features prominent speakers who will discuss family violence and discuss fundamentals regarding trauma-informed practice for family law practitioners.

Tickets are strictly limited so book now to secure your spot and earn up to 4 CPD points relating to professional skills.

About the Sessions

Vicarious Trauma Foundations

This one-hour session is presented by David Miller, Head of Consulting at Communicorp. It will focus on understanding and mitigating the risk of vicarious trauma in the family law profession. Topics include:

The mental health continuum, and enablers and derailers of wellbeing
Understanding vicarious trauma
Responses to potentially traumatic events and coping mechanisms
Practical ways to mitigate the risk of vicarious trauma and promote positive wellbeing

The session will incorporate research and case studies specifically related to the legal profession. Its goals are to introduce the topic and its relevance, spark interest in learning more, and encourage participants to prioritise their wellbeing.

Trauma-Informed Practice Fundamentals

The 90-minute session is presented by Professor Nicole Sadler, AM CSC. It will provide a concise, evidence-based introduction to trauma-informed practice (TIP), specifically framed to strengthen judicial practice. It will:

Provide a brief overview of TIP principles, including the supporting evidence base
Explore the impacts of trauma, including the neuropsychological bases of these impacts
Highlight how trauma may present in a legal context, including impacts on attention, concentration and memory, emotional regulation, and witness demeanor
Discuss the role that trauma informed practice plays in effective delivery of justice

This session will be structured to support sound legal practice through the application of trauma-informed approaches. It will offer practical strategies for engaging with evidence and individuals in ways that support the integrity of your work, while also recognising and responding appropriately to the impacts of trauma.

Working with People Who Use Family Violence

This 90-minute session is presented by Dr Jessica Seamer. It will provide information on what you can expect when working with a person who chooses to use family violence - including the overt and covert ways they may be using intimidation and coercive control tactics. It will highlight the critical evidenced-based risk factors to be aware of, how to reflect on our own personal bias and the best way to communicate with a person who chooses to use family violence without collusion.

About the Speakers

Nicole Sadler AM CSC

Nicole Sadler is a Clinical Psychologist and the Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix Australia – Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health and an Enterprise Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Melbourne. For over three decades she has worked with military members, veterans, emergency services workers, judiciary and frontline health care professionals, and communities impacted by disasters and large scale events. She is an expert in trauma-related mental health and wellbeing, suicide, and disaster mental health. Nicole served over 20 years in the Army and continues to serve as a Brigadier in the Army Reserves. She has been recognised with the Member of the Order of Australia and the Conspicuous Service Cross for her leadership in mental health.

Jessica Seamer

Dr Jessica Seamer

Dr Seamer works at Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS) as a Senior Research Officer (Death Review), she previously worked for No to Violence, as a Project Lead researching the workforce capability of those working directly with people using family violence, prior to this role she was a National Trainer. Dr Seamer completed her PhD through the Monash University Gender and Family Violence Prevention Centre, her thesis was on 'Investigating family violence perpetrators – interventions, masculinities and accountabilities', she also holds a Masters in Criminology and Criminal Justice with first class honours from Griffith University.

David Miller

David is a qualified and practicing senior organisational psychologist and commercial leader who drives people risk and WHS strategic change across in-house and professional services environments. He brings an unparalleled passion and for optimising the health, safety and performance of organisations and their people to deliver strong commercial growth.

David regularly draws on his broad consulting and commercial expertise having worked in both consulting and operational leadership roles over the past 15 years. This experience has enabled him to lead and deliver business transformation projects in some of Australia’s largest organisations including Telstra, Australia Post and Commonwealth government departments.

David is a seasoned facilitator and presenter and regularly delivers keynotes at numerous industry forums and conferences across OHS, mental health and broader organisational insights and innovation practices.

Event Pricing

Category	Standard Rate
FLS Member Price	$250
NZ FLS Member Price	$250
Early Career Practitioner*	$150
CLC and Legal Aid Commission Employee	$150
Judicial/ Court Staff	$200
SJRs/JRs/FCWA Registrars	$200
Non Member Pricing	$350