2023 PACCP National Conference

Aundi Kolber is a licensed therapist, author of “Strong like Water,” as well as the author of the critically acclaimed book “Try Softer: A Fresh Approach a to Move Us Out of Anxiety, Stress, and Survival Mode and Into a Life of Connection and Joy.” Aundi will be utilizing the ground-breaking principles that incorporate modalities such somatic psychology, attachment work, interpersonal neurobiology, and faith integration in order to lead clinicians through their own journey of helping clients–and themselves–try softer. Please join us as we engage this sacred work.

Aundi Kolber is a licensed professional counselor (MA, LPC) and author of the critically acclaimed Try Softer as well as her new book Strong like Water. She has received additional training in her specialization of trauma- and body-centered therapies and is passionate about the integration of faith and psychology. Aundi regularly speaks at local and national events, and she has appeared on podcasts such as The Lazy Genius with Kendra Adachi, Typology, Go and Tell Gals, and The Next Right Thing with Emily P. Freeman. As a survivor of trauma, Aundi brings hard-won knowledge about the work of change, the power of redemption, and the beauty of experiencing God with us in our pain.

10 CEU’s available

Conference Registration Fees

Registration Fee (member) – $355 (early bird prior to June 15, 2023)

Registration Fee (member) – $379 (after June 15, 2023)

Registration Fee (non-member) – $379 

Spouse Registration Fee – $299

Student Registration Fee – $200

Spouse Banquet Ticket only – $65

The Fort Garry Hotel Spa and Conference Centre

A beloved landmark in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, the Fort Garry Hotel & Spa, Ascend Collection is a modern mix of contemporary style and Old World elegance. Explore downtown attractions, enjoy fresh foods prepared by Executive Chef Joseph Wojakowski or relax at the beautiful Ten Spa.  Within this iconic century-old architectural gem, glamorous public spaces are the setting for glorious farm-to-table cuisine, and high-tech amenities fill guest rooms with soaring 10-foot ceilings.

Group Guestroom (King Executives are reserved for group)

Group Reference: the Professional Association of Christian Counsellors and Psychotherapists

$189.00 per night + applicable taxes

222 Broadway, Winnipeg, MB R3C 0R3

Telephone: 855-516-1093

reference “PACCP National Conference 2023”

The Fort Garry Hotel | Historic Hotel in Downtown Winnipeg | Book Now!

PACCP National Conference 2023 Agenda

Breakout Session #1:  Practicing Therapy in the Psychedelic Renaissance, Speaker Brodin Anderson

Gain a basic understanding of the most widely used psychedelic drugs (what they are called and how they are metabolized) and current theory on why they improve mental health.  Exploring the psychedelic experience and current theories on why it can improve mental health, how the drugs are used in medical and clinical settings and how to effectively, ethically and safely practice therapy with clients who decide to use these drugs (harm reduction).  

Breakout Session #2:  “Trying Softer” With our Most Wounded Clients, Speaker Terry Warburton

Many of our deeply wounded clients have difficulty putting their experiences into words and are not able to identify their emotions. This workshop will explore “soft” ways of creatively engaging clients who want therapy but struggle to express themselves verbally and emotionally. Therapists working with these clients often feel stuck as their “normal” strategies don’t seem to work as well, or in some cases, create resistance and defenses.

Starting from the moment the therapist meets the client, to the informed consent process, and onto regular counselling sessions, Terry will share some creative trauma informed strategies and insights that will  help to engage clients and will assist in building trust, softening defenses, and setting the stage for the therapeutic work.  This workshop will include theoretical and practical strategies to create a safe scaffold for clients that will help them to expand their vocabulary and set the stage for self-expression and increased resilience. Strategies that will be shared are all client-honouring and rooted in a deep understanding of the neuroscience of emotion, vulnerability and resilience, and the need to honour the defenses of the client.

Breakout Session #3:  Stress Management for Front-line Workers, Speaker Larry Larson An overview of the effects of trauma stress on the human body, mind and personality. In our frontline work “Trauma” comes to us! How do we help the affected ones? In addition to knowledge, your own life experience may be your greatest asset. Learn how to use it as the “fertilizer” to grow your own resiliency, and impact others in a positive way.

Breakout Session #4:  Calm, Clear and Connected:  How Autonomic Awareness Impacts Relationships, Speaker Dixie Vandersluys

“Calm, Clear, and Connected” is a workshop introducing participants to a tracking tool that invites curiosity and helps people identify their specific physical, emotional and relational responses across the three autonomic nervous system states (ventral vagal, sympathetic, anddorsal vagal). This tracking tool is a simple and clear way to become mindful of one’s functioning in daily life and relationships. The tool is useful for both clients and clinicians to gain insight into one’s own reactivity and develop more thoughtful and flexible responses in the moment.  Bringing together current research in both Polyvagal theory and Bowen family systems theory, the workshop will give a basic introduction to both theories, review an example of the tracking tool, look at beginning research on the application of the tool, and how to use it in a clinical setting. The workshop will also offer participants a chance to fill out their own tracking tool with an opportunity for discussion throughout.