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Behaviour Support Functional Assessments and Plans; Training and Capacity Building; Reviews in NDIS Funding, Lifestyle Medicine, Clinical Reports, Mental Health
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We consult online telehealth across Australia.
We are a small and beautiful service.
We provide you with direct access to two highly qualified senior therapists.
Contact Us
We consult Tues-Thurs 10-4
We intentionally keep no admin staff on phones for higher quality contact with our clients.
If we can answer you get Dr Bowers or Dr Kennedy directly.
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AbilityInsight
Provocative Insight on Contemporary Issues in Behaviour Support and Counselling Therapies
Long Covid Lifestyle Health Reviews and NDIS
In our role as specialists in assessments, behaviour support, and counselling therapies, we have had clients come forward with “Long Covid” (LC) symptoms that has inspired us to develop a clinical review to help people with the range of symptoms and issues that LC sustains. Research and clinical practice shows that about twenty common symptoms…
Autism and Telehealth Behaviour Support and Counselling
Impressive Positive Outcomes with Telehealth Recent studies are showing that Autism and Telehealth make useful partners. Chen et al (2022) systematically reviewed 112 studies from databases of PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library, that were published in English between the dates of January 2010 to April 1st, 2022. Their study incorporates the largest body…
Australia’s Not-So Hidden Health Crisis
The Australian Counselling Association released a recent report outlining the mental and allied health crisis. The report is short, clear, direct, and worth reading. Every Australian deserves access to mental health care – but sadly, that’s not the reality for everyone. It’s a simple fact that Australians who live in rural and remote areas have…
Endocannabinoid System, Autism, and Disabilities
Radically important information for people with disabilities and mental health issues, with huge implications for holistic health and wellness. What is the Endocannabinoid (EC) System? And what implications does its discovery and utility have for people with many different types of disabilities in Australia? Is this system potentially important in one way or other to…
Sex and Sexuality Therapy and NDIS
Sex and sexuality therapy is available under NDIS for people with disabilities and mental health concerns. This article explores the issues. On the 12 May 2020, the Guardian published news regarding a court ruling that found that NDIS participants ought to be able to use their NDIS funding under the reasonable and necessary definitions found…
Medicinal Cannabis, NDIS, Funded Therapy Assessments, Human Rights, Election 2022
As a centre-left individual, and a senior clinician, I am passionate about access and equity in social, health and educational areas. These are core human rights issues. With Australia facing a federal election next month, the moment makes me realise how much both medicalised and legalised cannabis access are in fact human rights issues. The…
Australian Election: Puppy Therapy, Disability Politics, and the Greens
Last year we were very blessed to meet a new furry friend who made last year’s winter eventual. Getting out into the cold of Armidale winter was exhilarating and reconnected us to good old mother nature. It was a fun distraction from pandemic circumstances and otherwise stressful times. Over the months, even as a puppy,…
Climate Anxiety, Behaviour Support, and NDIS
A recent article in the Guardian articulated a phenomenon that I’ve long been aware impacts people’s lives, and that often comes into therapy. Climate anxiety, existential threat to lifestyle, and climate crisis first came to my awareness during a session in Canada. We were consulting from a regional office when a client raised his intense…
War, Art Therapy, Mindfulness, and Healing
This week as the atrocities in Europe mount with overwhelming evidence of crimes against humanity, the tragic circumstances, including the entrenched attitudes of certain European countries who continue to block necessary oil and gas sanctions, simply makes people around the world feel powerless. For people around the world, and here in Australia, we call the…
A Sector in Crisis: Illegal and Unauthorised Restrictive Practices and Neglect
The recent decision of the South Australian Court regarding the case of NDIS participant Ann Marie Smith is reported by ABC News dated 18 March 2022. The ABC says that, “An Adelaide disability support worker has been jailed for more than six years for committing one of the most serious examples of manslaughter by criminal neglect…
Autism, War, and Behaviour Support
The #Ukraine war is devastating. In so many ways. The impact on women and children is completely shocking, disturbing, and traumatic for them and for everyone with a heart and mind. Many commentators have said how this particular war is more televised, and more photographed, than any war in history. The war enters into our…
Lifestyle Medicine and NDIS Funded Therapy and Behaviour Support
Dr Bowers and Dr Kennedy are members of the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine. Continuing to lead the professions of Counselling and applied Lifestyle and Integral Behaviour Support, Dr Bowers is on the path to becoming a Fellow of the Society. According to their site, “The ASLM Fellowship is conceptually based on a Masters degree…
The Path to Peace
My nephew asked me this morning, “Uncle have you been raising the sacred peace-pipe lately?” My reply was, “Nephew when we walk the Good Red Road of peace, we become the sacred medicine pipe.” Peace is a Way of Being Peace is not only an external force in nature and relationships. Peace is an internal…
Transgender, Sexuality, Identity, and NDIS
Over many years we have worked as specialist educators, therapists, and researchers in the areas of culture, identity, sexuality, gender, and spirituality-as-meaning-making. My first major research project was conducted back in the 1990s during a Masters of Education Counselling degree, and focused on bisexual and gay men’s experiences of religion. The project reveals the complex…
We Stand With Ukraine
The cost of human suffering in war is simply beyond beyond. We are long time advocates for human rights. We have upheld and practiced for 30+ years in person centred supports and allied health therapies. Our research and tireless efforts have sought to uphold human dignity in health care, counselling, and disability services. We have…
Services Update and Covid-19: March 2022
Health and Safety with Behaviour Support and Counselling Australians have an odd, confused, and mixed attitude to health precautions. We see this mostly because the message from government remains clouded; and without speaking with one voice the messaging will never be clear. Our service however is very clear in our approach. At this turn where…
Trimming the Bits – Pottery Meditation
A meditation on life’s changes and human development with Dr Joseph R Bowers. I am a counsellor psychotherapist to learn more visit our website http://www.abilitytherapyspecialists.com.au In future we will create and launch a new site as well at http://www.reddurt.com.au however we need some time to work out the details. The vision is to offer pottery…
Centering in Life – Pottery Meditations
This brief meditation provides the beauty and challenge of clay centering on the potter’s wheel and how this symbolises and represents centering of the person, heart and mind. Dr Joseph R Bowers provides the narrative voiceover.
Behaviour Support, Therapy, NDIS, Disability, Covid-19, Vaccination and Future Planning
Given all focus right now on Covid-19 lock downs in New South Wales, we offer this update on our services for NDIS participants and others seeking private therapy and counselling support. While we are a small team of two senior and doctoral qualified specialists our clients come to us from regional NSW and from other…
Homophobia and Healing: Psychotherapy and the Psychology of Prejudice
New book by Dr Joseph Randolph Bowers We are pleased this title has finally seen the light of day, as it has been delayed during Covid-19, and was in the works for many years. Below is the abstract book information. Click on the image to go to the sales page. With over thirty years of…
Clay, Art Therapy, NDIS, and Covid Isolation
Clay and culture go hand in hand, literally and in every other way. Clay sculptures date back over 10,000 years. In relative terms, even the Bible is young when it comes to the subterranean origins of the name Adam, meaning of the earth or made of clay. Clay works both express and facilitate culture and…
Animal Assisted Canine Therapy in Behaviour Support and Counselling in Australia: NDIS Funded Dog Assisted Reviews in Autism and Intellectual Disability
This post attaches a recent paper written to evaluate Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), particularly with trained therapy dogs in cases of Autism, Intellectual Disability, and in early, middle, and late childhood intervention contexts.
I Can’t… but you can…
I can’t, she said. Her Elder touches her face and says, the root word there, my dear, is ‘can’ followed by the contrary ‘not’… Can comes first. And you can always untie the knot with a little help from a friend.
Person Centred Values in Positive Behaviour Support
Welcome to another video release from Ability Therapy Specialists. Please like and share, and subscribe to the channel. This week, and for Easter, we share our passion for person centred practice as a form of values and culture. This very deep philosophy is part of and integral to positive behaviour support. People with Autism really…
Positive Behaviour Support and Counselling
Positive Behaviour Support and Counselling are our passion and we are very excited to offer this video introduction. We work under the NDIS in Australia.
Aged Care and Behaviour Support for NDIS Participants
The NDIS Commission has announced new arrangements for NDIS Participants living within aged care that have enormous implications for individuals but also the aged care systems and cultures in Australia. As specialists in behaviour support but more so as advocates for human rights and person centered positive and strength based practices, we welcome these changes…
In the Trenches – The Development of ‘Behaviour Support Essentials’ Course
The year 2020, wow! What a ride! So much is said about this year, we are all a bit sick of it really. So what is happening at the moment? Springtime! Yipee! Lots of sun and a bit more rain for some of us, and more than we like for others. New projects? We started…
Signing PDFs for Remote Rural Clients of Behaviour Support and Counselling
Hi there, we have found the increase in telehealth usage not surprising during the Covid-19 situation. Though we now offer telehealth as our core business, we also are learning new ways to make small things a bit easier. Like signing a PDF document? How many times do you get a doc from a provider or…
Telehealth Counselling and Behaviour Therapies – A Reflection on Change
2020 is turning out to be a stellar year for change, upheaval, and disruption on many levels. Covid-19, bush fires, economic downturns, massive unemployment, global unrest, even the emergence of a new cold war between superpowers making indirect, direct, and real impact on our lives. Learning to cope with change is not easy for anyone.…
Changes to Services under Covid-19
Due to addressing the health crisis we have moved all clinical services to online and telehealth models. As you might appreciate, the many major changes happening every day in Australia are taking time to process not only for our service but in the case of each of our clients. We have been helping clients to…
Receiving NDIS clinical services during the coronovirus covid-19 behaviour support and counselling therapies – a new book launch!
Well before the health outbreak of Covid-19 we were taking steps to move our service model into telehealth methods. It just happened that when we were ready to complete the published book, lodge the ISBN number, and provide public access to the book – the virus outbreak was escalating this past week across NSW and…
Free Ebook on Telehealth Clinical Services in Australia: How Telehealth Works and Its Effectiveness in the Context of Specialist Counselling, Psychotherapy, and Behaviour Support
In the context of Coronovirus Covid-19 we launch this book that actively seeks to provide greater access to behaviour support and counselling therapies via online systems in Australia and for NDIS participants. This book was written just before the health crisis broke the news, because it just makes sense to provide online clinical services via…
Counselling and Behaviour Support via Telehealth Online During The Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Special Public Health Notice:Â The declared outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) places us all on alert. Please let us know by phone if you have any of the following signs: If you have a fever – – – – Sore throat – – – – Shortness of breath. Please think ahead and cancel your appointment.…
Telehealth Online Behaviour Support and Counselling Psychotherapy
Having taught for many years at a few of Australia’s premier universities offering distance education, and having worked in therapy for even longer via distance technologies and across countries, our practice naturally embraces this form of consultation. Even more so, working in the New England North West that spans over 400 km in each direction,…
Spiritual Values and Behaviour Support
At first glance and broadly speaking, specialist behaviour support within the NDIS and Australian context is based in western secular science and particularly with insights that come from a long tradition of psychiatry, medicine, psychology, education, and counselling psychotherapy. From these traditions arise bodies of knowledge that inform and guide positive person centred behaviour support.…
What is Diagnosis?
To many of us, a diagnosis is a label that is used to name a condition, disability, illness, or capacity. This meaning makes diagnosis a noun, and all too often a person, a place, or a thing. While there is no doubt that a label might be useful to help us get medical or other…