27 years ago, Bower Place packed up and moved from 71 Glen Osmond Road, our first home, to Gawler Place in the centre of Adelaide CBD. Much has changed and now, as we move to our new address at 145 South Terrace, Adelaide, it is time to embrace a new incarnation of our original system and harness the benefits a turning point offers.
Punctuations, Transformation and Change
A system is a living entity with its own rules and regularities that moves through time and space. Inevitably events impact both from the inside and outside that challenge the system and the people in it. Some events are predictable and orderly like the birth of a child or death of a parent, but some are unexpected like loss of employment or a serious accident. They are often marked by the exit or entry of individuals or a physical change of circumstance. Whether they come from the inside or out, rearrangements within the system are required to accommodate changed circumstances; new rules, understanding, patterns and processes that allow the system to maintain its integrity and effectively provide for its members at their current developmental stage and that of the system.
A punctuation allows for the possibility of growth and healthy change or an intensification of the established patterns of behaviour and belief that create rigidity and limit the information that allows for a healthy accommodation. Either way the system will be different from what it was in the past. It may contain the same individuals but the way they stand in relation to each other and the pattern of interaction they show will be different and this may include symptoms.
A Positive or Negative Event
It is easy to believe that a positive event will result in positive outcomes and a negative one the opposite. This is to misunderstand the nature of systems and change. A ‘good’ event is one that creates an opening to information both from the inside, reflecting the current personal and developmental needs of its members, and the wider social and cultural world in which it is located. We know that divorce is most likely in the first two years of marriage, the time when the couple are working to develop a long-term relationship. Equally we may find that what initially appears to be a loss or a disappointment, for example termination from a high paid but stressful and ill-fitting job, may allow for unimagined personal and family growth and change.
Our New Incarnation
Bower Place’s new home at 145 South Terrace opens possibilities for growth and development. Building on expertise developed over nearly 40 years, the Complex Needs Clinic is expanding. In addition to our systemic work with families and individuals, we will also focus on children and pediatrics, on the challenges faced by families with young children, from conception through birth and beyond. Other foci include the families of adults and the elderly, violence in schools, major mental health, and addictions.
Bower Place Training has long been integrated into live practice in the Complex Needs Clinic. This continues in the Family Therapy and Systemic Practice Training Program (accredited by the Australian Association of Family Therapy), the Certificate IV in Mental Health (ASQA Accredited), and the Diploma of Counselling (ASQA Accredited) that Bower Place delivers as industry partner to Enable College. Students who wish to explore a Systemic approach before committing to years of training can do so through the 10-week Introduction to Family Therapy and Systemic Practice. The Family Therapy and Systemic Practice Training Program enables practitioners and professionals in the field to learn the Bower Place approach to systemic practice through the experience of live clinical practice. Bower Place online workshops and presentations are also expanding.
Advances in technology have opened training to students across India, New Zealand, and Australia, and in other locations around the world. 145 South Terrace exploits state-of-the-art technology to enable students to participate face-to-face or online, and actively participate in clinical sessions with families. Bower Place offers a suite of workshops, a 10-week Family Therapy Course, and a two-year Advanced Family Therapy Training Programme in partnership with The Parc in Bengaluru, India.
Bower Place has students undertaking 6-month face-to-face clinical internships from Universities in Australia, Denmark, Belgium, and Spain.
A recent initiative is bower(schools) which responds to the challenges faced by schools working with high and complex (support) needs children and their families, providing support and advice to school leadership teams and whole school professional development in managing these matters.
All this feeds bower(knowledge) portal an online subscriber resource for all practitioners. bower(knowledge) is an online systemic practice textbook specifically designed by Bower Place where we collect and share original theory and practice ideas. As we practice, debate, and share our knowledge and experience the site is an ever-expanding resource.
Clinical practice, training, service delivery and knowledge development reflect the life stage, passions, and expertise of Bower Place Practitioners. Bower Place is truly on the move, responding to the current social and economic circumstances.
Join us online, in person or through our knowledge site as this turning point contributes to growth and change in our professional community and world. www.bowerplace.com.au
