Positive Clinical Psychology Division
Election 2018
Biography:
Lyn Worsley B.A.hons(psych), R.N., MAPS Clinical college
With a previous background in nursing and teaching, Lyn Worsley is a Clinical Psychologist, Director and Senior Clinical Supervisor of the Resilience Centre in Sydney Australia. The Resilience Centre has a reputation for innovative solution–focused and positive psychological approaches to client change through research, training and therapy since 1997. Lyn is the author of the Resilience Doughnut which has become an international foundational ecological model of resilience used in clinical and developmental settings. Lyn has a dynamic style of relating across disciplines, and has been a passionate advocate of positive approaches to clinical intervention. Her work with the Resilience model proposes a focus on what is working and with whom strong connections are already building strengths. Her collaborative work with colleagues attests to a reputation of combining strengths to thrive, allowing affiliated associations to gather the benefit of her involvement. (Australasian Association of Brief Therapy, Australian Psychological Society, University associations and the International Positive Psychology Association). She is a visionary leader, with a knack of applying theory of positive change to practice. As a senior supervising Clinical Director of 14 registered and Clinical Psychologists over 20 years, she has insight into the changing face of Psychology and the effectiveness of applying positive and solution focused approaches to Clinical cases. As both a Registered Nurse and Clinical Psychologist, her experience, insight and leadership have led to impressive results with clients at the Resilience Centre such as; a sharp increase in resilience measures and personal competence, an increase in connected resources and a decrease in symptoms, with 65% of clients reporting these changes in less that 5 sessions.
Statement of Purpose:
As a Clinical Psychologist for over 20 years and previously a teacher and nurse for 17 years, I bring to the position a practical and applied approach to positive psychologies. I have long been a champion of positive and solution focused and narrative approaches to therapy. Having been trained in Solution Focused/ Brief therapy, and have applied various cognitive modalities to working with clinical cases in therapy. With a steady interest in research and training and experience in linking theory to practice, I hope to apply these skill to the international positive psychology community.
It is my hope in the position that I would support the president in fulfilling the goals and objectives as set out by the college. I am passionate about encouraging practical research and the development of tools, programs and training that facilitate the process of healing for those with mental illness towards a deep and flourishing life. I would seek to positively transform the response to mental illness and provide a platform for healthy debate and accountability for practitioners and clients. It is my hope in this role that I can lead the division toward an inclusive, collegial, and accountable organisation.
Hi Lyn,
I have a few questions:
1. Spanning the gulf between research and practice is central to the Division. What would a future where this gap is bridged look like? How can the Division help move us all there?
2. What has been your best experience with the Positive Clinical Psychology Division so far? (Could be a program, event, exchange, etc.)
3. Can you give an example of a time where you lead a team that created a successful outcome?
Thanks Jenny, ill answer each question as i go.
1. Spanning the gulf between research and practice is central to the Division. What would a future where this gap is bridged look like? How can the Division help move us all there?
The research we have so far with changing mental health needs shows there is little change in the prevalence of anxiety and depression, and an increase in suicide ( using Australian data). This would indicate that there needs to be a different approach to mental illness. Traditionally and commonly the approach is a deficit approach, with a focus on reducing the problem and reducing the symptoms. In positive psychology the focus is on building the strengths and focusing on the preferred future. On a whole this would mean linking the research on person led, person focused and positive approaches to mental health care. We need to have a robust process of gathering data of clinical interventions that use positive and solution focused approaches and compare these with the traditional methods. The measures need to be process measures and not just outcome measures, which gives us more information as to the dynamics at play that show change. We also need to consider the use of measures to enable a person centred approach. ie; that they give the subjects information to build on their mental health and wellbeing.
2. What has been your best experience with the Positive Clinical Psychology Division so far? (Could be a program, event, exchange, etc.)
I have attended conferences, contributed to forums, and have linked with colleagues in the Association. I have also contributed to conferences by presenting on the strength based model, The Resilience Doughnut, which is an ecological model of resilience that builds on the strengths of contacts and connections that build resilience. The clinical division is a new aspect for me. I am a clinical psychologist and supervise Masters students, and manage a clinical practice. The best experience I have of the positive Clinical Psychology division so far is that it now courageously exists for the application of positive psychology to mental illness and not positive psychology for the “worried well”.
3. Can you give an example of a time where you lead a team that created a successful outcome?
Australian Psychological Society (APS) interest group for children, adolescent and family psychology. I was the national convenor for this group for 4 years and during that time we ran 3 conference gatherings around Australia to link with people who were doing, on the ground, work with children that was working. This meant we spent time; sitting with Aboriginal child care workers who were working on play therapy with families in the desert, watching and learning from music therapists who appeared to be making inroads with families in crisis, and learning from play therapist’s who worked with traumatised children. This time was seen as a pivotal time for the Society where there was growth toward a more positive proactive and preventative approach to working with children and families.
I lead a team of 15 psychologists at the Resilience Centre in Epping Sydney where we have practiced for over 20 years. We have robust measures in place to track the changes in our clients. We have two clinics; an eating disorders and BPD clinic and group programs where we run groups, family therapy and tailored interventions. The measures so far indicate we have impressive changes in wellbeing and resilience, with clients noting their changes are occurring in approximately 5 session.
I also lead the team of trainers in positive and solution focused Resilience training, under the company The Resilience Doughnut. Training over 150 schools and organisations, and opening branches in New Zealand and UK, with connections in Europe, Canada and the USA to conduct training in the model and solution focused and strength based approaches to building resilience in children and adults. I work collegially and am visionary in my leadership.
Hi Lyn, thank you so much for your interest in serving the positive psychology community! What do you feel are the most critical aspects of the Division member experience? In what ways can Divisions become even more effective in their work engaging members?
Thanks for your consideration!
L
Thanks for the question Leona,
I can only speak from my own experience and those of close colleagues in the clinical work we do. I think we need to have robust conversations around a strength and solution focused approach to those with severe psychiatric illness. Currently a lot of the positive psychology is easy to see how it applies to anxiety, depression and PTSD etc, but how do we approach those with psychosis, and Dissociative disorders as well as personality disorders. this takes us to a new area of enquiry. The work with Harry Korman in Sweden, Ben Furman in Finland and Scott miler in US all gives us an approach that is focused on client driven, and future focused rather than diagnosing pathology and responding to the problem.
So the critical aspect of the division members experience will be in the area of applying the positive psychology skills to clinical practice. This is brave work.
cheers LYN