HOSTING A PRESENTATION

Most of my talks and workshops are hosted by specific agencies, health boards, professional associations, or community organizations in the region where they are held.

Check below for a list of organizations that have contracted for my various training programs.

Host agencies help out in several ways:

• They either purchase a workshop in its entirety, or they contract for a block of seats.
• Often they book or provide presentation space and break catering.
• They may provide spaces in the program exclusively to their own members or staff, or they may resell seats to others in the region.
• They may help to distribute information about the program to others in the region.
• In most cases they handle registrations.
• Some agencies operate workshops as fundraisers for their organization.

If you are interested in hosting a workshop for your group or agency, contact me at paterson@changeways.com and let me know which program you are considering and when. Most programs are scheduled at least two months in advance. My office can offer a quote and discuss whether you would like add-ons such as followup webinars or teleconferences to assist with uptake or implementation.

I have presented workshops across Canada, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. Distance is not a barrier, and I welcome international requests.

My goal is to provide you with an effective, engaging presentation that produces genuine advances in practice for attendees, and to do so with maximum efficiency and ease for organizers. I have over 25 years of experience in providing professional continuing education programs and informative presentations for the public. I can work with you to create a successful program that meets your needs.

Changeways Clinic is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education credits for psychologists - both in-person presentations and our online courses for clinicians. Changeways Clinic maintains responsibility for these programs.

Remember that I also have online on-demand courses, described here.

Live Online Programs

Covid posed many challenges, but it familiarized everyone with online video conferencing platforms like Zoom. Professional continuing education largely went online.

Since then, many organizations have discovered that the live-online format suits many of their education needs. It is likely that this format will continue to be a dominant method of professional CE in coming years.

Live-online education offers both practical and economic benefits:

• Staff can learn from their own home or office.
• No need to shut down the agency while everyone is off on a training program.
• No paying for presenter travel time, airfare, or accommodation.
• Staff at different sites can take part - even if those sites are far apart, as in Canada's arctic or in rural areas.
• No expenses associated with staff transportation or accommodation to the program.
• No catering or conference room bills.
• You can pair with agencies or organizations in other localities to split the cost of a program.

In sum, a live-online program can be markedly less expensive to provide - enabling agencies with limited budgets to offer more educational opportunities to staff.

It can be a good idea to consider the format of educational programming given this new model. Why did we always offer full-day and two- or three-day educational programs in the past, cramming people into over- or underheated conference space for seven hours at a time? Answer: Because it took so much expense and effort to gather everyone together. We had to make the most of the opportunity - even if it meant no one could think straight for the last quarter of the presentation.

But in live-online education, this is not a consideration. No one has to go anywhere, so we don't have to overstuff them with information. Educational programs can be more modular, offering smaller chunks of content and smaller sets of skills within a timeframe that doesn't strain the attention span.

We can still offer live-online workshops over a full day. But we can also provide one-hour, two-hour, or half-day programs that are more digestible for participants - and that don't shut down your service. We can divide more extensive programs into chunks spaced optimally so that people can contemplate and implement bits in their work, then get feedback or ask questions at the next class. Here are some examples of programs I have provided:

• Two half-day sessions spaced a week apart on the essentials of cognitive therapy.
• Four two-hour sessions spaced weekly on conducting assertiveness training with clients.

All of my existing live programs can be adapted to the live-online format. I can also work with organizers to select particular modules for shorter presentations, and can custom-design sessions for your group. Contact me at paterson@changeways.com for information and we can see how we can design a program especially for your needs.

Upcoming Calendar of Events

Check out scheduled events here. Events offered only to staff of a particular agency or program are not listed - this page only includes programs accessible to others.

Past Hosts/Contractors/Sponsors

Here's a partial list of agencies that have contracted with me to offer programs:

Access Community Therapists Ltd
Australian Psychological Society
BC School Counsellors' Association
British Columbia Psychological Association
British Columbia School District 42
Burnaby Mental Health
Calgary Health Authority
Calgary Women's Health Resource Centre
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists - BC Division
Canadian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies
Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists - National
Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity
Canadian Mental Health Association
Canadian Psychological Association
Early Psychosis Program, Vancouver
Edmonton Primary Care Network
Family Services Ottawa
Fraser Health Authority
Hong Kong Occupational Therapy Association
Interior Health Authority
Interlock EAP, Canada
International Union of Painters and Trades
Jack Hirose & Associates
Kwantlen Psychology Society
Loom Inc, Nevada USA
Malaspina College
New Horizons Council
New Zealand Psychological Society
Northern Health Authority
Northwest Territories Health and Social Services
Peace Country Health Region
Praxis CET, Oakland USA
Prince Edward Island Dep't of Health
Providence Care
Queen Mary Hospital Hong Kong
Saint Albert Primary Care Network, Alberta
Saint Mary’s Hospital Foundation, Waterloo Ontario
United Nations Association of Canada
University of British Columbia Association of Administrative and Professional Staff
University of British Columbia Development & Alumni Engagement
University of British Columbia Department of Psychology
University of British Columbia School of Dentistry
University of Victoria
Vancouver Coastal Health
Vancouver General Hospital Department of Radiology
Vancouver Island Health Authority
Vancouver Public Library
Western University Department of Psychology Spring Retreat
Yukon Health and Social Services