Ag Eisteacht to present workshop at Unity Conference 2018

On Tuesday 13^th November, our founder, Dr Maeve Hurley, and Ag Eisteacht trainer and social care professional, Leon Ledwidge, will present a workshop at the fifth annual international Unity Through Relationships Conference held at the Bonnington Hotel in Dublin.

The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Unity Through Relationship –  Attachment, Resilience & Hope: Exploring the Language of Care’. Its aim is to support an understanding of the vocabulary currently used in relational practice throughout the caring professions.

Run by the Gateway Organisation, in conjunction with Empower Ireland and CYC-Net, the conference will provide a forum for all who are interested in the care, protection and welfare of children and families and an opportunity to discuss some of the many topics that underpin this work.

The theme of Maeve and Leon’s interactive workshop will be ‘The Essential Ingredient – Relationships’

Dr Maeve Hurley said: “Drawing on our ABLE training model and using a variety of visual, audio and experiential exercises, we hope to illustrate the impact of relationships on health and well-being.

“ We will present an overview of the evidence that demonstrates Dr David Marjoribanks’ findings that “good quality relationships not only give our lives meaning, but couple, family and social relationships hold the keys to parenting and children’s educational attainment, child and adult mental health and well-being, quality of life for people in later life and in preventing crime and anti- social behaviour relationships.”

Participants will have an opportunity to be part of/observe an experiential exercise to reflect on the experiences/perspectives of different family members during relationship breakdown and the reconstitution of a new family.

“Our goal is to help participants to process the learning and to consider how this might apply in their role and to their work with clients. It’s about enhancing insight into and self-awareness of our own attitudes and perspectives to enhance interactions with clients who have experienced family breakdown and the formation of new family units,” said Maeve.