Workshops, Training & OT Mentoring
LEARN WITH SEED
Michelle Maunder and Sarah MacInnes build capacity and empower parents, educators, student learning support officers (SLSO’s) to support function, facilitate inclusion and participation of neurodivergent children in their community. Based in Central and Southern NSW, reaching Australian and International audiences.
Sarah and Michelle are ecstatic to host this special event
Kim Barthel's Attachment Matters Workshop in Sydney
We are ecstatic to announce that Kim Barthel is presenting her new workshop ATTACHMENT MATTERS in Sydney on 20 & 21st November, 2025.
Human beings are wired for connection and belonging. Whether you work in healthcare, education, or any profession that supports others, understanding the theory and neurobiology of attachment is essential.
In this innovative and practical course, you’ll explore how attachment adaptations shape our sense of self, relationships, and interactions throughout life. More importantly, you’ll gain strategies to foster co-regulation, helping you build attuned, meaningful connections with those you support.
Join us to deepen your understanding of neurobiology, attachment, and human connection – and elevate the way you engage with others.
- Thursday 20th and Friday 21st November 2025
- Novotel Parramatta, 350 Church St Parramatta Sydney
- PRICE: $861 (incl GST)
Workshops, Courses & Training
2025 Dates
Understanding and supporting Behaviours of Concern in children and adolescents
This workshop equips parents, educators, and support workers with evidence-based theory, frameworks and practical strategies to understand and address behaviours of concern in children and adolescents.
DATE: 13/10/25
LOCATION: Orange, NSW
COST: $250 (Plus GST)
- ON REQUEST This can be tailored for your school or business
Understanding and supporting Behaviours of Concern in children
This workshop equips parents, educators, and support workers with evidence-based theory, frameworks and practical strategies to understand and address behaviours of concern in children.
DATE: 10/10/25
LOCATION: Trundle, NSW
COST: $250 (Plus GST)
- ON REQUEST This can be tailored for your school or business
Facilitating Development: TRANSITION TO SCHOOL
Prepare your child for a confident and smooth transition to school. This workshop provides parents with practical strategies to support their child’s social, emotional, and developmental readiness, ensuring they thrive in a new learning environment. Join us to gain valuable insights and tools that will make this milestone a positive and successful experience for both you and your child.
DATE: 29/08/25
TIME: 9.30am – 12.30am
LOCATION: Orange, NSW
COST: $150 (Plus GST)
- ON REQUEST This can be tailored for your school or business
2026 Planned Workshops
Sensory Foundations: Supporting Regulation & Emotional Development in Children
Understanding and Supporting Infant and Child Development
Inside the 8 Senses: Practical Strategies for Sensory Integration & Learning Success
Introduction to a Play-based approach to building Social and Emotional Capacity
A trauma informed approach to regulation and development
Introduction to a relationship-based approach to development
2026 Planned Workshops
Understanding and Supporting Sensory Integration
Introduction to a Play-based approach to building Social and Emotional Capacity
A trauma informed approach to regulation and development
Introduction to a relationship-based approach to development
- ON REQUEST These workshops can be tailored for your school or business
UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORTING INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Understanding child development allows parents and guardians, early childhood educators and student learning support officers to recognise and support the diverse needs of children. This knowledge also allows for early identification of gaps or individual differences, in development and ultimately provision of early intervention. A deep understanding of child development allows everyone supporting the child to cultivate a nurturing and supportive environment that promotes inclusion and development.
- ON REQUEST These workshops can be tailored for your school or business
Facilitating Development: Understanding and Supporting Sensory Integration
Take a deep dive into the 8 sensory systems, sensory integration and learn how it is essential for human function: allowing development, supporting regulation, movement, learning and overall well-being. Join this immersive workshop to explore strategies to support sensory integration at home, school, and in the community.
- ON REQUEST This can be tailored for your school or business
Facilitating Development: Introduction to a Play-based approach to building Social and Emotional Capacity
Play is critically important for children, facilitating development by fuelling curiosity and creativity necessary for cognitive growth, fostering social and emotional skills, providing rich sensory and motor input. This workshop provides theory and also a wealth of practical strategies helping parents and educators harness the magical power of play to support children’s learning and development
- ON REQUEST This can be tailored for your school or business
Facilitating Development: A trauma informed approach to regulation and development
Exposure to adverse life experiences can lead to disruptions in development across social, emotional, sensory, physical and cognitive development. When an individual cannot adequately process traumatic experiences the body’s natural defence mechanisms become heightened.
Parents, guardians and educators will discover the transformative power of relationships in supporting development through Dr. Stanley Greenspan’s DIR model and various models on Regulation. This workshop provides information and practical strategies to support a ‘relationship first’ approach to emotional regulation and development.
- ON REQUEST This can be tailored for your school or business
Facilitating Development: Introduction to a relationship-based approach to development
Exposure to adverse life experiences impacts development, disrupting regulation, social, emotional, sensory and physical and cognitive development. This workshop explores Dr Stephen Porges, Dr Bruce Perry and Dr Stuart Shanker teachings on regulation, relationship and also their evidenced based, trauma-informed strategies that support children repair from relational ruptures.
- ON REQUEST This can be tailored for your school or business
Customised learning and development
Sarah and Michelle provide a range of learning and development opportunities customised to your organisational needs:
Client Testimonials
I recently had the privilege of attending an outstanding workshop led by Michelle on trauma-informed care and it was nothing short of transformative. This session was a masterclass in integrating polyvagal theory and ensuring the consideration of not only children’s autonomic nervous systems but also ours as professionals. Michelle’s presentation and approaches were inclusive and interactive and facilitated rich conversations that deepened our understanding. Additionally, the workshop included valuable resources and follow-up materials that will be beneficial for continued learning and application. Thank you Michelle
What a brilliant day. I learned so much. Michelle you're such an engaging facilitator and I'm in awe of your experience and how you present it.
Occupational Therapy Mentoring with Michelle
Michelle is passionate about providing Paediatric Occupational Therapy intervention that supports children and families achieve their goals. She also loves seeing OT’s gain expertise, clarity and confidence, expanding their clinical reasoning. She is also driven to offer mentoring sessions to support other Occupational Therapists and also from place of deep gratitude to all the OT’s who have supported her professional development over her career. She has the good fortune of being mentored regularly by master clinician Tracy Stackhouse over the last decade as well as Kim Barthel and Beth Osten. She found these experiences to be the most enriching and impactful of her OT career.
What does an OT mentoring session involve?
Some OT’s share a short video of a client, just 2-3 minutes long, with her prior to the mentoring session meeting and then they reflect together during the mentoring session – sharing observations and clinical reasoning including considering assessments and interventions;
- Frequency: weekly, fortnightly or monthly
- Payment: Direct transfer. International payments made via Wise
- Value: Starting from $220 (incl GST) per hour
Client Testimonials
I recently had the privilege of attending an outstanding workshop led by Michelle on trauma-informed care and it was nothing short of transformative. This session was a masterclass in integrating polyvagal theory and ensuring the consideration of not only children’s autonomic nervous systems but also ours as professionals. Michelle’s presentation and approaches were inclusive and interactive and facilitated rich conversations that deepened our understanding. Additionally, the workshop included valuable resources and follow-up materials that will be beneficial for continued learning and application. Thank you Michelle
What a brilliant day. I learned so much. Michelle you're such an engaging facilitator and I'm in awe of your experience and how you present it.
SpIRiTed CONVERSATIONS Podcast
Tracy Stackhouse, Cory Dundon and Michelle Maunder are paediatric Occupational Therapists with a shared passion for the pursuit of knowledge. They are the Spirited Conversations Podcast hosts.
Driven from a desire to inspire and engage with other paediatric OT’s, they decided to share their regular clinical conversations with others. Not because they know all the answers but because they have an unwaivering drive to deepen their knowledge and skills and a willingness to share their learning with others in the hope that it is helpful and inspires others to engage in mentoring.
Tracy’s ability to make clinical reasoning and neuroscience accessible to all is incredibly powerful and worth sharing.
Tracy Stackhouse
Developmental FX – The Developmental and Fragile X Resource Centre
Cory Dundon
What Listeners Say
This podcast helps me so much, my son’s life has benefitted greatly
I have listened to every episode 3 times I love it so much
Thank you so much for this wonderful podcast. What a gift. Thank you so much
Resources
We have a wealth of knowledge to share with