ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp

Conference Theme: "Creating Relationships That Matter"

The conference theme “Creating Relationships That Matter” reflects the general principle that personality disorders have been considered "a disorder of relationships and the medicine is relationships." Relationships that matter are central to recovery. This conference invites us to consider how to enhance the therapeutic alliance with those seeking care by bringing ourselves to this relationship in an active, responsive and validating way. "Creating" such relationships needs our spontaneity, kindness and deliberation in the setting of a safe and predictable frame for care and treatment. Carers, family, health care workers, teachers, welfare teams, employers and the broader community may all play a role. By learning to trust, reflection can be on things "that matter.” We invite you to join us in these discussions, presentations and reflections.

Attending the conference can be in-person, virtual, or a blend of both. Registration is essential and presentations and attendees from across the world are welcome.

Choose how you attend the conference

Enjoy valuable networking opportunities during catered breaks by attending in-person, the time-sensitive convenience of virtual attendance, or a blend of both. For in-person attendees, tea and coffee on arrival, morning tea and a light lunch is provided. 

Ticket prices are consistent across all attendance choices with Early bird and student registration prices available. Registration is online only with credit card (Visa or MasterCard). Register early as places are limited.

Lived Experience Day, 5 November, 2026

• Rita Brown (BPD Foundation and Spectrum Victoria) - Keynote
  From Overwhelm to Advocacy: A Lived Experience Journey Toward Creating Relationships That Matter
• De Backman-Hoyle (Mental Health Carers Australia)
  Relational by Design: Why Families, Carers and Kin Matter in Personality Disorder Support
• Sharon Ereaux (Lived Experience Advocate and Recovery Coach) 
  Unmasking Schizoid Personality Disorder: Experience, Understanding, and Hope
• Lauren Vuckovich (Paramedic, Clinical Educator and Lived Experience Advocate)
  The Relationship With Myself: What Recovery Looks Like From Inside It  
• Scarlet Jones (Lived Experience Practitioner) 
  Existing truthfully within youth mental health care  
• Natasha Cuevas (Designer, Artist and Lived Experience Advocate)
  We heal together: The Art of Emotional Connection
• Art Exhibition Opening and Artist Talks

Scientific Conference Day, 6 November, 2026

• Professor Brin Grenyer (Project Air)
  Reflecting on the past 20 years of conference - evolution of themes, progress in science, and new and emerging hot topics
• Professor Chiara De Panfilis (ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp of Parma, Italy)  - Scientific Keynote
  Intimacy, social cognition, and social inclusion challenges in people with personality disorder: Research and clinical implications  
• Rita Brown (BPD Foundation and Spectrum Victoria) – Lived Experience Keynote
  Mutuality, connection and hope: Creating relationships that matter 
• Dr Jacqueline Huber (St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney and Australian and New Zealand Emergency Psychiatry Network)
  Rethinking risk and hospital use in crisis emergency mental health presentations for people with suicide, self harm and personality disorder features 
• Sin-Ying Tan (Eastern Health, Victoria)
  Beyond Crisis: Factors Associated with Recurrent Inpatient Readmission and Emergency Department Re-presentation in Borderline Personality Disorder 
• Celeste Cari (Charles Sturt ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp, Australia)
  Managing Risk, Navigating Boundaries, and Gaining Insight: Psychosocial Support Workers' Experiences of Supporting Persons with Borderline Personality Disorder 
• Dillon Tepper (Adelaide ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp, South Australia)
  “Why hasn’t it been done already?” Psychiatric rehabilitation priorities for people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder 
• Dr Kayla Steele (ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp of New South Wales and Black Dog Institute)
  Personality Pathology and Outcomes of Digital CBT for Anxiety Disorders: Evidence from Two Randomised Controlled Trials   

Lightning Talks

• Dr Stephanie Weston - More than Grounding: The Human-Nature Relationship in Personality Disorder Recovery
• Wilhelmina Barley - The role of depressive experiences in the relationship between adult attachment and pathological narcissism
• Athena Staughton - Envy and gratitude: The role of personality functioning and narcissism
• Isabella Frame-Ripley - Co-occurring bulimia nervosa and borderline personality disorder presentations: Implication of impulsivity on affect dysregulation profiles and clinical functioning
• Asha Patterson - They cannot comprehend the enormity of what my child and I are experiencing”: Experiences with informal supports amongst parents of children in suicidal distress
• Paris Grozdanovski - Adapting the perfectionism social disconnection model to examine the role of attachment, mentalisation, shame, and perfectionism in trait social anxiety
• Georgia Dellow - CHIME-ing In: The lived experience of personal recovery in BPD
• Hannah Stewart - What do we know about the longitudinal course of BPD?
• Sophie Lucas - Peer and Clinician Co-facilitated group therapy for BPD

Clinical Workshop, 7 November, 2026

• Professor Chiara De Panfilis (ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp of Parma, Italy)
  Using Transference Focussed Psychotherapy (TFP) informed care principles to improve outpatient and community mental health therapy for people with personality disorder and complex needs - a clinical case based workshop

Idyllic surrounds, world-class facilities and world wide knowledge

The event will be held in the centre of the beautiful ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp campus in Building 67. The campus is set among a spectacular coastal and forested environment surrounding the city of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵapp - about 90 minutes by car south of Sydney. More about the location.

All three days of the Conference will feature an art exhibition which provides a unique opportunity to see what creating relationships that matter means for people with lived and living experiences, carers, and clinicians.

Radical Renaissance: This is the recognition of the creativeness of people with lived and living experience of emotional distress, trauma, and being labelled. Creativity isn’t just healing - it speaks, takes up space, and redefines what a life worth living may mean beyond systems that may not see us as who we really are.

Thursday 5 November, 4.00pm - Art Exhibition Opening and Artist Panel Discussion - featuring talks by the artists hosted by Project Air's resident Research Art Therapist Kirsten Campbell. Included in exhibition are works by Emily Newton-Elliott, Helen Minns, Stewart Stubbs, Sarah Clarke, Claire Payne, Jemma Sharwood, Zaide Harker, Kirsten Campbell, Sharon Ereaux, Viva Vayspap, Jack Thomson, Mariam Chanaoui and Jamee Barker.

All prices are in Australian dollars inclusive of the Australian Goods and Services Tax (GST).

All prices are in Australian dollars inclusive of the Australian Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Students may be eligible to receive a discounted rate for the Sunday Clinical Workshop and Monday Scientific Day. Please email info-projectair@uow.edu.au with a copy of your current Student ID or Enrolment record to receive a unique discount code and apply this during checkout.

All prices are in Australian dollars inclusive of the Australian Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Person with Lived Experience and Carers are eligible to receive a discounted rate. Please email info-projectair@uow.edu.au to receive a unique discount code and apply this during checkout.