Ko te mauri he mea huna ki te moana
Te Tiriti based solutions to inequities in mental health and addictions

Pre-Conference Workshops

RANZCP Fellows / Affiliates and Registrars attending the RANZCP 2026 New Zealand Conference with a full registration have the additional option of attending the below pre-conference workshop.

Please note:
- These in-person workshops and will not be available virtually or on-demand.
- A minimum number of participants are required for the workshop to proceed.
- A light snack will be provided for afternoon tea.

Balint Group Workshop

Sunday 11 October, 13:30-16:30
Treaty Room 2, Copthorne Hotel and Resort

Workshop presenter: Dr Rutger De Ridder

This session is a hands–on introduction to the professional benefits of this reflective practice. Balint Group work provides a safe space for psychiatrists to reflect on challenging patient encounters, and to explore the relational aspects of clinical work through co-leader led group open dialogue, free association and creative speculation, resulting in a deeper understanding of interactions with patients. Balint Groups enhance psychotherapeutic insight for psychiatrists and trainees and reduce professional isolation.

The session will include inter-active participation in group-settings, with observers, volunteer participants and senior Psychiatrists-FRANZCP who are BSANZ accredited Balint Group leaders.

CAPE domain: Professionalism

Tickets are available for RANZCP Fellows / Affiliates and Registrars with a full registration to the RANZCP 2026 New Zealand Conference.
$220 for RANZCP Fellows / Affiliates | $180 for Registrars

Psychedelic-assisted therapy in Aotearoa: reviewing progress and shaping trajectories

Sunday 11 October, 13:30-16:30
Treaty Room 1, Copthorne Hotel and Resort

Workshop presenters: Dr Tehseen Nooran, Anna-Leigh Hodge, Dr Tom Paterson.
Workshop facilitators: Dr Craig Immelman, Jor’el McQueen, Dr David Menkes, Tina Swann, Phyllis Tangitu.

This workshop is aimed at psychiatrists interested in psychedelic therapy, and assumes no prior knowledge. It will bring participants up to speed on the state of the science behind psychedelic therapy, emerging delivery models here, in Australia and in other jurisdictions, and MedSafe’s current access pathway for prescribing psychedelics. Discussions throughout the workshop will emphasise ethical practice, cultural accountability, participant safety, and multidisciplinary teamwork within emerging psychedelic care models.

The workshop also explores what meaningful Te Tiriti-aligned partnership and governance could look like within emerging psychedelic therapy systems in Aotearoa. The workshop interweaves presentations with experiential sessions designed for participants to gain embodied experience of intentional and supported altered states through breathwork, taonga pūoro practices, and sensory-based approaches commonly used within international therapist training. The final session presents ongoing work focused on:
a) developing pathways for Aotearoa-centered training in psychedelic therapy, and
b) offering consultation and advisory support for Tikanga-aligned service delivery and research design.
Group discussion and collaborative workshopping are intended to help refine these training and consultation approaches by exploring what participants consider most useful and important for meeting the competencies required for safe, ethical, and culturally-aligned PAT practice.

Optional: Participants are welcome to bring a cushion and blanket for comfort during the experiential portions of this workshop.

CAPE domain: Culturally Safe Practice, Addressing Health Inequities, Professionalism, Ethics.

Tickets are available for RANZCP Fellows / Affiliates and Registrars with a full registration to the RANZCP 2026 New Zealand Conference.
$220 for RANZCP Fellows / Affiliates | $180 for Registrars

Workshop Cancellation Policy