About this professional learning
Adolescent attachment and mental health conditions have a significant effect on cognitive, social, and emotional functioning. It limits the adolescent’s ability to form trusting relationships with others and feel both safe and secure in their relationships with others. Adolescents with attachment issues may have problems expressing and controlling their emotions, which in turn, may affect their mental health.
This professional development will focus on how attachment and mental health conditions present in the high school setting. During this presentation, we will examine and discuss:
- The four types of attachment, secure, avoidant, anxious-ambivalent and disorganised, and the impact they have on biology and brain function.
- How identifying disrupted attachment and the need to link adolescents to supportive attachment figures can improve safety and trigger positive emotions.
- The impact of disrupted attachment on adolescents. How it affects learning outcomes, lasting trauma, challenges with regulation, mental health conditions and forming healthy relationships with both teachers and peers.
- The impact of diagnosed or suspected mental health conditions on brain function in a high school setting.
By the end of the online workshop, participants will:
- Have a better understanding of mental health and adolescent attachment disorders from a lens of compassion.
- Understand how mental health and disrupted attachment presents and affects adolescents learning and relationships in a high school setting.
- Be more confident identifying adolescent behaviour reflecting possible mental health challenges and attachment disruption.
- Have a better understanding of the most common mental health conditions presenting in high school, including anxiety, lack of attachment, ADHD, OCD, screen addiction and others.
- Understand the consequences of failing to address mental health and attachment disorders in high school settings.
- Be aware of the latest research on adolescent mental health and attachment disorders.
- Understand the need for intervention across whole school settings.
Who is the professional learning suitable for?
This professional learning is suitable for all high school teaching staff, year advisors, school leaders, welfare and wellbeing teams.
Details
Date: Friday, 11 September 2026.
Time: 9:30am to 1pm (AEST).
Location: Online webinar. Attendees will receive their webinar access details the week of each webinar.
Speakers: Heather Irvine-Rundle ,clinical psychologist and director of The READ Clinic.
Ticket price: $210 per person, including GST.
Booking form: Download the booking form.
Purchase tickets: Purchase tickets
If you would like to purchase your ticket via bank transfer, please email (info@committedtochildcareconferences.com) the team and we will send you our banking details.
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
This presentation meets the following Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Standard 4 – Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments.
About the speaker
Heather Irvine-Rundle
Heather is a senior clinical psychologist and the director of The READ Clinic, which is one of the largest psychology practises in Australia. As well as practising in Australia, Heather has also spent three years in the UK working with some of the most deprived families in Liverpool and London. She also led a service providing advice and consultations on mental health to all the schools in the South London area.As well as practicing for 19 years Heather has also found time to become a published author with her latest book Hello Baby. Heather speaks regularly on local ABC radio, has appeared on a number of television shows including 60 Minutes, and writes regular articles for print and digital media.
Registration policy Read our registration policy.