Our half-day Be the Modern Day Father seminar is about equipping dads of all ages by addressing some of the key issues and challenges faced by today’s fathers.
When it comes to our vocation, we often invest years, either on the job or in learning institutions, to acquire the necessary skills to be the best mechanic / accountant / doctor / plumber etc. we can be.
However, when it comes to how we parent, most of us unintentionally follow parenting ‘scripts’ handed to us from our own parents. Rarely do we intentionally acquire new skills to be the best father we can be.
Even if you are one of the fortunate ones who was handed a healthy, functional fatherhood script, the world we grew up in looks very different to the one our children are trying to navigate. Just like an update to your car’s sat-nav ensures you are navigating with the latest road information, the purpose of this seminar is to equip you with practical, research-based information on issues facing fathers today. Our aim is to equip, encourage and place value on dads.
We’ve pulled together a panel of experts to discuss the latest information on tough topics such as sex, pornography, social media, sexting, the importance of role models, with the view to empowering fathers to confidently talk with their children about these key issues.
Each session includes a keynote speaker, followed by small group discussion. There will also be a panel discussion on a number of hot topics, with plenty of practical takeaways.
Our aim is to make the seminar content as relevant as possible. When you register for the event, you’ll be sent a short survey. Your responses will help us tailor the seminar content, making sure we’re addressing the issues that matter most to you.
We’re not going to bombard your inbox, but we’ll also send you a few pieces of thought-provoking content before the event ensuring that you get the most out of time you’ve invested in attending.
We’re really looking forward to sharing with you at the seminar [ DATE TO BE CONFIRMED ].
Featured Experts;
Matt Garratt
Matt has been married to Jo for 20 years and together they have 3 daughters, and as of 2019 they will all be in high school. He is self-employed with a staff of 6 carrying out roofing work all over Sydney and the Central Coast and this ranges from small repairs to full new roofs and re-roofs.
He is a founding member of an organisation called the Rubber Souls that is influential in helping men become better humans, push and expand their boundaries, encourage each other through life’s ups and downs.
He supports and fundraises for Mercy Huts, 180TC and Make Bullying History which are epic charities that do a lot of great work in their communities locally and abroad. Matt’s interests are family, surfing, church, the great outdoors, roofing, trying to attain a muscle up (which is very illusive), snow-boarding and having fun.
David Kobler
David, with his wife Katie, are a husband and wife couple who are one of the leading youth speakers across Australia and New Zealand and specialise around the topics of sexuality and relationships.
They have spoken to over 150,000 teens, parents, and teachers in live audiences and have a mission to turn taboo topics into everyday conversations. They have been featured in print, radio, and TV media, and are highly sought-after communicators. With countless stories of teen struggles and challenges on the topics of sex, pornography, social media and sexting, they hope to bring light to the challenges that young people are facing.
Their hope is to create an environment where parents feel empowered to talk to their children and children feel confident to talk to their parents about topics that really matter. David has been married for 11 years and is a father to three children. He is passionate about family, fatherhood, friendship, and surfing.
Dr. Rebecca Loundar
Dr Rebecca Loundar, a Clinical and Counselling Psychologist, has been a practicing psychologist for the past 20 years and is currently the Program Director and Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences at Alphacrucis College.
Dr Loundar has a broad range of experience working with individuals and groups, in a variety of settings including clinical and community (including not for profit) based psychology services, education facilities and corporate environments. Rebecca has been an active member on different government and community committees, a researcher and provider of clinical consultation and training to psychologists and counsellors.
Dr Loundar is regularly called on to speak at conferences and facilitate workshops and training on issues relating to psychological wellbeing including resilience, healthy relationships, treatment interventions and self-care.
Dr Loundar has also worked extensively within the non-profit sector for 20 years, assisting with program development, implementation and review, staff training and resource development for programs supporting people experiencing disadvantage such as homelessness, mental health issues, trauma and domestic and family violence.