Career Summary
Judy has been a counsellor for more than 20 years, specialising in grief and loss. She has extensive experience in developing and delivering a range of seminars and training workshops for staff and volunteers in hospitals, community settings, aged care facilities, and hospices throughout Australia and Europe.
Judy studied Jungian Therapy under Patrick Jansen and trained with Mal and Di McKissock and Dr Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. She has studied Buddhism for more than 25 years.
Motivation
Judy is inspired to offer practical ways to benefit and support those facing life threatening illness or death, their families and care givers. In her seminars and workshops she brings together Buddhist wisdom and insights to improve end-of-life care – exploring universal spiritual principles that resonate with people of any faith or none.
Program profile
Judy is an experienced seminar facilitator. Her personal style is inspiring, humorous, straightforward and sensitive. She offers the gift of extra-ordinary ordinariness.
Education
Jungian psychotherapy and Sand Play with Patrick Jansen
Grief and Loss Training with Mal and Di McKissock
Communication Skills
Transpersonal Psychology with Stanislav Grof
Work Overview
Psychotherapist and counsellor; 1985 to present
Coordinator, ACON; 1989 – 1992
Tour Operator; 1995 to present
Spiritual Care Educator; 1996 to present
Trainer/Educator in grief and loss, death and dying; 1996 to present
Seminar History
For more than 30 years, Judy has been holding seminars and workshops for various groups in the community including doctors, nurses, aged care and palliative care staff, people with life limiting illness, Buddhist practitioners and the general public.
In addition to the above, Judy has also delivered hospice volunteer training and staff development workshops.
The following table provides a summary of Judy’s breadth of experience.
| Seminar | Delivered | For |
|
Facing Death – Embracing Life 1996-2006
|
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney, Staff Training1995 | Pastoral Care Workers, people with life threatening Illness and family |
| Mater Hospital, Newcastle | Staff training | |
| Canberra | Public seminar for Palliative Care Week | |
| Rigpa Centre, Amsterdam | Health professionals and the general public | |
| Rigpa Centre, Munich | “ | |
| Rigpa Centre, Cologne | “ | |
| Rigpa Centre, Melbourne | “ | |
| Rigpa Centre, Newcastle | “ | |
| Privately organised groups:
Lismore, Bangalow, Byron Bay, The Channon, Gold Coast, Noosa Heads, Adelaide, Melbourne, Kyogle, Kangaroo Valley, Bellingen, Stanwell Park, Sydney
|
General public
|
|
| Opening the Heart to Loss and Grief
|
Rigpa Centre, Zurich Switzerland | The general public and health professionals |
| Cork, Ireland | Health professionals and the bereaved | |
| Byron Bay Aged Care Facility
|
Staff training
|
|
| Volunteer Training –
Team Building
|
Weekend Retreat for Volunteers, Cancer Care and St Vincent’s Hospital, Lismore | |
| Amitayus Hospice Service, Mullumbimby | ||
| Mullumbimby, NSW
1998 – 2001 |
||
| St Vincent’s Hospital, Palliative Care Unit, Lismore, NSW | ||
| Tweed Murwillumbah Palliative Care Service | ||
| Community Visitors Project, Lismore | ||
| Family Support Network, Lismore | ||
| Carers Circle, Kyogle | ||
| Silent Visitors, Bellingen
|
||
| Healing and Preventing Burnout
|
Brisbane | Mostly workers in local NGOs |
| Canberra Hospice | Palliative care and aged care workers | |
| National Association of Loss and Grief, Adelaide
|
Health professionals and the general public
|
|
| Spiritual Preparation for Death
|
Rigpa Centre, Canberra | Buddhists and health care professionals |
| Community Palliative Care, East Maitland | Staff training | |
| Yoga group retreat, Blue Mountains | Yoga group | |
| Dublin, Ireland | Health professionals and the general public | |
| London
|
Mostly health professionals and social workers, and the general public
|
|
| Spiritual Needs of the Elderly
|
Kapara Aged Care Facility, Adelaide | Staff and volunteers |
| Rigpa Centre, London | Older people, Buddhists and health professionals | |
| Aged Services, Wahroonga Shire Council | Older people, several couples and aged care workers | |
| Aged Care Facility, Newcastle
|
Staff training
|
|
| Integrating Spiritual Care and Caregiving
|
Sydney | Mixed group of hospital, social workers and counsellors |
| Hastings, New Zealand | Hospice staff and aged care workers | |
Speaking Engagements
In addition to seminars and workshops, Judy has delivered keynote addresses, has participated in panel discussions and has given many public talks.
| Public talks
|
Palliative Care Association, NSW at Sacred Heart Hospice, Sydney | Staff |
| Northern Rivers Health Department 2001 | Oncology and Palliative Care Staff | |
| Royal North Shore Hospital Sydney | Pain Management Clinic Staff | |
| Ireland: Waterford, Athlone and Bantry | Mixture of health professionals and the general public | |
| Panel guest
|
Invited to join a discussion panel following the showing of an Australian movie called ‘Look Both Ways’. This box office success dealt with themes of grief, loss, death and dying. | |
| Keynote speaker
|
“Meetings with Remarkable Women” – Women’s Spirituality Conference, Tyalgum Tops Murwillumbah NSW 1998 | |
Retreat
Judy also led a five day retreat for people living with life threatening illness. This retreat was held at the Dzogchen Beara Retreat and Conference Centre, in County Cork, Ireland.
Study Groups and Staff Supervision
Judy has also worked with health professionals in the following ways:
- Individual staff supervision for health professionals
- Study group facilitation – sixteen modules for health professionals and hospice volunteers
Publications
Judy has written and published a small booklet: “Practical Instructions for a Buddhist Funeral”. This provides instructions to assist people in arranging a loved one’s funeral. It provides practical ideas and information, and some simple Buddhist prayers.
Judy Arpana 