Course overview

Help teams recover and build resilience after challenging events.

Critical Incident Debriefing is a structured approach used in workplaces to help people process and recover from stressful or traumatic incidents. These can include natural disasters, workplace accidents, acts of violence, or other emotionally challenging events that impact individuals or teams.

This engaging, skills-focused workshop will introduce you to the purpose and process of critical incident debriefing, offering techniques to reduce distress, promote resilience, and encourage learning after an incident. By the end of the training, you’ll feel more confident leading or supporting effective debriefing sessions in your workplace or community organisation.

What you’ll learn

By completing this workshop, you will be able to:

• Understand the concept and purpose of critical incident debriefing, including common barriers to the process
• Recognise and categorise different types of critical incidents that may require debriefing
• Facilitate debriefing sessions by setting the tone, asking the right questions, and managing group dynamics
• Apply practical techniques for psychological first aid during debriefings
• Promote reflective practice to help individuals and teams process events and identify strengths
• Identify when further referral or specialist support may be needed

Who should attend

This workshop is designed for anyone leading teams or managing staff in the workplace. It is particularly relevant for managers, supervisors, HR professionals, and organisational leaders who are responsible for supporting the well-being of their staff during and after challenging events.

By attending, you’ll gain the knowledge and practical tools to respond effectively to critical incidents, helping your team process experiences, reduce stress, and build resilience.

Course structure

About the presenters

Lilia Szarski is a highly experienced psychologist with nearly 30 years as a family report writer in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. She has provided clinical supervision to teams of mediators and psychologists, ensuring quality service delivery and professional excellence.

Lilia’s expertise spans family and child dispute resolution, court-ordered counselling, and child-inclusive practice. She has appeared as an expert witness in numerous family law cases and is an active member of professional bodies, including the Australian Psychological Society, the International Association of Family and Youth Courts, the International Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, and the International Association of Applied Psychologists.

Her extensive clinical and courtroom experience brings unique insight into supporting staff and teams through critical workplace events. 

Enrolment and course access

When you register, you will be directed to our secure payment gateway to finalise your enrolment. Once payment is received, a new account will be created for you in our Learning Management System (Moodle), where course details and resources will be available.

Please note:

• Registrations close 48 hours before the event
• Workshops must be paid for at least 2 business days before the training date
• If paying by invoice, proof of payment must be provided at least 24 hours before the workshop

See our Training Workshops Cancellation Statement (PDF, 1MB) for full policy details.

Technical requirements

To participate in the online workshop, you’ll need access to:

• A desktop or laptop computer
• Reliable internet connection
• Headphones (recommended)
• Microphone and speakers
• A built-in or external webcam

Contact us

For further details or questions, please contact our Centre for Learning and Innovation:

• Phone: (03) 8573 2222
• Email: [email protected]