Excellence in family work through meaning-based learning
Williams Road Family Therapy - Learning (WRFT-L) is designed to fast track the development of thoughtful, capable, and confident Family Therapists & Family Workers. As a social enterprise, our commitment extends beyond education to reinvest in the profession itself. Through our high-quality relational learning model, we support therapists to build expertise, deepen their practice, improve outcomes and create enduring changes in client family and individual lives.
The learning experiences are meaningful, grounded in making sense of the complexities of day-to-day practice, and delivered by expert practitioners who are passionate about teaching and mentoring.
A Social Enterprise of Learning and Teaching
Williams Road Family Therapy - Learning was established in response to numerous requests from experienced practitioners wishing to update their knowledge of research and theory, refresh and refine their skills, and improve the quality of their practice and outcomes. These practitioners requested we expand our range of learning and teaching programs, particularly those focused on the practical application of
- Complex Adaptive Systems Theory
- Conservation of Resources Theory
- Attachment Theory
- Polyvagal Theory
- and others
Our foundations lie in decades of clinical experience and the delivery of our leading edge Post Graduate Certificate, Post Graduate Diploma and Master in Family and Systemic Therapy qualifications. We have clear evidence that therapists learn best through a combination of well structured ideas and skills practice embedded in relational and reflective processes.
We bridge the gap between traditional academic learning and real-world clinical practice, offering courses that are both research informed, and grounded, practical, and deeply attuned to the complexity of facilitating change in family systems.
Meet Dr. Sophie Holmes AM
A highly respected Educational Developmental and Counselling Psychologist, Family Therapist and Clinical Educator, Dr. Sophie Holmes is the Director of Williamsroad Family Therapy Centre and the founding voice behind Williamsroad Family Therapy - Learning.
Her vision is to provide an inclusive learning space where participants feel supported, stretched, and professionally enriched. With a lifelong commitment to family and systemic therapy, and clinical reflective practice, Sophie has supervised and mentored hundreds of clinicians, always with a focus on nurturing the practitioner to improve the quality and precision of their practice.
Sophie passionately believes that therapists learn best from those who walk alongside them, not just in theory, but also in practice.
Guided by our Core Values:
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Collaboration
We believe in co-created learning, where knowledge is shared, reflected on, and refined together.
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Accessibility
We work to ensure that meaningful, high-quality learning is available to clinicians across Australia, regardless of financial or geographic barriers.
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Excellence
We uphold the highest standards of clinical rigour and teaching quality, led by presenters with decades of therapeutic experience.
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Community
We foster a safe and connected learning space where clinicians feel supported, understood, and part of something larger than themselves.
What Sets Us Apart
At Williams Road Family Therapy - Learning, we don’t offer generic training programs. Every course has a specific focus, is crafted to the learning needs of the group, and is delivered by practicing therapists who understand the realities of family work.
Our blended delivery model ensures accessibility, while our small-group formats encourage discussion, supervision, and depth of learning.
As a social enterprise, our mission is clear: elevate the quality of care available to families by empowering clinicians through education, connection, and mentorship.
Led by Practising Therapists
Real-world experience informs every course we offer.
Blended Learning Flexibility
Choose from in-person, or live-online training.
A Social Enterprise Mission
Affordable, high-quality training that reinvests in the therapy community.
In collaboration with ACU
Our specialist postgraduate programs—including the Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma, and Master of Family and Systemic Therapy—are delivered in collaboration with Australian Catholic University. This partnership ensures our students receive a highly respected, university-accredited qualification anchored in leading-edge systemic research and practice.
Grounded in Genuine Practice
Williamsroad Family Therapy - Learning operates in conjunction with the Williamsroad Family Therapy Centre. This deep integration with a group practice that has actively served the community since 1979 provides a uniquely robust foundation for our educational programs. Because our Learning Centre is inextricably linked to an established, long-standing practice, our curriculum goes far beyond the theoretical and is deeply grounded in the genuine, day-to-day clinical work of the therapists who deliver the courses. This direct connection ensures that every insight shared and skill developed is backed by current, real-world experience, offering our participants an authentic, highly practical, and deeply trusted learning environment.
