FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

In short – all of us. Why?

• We all use behaviours we would prefer not to use
• We have often tried to change this behaviour, many times unsuccessfully so
• With understanding we can bring lasting behaviour change to ANY behaviour

Thus FABIC’s Body Life Skills program when used effectively will support any child, teenager and/or adult who is ready and willing to bring understanding to their own or any other person’s behaviour … with understanding we will bring lasting change.

Behaviour is a word that is often misunderstood. People often think that behaviour relates to something bad, naughty or alike. This is not true. The fact is we are all using behaviours all day every day – every action, word, thought and feeling we experience is considered a behaviour. Sometimes our behaviours are considered preferred and wanted, while other times they may be considered non-preferred or not wanted. FABIC’s approach to behaviour is not based on what we consider good or bad behaviours as this is based on judgment. FABIC considers:

1. What behaviours support a person to live and reach their full potential … these we say are preferred behaviours
2. What behaviours do not support a person to live and reach their full potential – these we say are non-preferred behaviours.

At FABIC we understand that to truly support another we must first support ourselves. Therefore, a commitment to continued personal and professional development is paramount at FABIC. Further to that, all FABIC practitioners come from the foundations of knowing we are all equal, and we are all the same in that we are all different. Tanya Curtis presented at a national conference in 2013 “The Importance of Meeting a Client for Who They Are. The principles within this are based on the support Tanya advocates for all FABIC staff. Watch here for part of this presentation:

Firstly, we are not part of other psychology and counselling clinics, so we can’t compare how we are different. What we can tell you is about our approach. FABIC staff are very interested in first meeting the client for who they are and see their behaviours as secondary. At the heart of each human being is an awesome, amazing, lovable being! Some people are using behaviours that may not match their amazingness, however we are all equal in that we all have the same natural beauty-full essence. Most people using unwanted behaviours are doing so because they feel hurt, alone, or simply not equipped to deal with and all that life presents them. We understand that the reason for behaviour being used is much more important than the actual behaviour itself. Our role at FABIC is to make our own job redundant. Rather than offering solutions that provide momentary relief to help you through a certain situation only to have you coming back when a similar situation presents again, our goal is to teach you the skills to truly deal with the situation yourself so should a similar situation arise in the future you will have the ability to better manage this yourself. In essence our goal is to empower you. FABIC’s philosophy states that all behaviour is happening for a reason and we believe that unwanted behaviour is often a person’s only existing means to manage in a situation they find difficult to understand and negotiate. FABIC clinicians are highly focussed on teaching people to understand the reasons for behaviour along with teaching new appropriate behaviours to respond to situations they are finding challenging. At FABIC, we teach and provide tools that are simple to implement in everyday real life situations. FABIC also takes a holistic approach and if deemed appropriate will involve significant others throughout clinical sessions to ensure that all involved develop a greater understanding of the behaviour used by the individual seeking support. It is not unusual for many family and support members to attend the one session as the behaviours used by one will be influenced by the behaviours used by another. FABIC staff emphasise that all people experience the same world differently, remembering that different does not mean wrong. To understand one person’s behaviour choice we must attempt to understand how that individual is perceiving their world … thus attempting to understand their challenging situations and reasons for their behaviour choices. FABIC also emphasises RESPONSIBILITY. Responsibility can be empowering when embraced, yet disempowering if we give our power and responsibility to another person. Our role at FABIC is not to “fix you” rather to teach you a different way of living life and responding to all that life presents in your unique classroom of life, and thus the choice of your behaviour and outcomes in life become your responsibility … “If you don’t like your outcomes in life, we encourage you to examine all your own behaviours and investigate how they might be contributing to this.” Our philosophy is – our job is to make our job redundant. Here a short clip to explain more:

FABIC’s Main clinic is located in Robina. FABIC also has satellite clinics in Brisbane, Flagstone and North East NSW where some of the FABIC practitioners are available at specific times during the year. Please contact us: visit FABIC’s contact page for more information. Although based on the Gold Coast, Zoom (video conferencing via the internet) and telephone allow FABIC to provide clinical services both Nationally and Internationally. FABIC staff are also available to present workshops and provide consultancy services at your location. Please contact FABIC for further information. Please note: Medicare rebates can not be claimed for zoom/phone sessions.

Can I obtain FABIC’s Services in distant places? Yes. Zoom (video conferencing via the internet) and telephone allow FABIC to provide clinical services both Nationally and Internationally. Also, FABIC’s range of one day, 3 week and 2 hour behaviour specialist presentations are almost all available online via webinar. Contact us for further details. FABIC staff are also available to present workshops and provide consultancy services at your location. Please contact FABIC for further information. Please note: Medicare rebates are not able to be claimed for zoom/phone sessions.

Yes. There are several organisations and funding bodies that can be applied to in order to receive financial support for FABIC services. These organisations are all independent of FABIC and it is the responsibility of our clients to source the funding for themselves. For further information and a list of funding programs that you may be eligible for, please visit our funding page.

Individual consultations will focus on identifying the challenges that your child is faced with on a daily basis in the school setting, thus identifying the reasons why they were suspended. Subsequent consultations will focus on teaching your child new skills; new appropriate behaviours to manage more successfully in their school environment… thus learning new means of responding to events they are finding challenging at school. FABIC’s philosophy is based on providing education to ALL people involved in the client’s life: supporting parents, family members, teachers and friends to understand the triggers and challenging situations that lead to the client’s unwanted behaviours. Therefore, intervention consultations may also involve supporting the school staff to implement effective strategies in your child’s school environment.

At FABIC, we have extensive experience in supporting people who are on the Autism Spectrum and a solid understanding of the unique challenges that people with an ASD or PDD-NOS are faced with on a daily basis. Through our clinical services, we can support the person through one-to-one sessions. We also offer Autism Specific workshops and videos where we teach people to gain a better understanding of what is going on for a person with an ASD and provide tools and strategies that can be applied to support a person with an ASD to live closer to blue on their behaviour scale. If the person is under the age of seven you may be eligible to receive FABIC services under the “Helping Children With Autism Package”. Please contact FABIC if you have questions about the HCWA Package.

Yes. In our clinical practice at FABIC, we have seen that anxiety is an epidemic. We support people with ranging levels of anxiety every day. In fact, the FABIC Methodology states that all unwanted behaviours are preceded by anxiety. In our sessions, you will learn to understand anxiety and gain tools that empower you to overcome your own anxiety and leave you more equipped to support others around you that may be suffering from anxiety related behaviours.

Yes. Depression occurs when people perceive that their life is incomplete and/or has difficult situations in which the person does not feel equipped to manage. We understand depression is not something to resign yourself to and can be changed when you are willing to address the root cause of your depression.

Yes, FABIC’s approach to behaviour is often quite unique and refreshing to professionals. Our courses focus on increasing the attendee’s ability to find the reason WHY unwanted behaviour is occurring. Once the reason for behaviour is understood, effective interventions can be developed. Many psychologists have attended a series of FABIC workshops and found that they were provided with a different perspective on understanding challenging behaviour. Many psychologists have sought ongoing mentoring after attending FABIC’s courses as they find the FABIC methodology to be supportive in their own practice.

All of the FABIC workshops are intended to support individuals to understand and change unwanted behaviours. All based on FABIC’s 3 step process to behaviour change Body Life Skills, each workshop has a unique focus in its delivery. For more information on the complete range of Fabic workshops.