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Anca Ramsden is a Sydney based clinical psychologist notable for dealing with children and adults with emotional, behavioural, social, learning and performance problems.

She has also been quoted for training psychologists and mental health professionals in Australia in Affect Regulation Therapy.

Education
Anca got her Diploma in Teaching – Higher Education from Stellenbosch University, South Africa in 1977, did her Psychology Honours in 1978 from University of Pretoria and completed a degree in MA Clinical Psychology 1979-1980 with her thesis titled, 'The effects of play therapy on the family system'.

Her formative influences, including the child development theories of Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson, John Bowlby, Karen Horney and family systems theories of Nathan Ackerman and others, furthered her understanding of developmental delays, attachment and psychodynamic growth processes, such as regressive behavior in play. Carl Rogers’(5) humanistic approach formed the basis for her training in non directive play therapy.

Career
At Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital, Pretoria, South Africa, Anca started her career as an Intern Psychologist in 1980 working on assessments, management and treatment of patients in the Child & Family Unit. Training included family therapy, childrens’ play therapy, developmental and psychometric assessments,  working with the multi disciplinary team and using one way mirror observation.

Anca worked on the growth processes triggered by play therapy, including regression. For example, child speaking in baby voice, sitting on mom’s lap, then maturing and becoming more independent. The supervisor was Associate Professor Deon van Zyl. She then joined Strekfontien Psychiatric Hospital, Krugersdorp, South Africa as a Clinical Psychologist in 1981 with most of her work focusing on Management of Community Child Psychiatry Services.

From June 1986 – March 1992 she worked at Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa as a Clinical Psychologist at the Child & Family Unit and Adult Outpatients in the areas of, clinical, psychometric and child developmental assessments, case presentations, staff supervision, psychotherapy, family counselling and play therapy. Through her experience within the multidisciplinary team and her work with occupational therapists, she gained insight into the correlation between psychological health and sensorimotor development.

Influence of Jean Ayers
In 1987, Anca studied Jean Ayers' book, Sensory Integration and Learning Disorders, prescribed for occupational therapists. Jean Ayers describes the direct formative relationship between sensorimotor development ( for example, motor coordination) and cognitive development (language and abstract reasoning) and psycho-social development (self esteem and self control). Based on this foundation Anca gains new insight into child development psychological theory, describing the first seven years of the child’s life as the sensorimotor phase. She understands the importance of the balance (vestibular) system in nervous system development and function.

Anca later utilized the concepts from Jean Ayers within her psychology practice, integrating techniques relating to the vestibular system.

In order to understand the way the sensorimotor phase impacts emotional and cognitive development in children, Anca studied research and theory of sensory systems for vision, hearing, balance and movement.

Professional development
Anca Ramsden was trained in Guy Berard’s Auditory Integration Training in 1999 by Rosalie Seymore, speech and language therapist. She integrated A.I.T., a form of sound therapy used to treat Auditory Processing Disorder, into her psychology and psychotherapy practice.

Anca received tuition in sensorimotor development concepts and interventions from colleagues who formed part of the multi disciplinary team in child mental health care centers.

In 1991 she worked in conjunction with Rita Edwards, occupational therapist and Sensory Integration therapist and was educated regarding paediatric sensorimotor development interventions.

In order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the role of vision in psychotherapy she trained with Dr Elle MacDonald, psychologist, in sensorimotor and psychotherapy interventions in 1992. This was augmented by private tuition with Leonard Fine, behavioral optometrist, through education in behavioral vision training in 2005. Anca further developed these interventions as psychotherapy tools.

In 2008 Anca sought training from Petra Rubacek in applying sensorimotor development interventions based on the work of Peter Blythe and Sally Goddard in neurophysiological psychology, which enabled her to understand and incorporate early childhood movement development into a psychotherapy modality.

Anca currently runs her private practice in Sydney as a Full-time Clinical Psychologist (1993 - Present), counselling adults, children and families, and specializing in treating children with developmental,  emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties.

Play therapy

 * Axline. M.V. Play Therapy, Houghton Mifflin Company, Massachusetts, U.S.A., 1947
 * Klein.M. The psychoanalysis of children. The Hogarth Press, London 1973
 * Moustakas, C.E. Psychotherapy with Children. Harper and Row Publishers ,New York, 1959
 * Rogers, C.R. Client Centered Therapy. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston,1942

Child development

 * Bowlby,J. Attachment, vol 1of Attachment and loss, New York: Basic Books, Harmondsworth, Penguin Books, 1971
 * Erikson, E.H., Childhood and society. W.W.Norton, New York 1950
 * Horney, K., Neurosis and Human Growth, Routledge and Kegan Paul, London 1951
 * Maier, H. Three Theories of Child Development. Harper International, Singapore 1969
 * Piaget, J. The construction of reality and the child. Basic Books, New York 1954

Family systems theory

 * Ackerman N.W., Family process, Basil Books, Inc. New York, 1970
 * Sullivan, H.S. The interpersonal theory of psychiatry. W.W.Norton and Company, Inc, New York, 1953

Further influential books and works

 * Ayers, A.J. Sensory Integration and Learning Disorders. Western Psychological Services, Los Angeles 1978
 * Bates, W.H. Better Eyesight without Glasses. Thorsons, California 1977
 * Berard, G. Hearing equals Behavior. Keats Publishing Co. New Canna, Connecticut 1993
 * Cozolino, L.J. The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy, W.W. Norton and Company, New York, 2002
 * Goddard, Sally. Reflexes, Learning and Behavior. Fern Ridge Press, Oregon 2002
 * Tomatis, A. Education and Dyslexia. France-Quebec Editions, Montreal 1978
 * Tomatis, A. The Ear and Language. Editions de Seuil, Paris 1963
 * Rossi, E. L. The Psychobiology of Mind-Body Healing. W.W. Norton and Company, Inc. London 1992
 * Le Doux, J. The Emotional Brain. The Orion Publishing Group, 1998
 * Schore, A.N. Affect Regulation and the Origin of the Self, W.W..Norton and Company, New York, 1994
 * Schore, A.N. Affect Regulation and the Repair of the Self, W.W..Nortonand Company, New York, 2003
 * Shapiro, F. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing : Basic principles, protocols and procedures. Guilford Press, New York 1995