The Australian National University
Department of Psychology
document location: http://psychology.anu.edu.au/clinical-health/index.asp

Clinical and Health Psychology

Social PsychologyThe clinical and health psychology group at the ANU undertakes research and provides research supervision in a range of areas related to better understanding and managing psychological disorders and distress, models of psychological adjustment and the interface between health and psychology. Members of the group teach on the post-graduate professional training programs in clinical psychology (M.Clin Psych., D.Psych, & PhD (Clinical Psychology)) as well as in the undergraduate psychology curriculum in abnormal psychology across the lifespan, personality theory, personality assessment, and health psychology. Our current research includes work on interpersonal functioning and psychological attachment in adolescents and adults, the study of child and family psychology and school psychology, investigations of the relationship between language and psychopathology and on the nature and development of anxiety disorders particularly OCD and PTSD, work on occupational stress and cardiovascular disease, adolescent stress, tobacco use in young people, coping with cancer and its treatment, and the study of illicit drug use. Research supervision is possible in all of these areas.

Faculty

Dr Jay BRINKER
Research & supervision
Key Interests : Geriatric psychology, developmental theories of aging, late life depression and depression in the general population, cognitive factors in depression, specifically rumination.
Current Teaching

Undergraduate:

PSYC3020 ( Health Psychology )  Co-teach with L. Reiger

Testing and Assessment (Honours Course) 

Graduate:

Research Methods in Clinical and Health Psychology

Working With Special Populations

Dr Phillipa BUTCHER
Research & supervision
Key Interests : Developmental neuropsychology, developmental disabilities, plasticity
Current Teaching

Coordinator PSYC2002 (Developmental Psychology)

Coordinator (with Dr Ross Wilkinson) PSYC3026 (Personality & the Assessment of Individual Differences)

Lecturer PSYC1004 (Understanding people in Context)

Professor Don BYRNE
Research & supervision
Key Interests : Health and cllnical psychology including stress; adolescence; smoking; stress; Type A behaviour; cancer; coping, child health
Current Teaching

Undergraduate – PSYC3020 (Health Psychology) offered annually at the third year level and co-taught with Dr Jay Brinker.

Postgraduate – Semester length courses in Presentation of Psychological Abnormality and Health Psychology in the first and second years respectively of the programs in Clinical Psychology.

I was also responsible for the development of the human behaviour components of the ANU Graduate Medical Course and provide regular teaching in that course.

Ms Antoinette HARMER
Research & supervision
Dr Bernd HEUBECK
Research & supervision
Key Interests : Clinical child & family psychology, school psychology, psychological therapy, parent training, psychological assessment, program evaluation
Current Teaching
  • coordinator PSYC3025 (Abnormal Psychology Across the Lifespan) with Dr. Richard O'Kearney

Postgraduate Clinical Program

  • coordinator Clinical Child Psychology (Assessment and Treatment of Child Behaviour Problems)
  • coordinator Principles and Practices of Psychological Therapy
Dr Richard O'KEARNEY
Research & supervision
Key Interests : Clinical psychology including language and psychopathology; emotion regulation; anxiety disorders
Current Teaching

Undergraduate

  • coordinator PSYC3025(Abnormal Psychology Across the Lifespan)

Postgraduate Clinical Program

  • Director of Clinical Programs
  • lecturer Models and Methods I (Anxiety Disorders and Depression)
  • lecturer Models and Methods II (OCD)
  • lecturer Psychological Interventions I (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy)
Mr Salih OZGUL
Research & supervision
Key Interests : Anxiety disorders, grief and bereavement, depression, body dysmorphic disorder, trichotillomania, shame and guilt, primary care
Dr Elizabeth RIEGER
Research & supervision
Key Interests : Eating disorders, obesity, body image, psychological interventions (including cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational enhancement therapy and interpersonal psychotherapy)
Current Teaching

Undergraduate: Health Psychology (PSYC3020) for third year undergraduate students which I co-teach with Dr Jay Brinker and Professor Don Byrne

Postgraduate: Interpersonal Approaches to Psychotherapy for second year clinical psychology students; Advanced Clinical Workshops with third year clinical psychology students

Dr Ross WILKINSON
Research & supervision
Key Interests : Clinical psychology; interpersonal relationships; adult and adolescent attachment; psychological well-being and adjustment
Current Teaching

Undergraduate Program

  • Coordinator (with Dr Phillipa Butcher) PSYC3026 (Personality & the Assessment of Individual Differences)
  • Coordinator PSYC1005 (Life Issues: Applying Psychology)

Postgraduate Clinical Program

  • Coordinator Clinical Psychological Assessment

Associates

Dr John BROWN
Research & supervision
Key interests : Long-term cognitive and perceptual effects of ecstasy and amphetamines
Dr Jeff WARD
Research & supervision
Key Interests : Clinical psychology including empathy and theory of mind; psychotherapy research; personality disorder; jealousy
Current Teaching
Currently I teach personality psychology in the undergraduate program:
  • lecturer PSYC1001 ( Introduction to Psychology )
  • coordinator (with Dr Ross Wilkinson) PSYC3026 ( Personality & the Assessment of Individual Differences )

In the postgraduate clinical psychology program, I teach courses on interpersonal approaches to psychotherapy and on psychological approaches to the treatment of drug and alcohol problems.