Community of Practice Conference 2025

Amanda Curran is an AHPRA registered Psychologist and supervisor of provisional and registered psychologists. She has worked across acute settings, primary care, non-government agencies, the private sector, for peak bodies and government. Amanda is currently the Chief Psychologist of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi), oversees clinical governance of AAPi, and advocates to State and Federal government on matters related to the psychology profession.

Amanda Curran is the lead author of member resources, submissions, and guidelines for the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.  She is co-author of a recent publication “Defining Neurodiversity Affirming Psychology Practice for Autistic adults: A Delphi study with professional and lived experience experts” Authors –Rebecca L Flower, Rachel Jellett, Rebekah Benna, Simon Buryb, Marie Camina, Amanda Curran, Joshua Muggleton, Ellen Richardson, Stephanie Watts, Joanne Lawrence, Alison Nuske, Bianca Calabria , Monique Mitchelson, Haylea Hodges, Red Levy-Knoll & Rachel Jellett. 

She is currently a PhD candidate at LaTrobe University researching the experience of Disabled Psychologists in Australia.  She also acts as a peer reviewer for the Autism in Adulthood journal.

Andrew is a psychologist and APS member of close to 30 years, with extensive supportive and leadership roles within many APS Member Groups.

His broad range of careers and experiences across many different disciplines and settings, including navigating various intersectionality issues in a diversity of contexts, provides innovative lenses to apply and integrate psychology beyond clinical paradigms.

He has extensive working experience in community, secondary and tertiary educational contexts, and leadership roles in various LGBTIQA+, multicultural and spiritual/religious spheres.

He is a past recipient of the Division of General Psychological Practice Significant Contribution Award in psychology education, sexuality education, leadership, and innovative member engagement.

Belle Selkirk is a Noongar woman from the southwest of Western Australia. As a Clinical Psychologist, Ahpra Board Approved Supervisor, and researcher, Belle aspires to contribute to the field of Indigenous psychology that amplifies the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Belle is a Research Fellow for the Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing (TIMHWB) grant, and the Australian Indigenous Psychology Education Project (AIPEP) under the leadership of Professor Pat Dudgeon AM. She has led key initiatives in decolonising psychology education and practice, including the AIPEP Community of Practice, Listening More: Embedding Cultural Safety in Supervision resources, the Indigenous Knowledges in Psychology collection with the Australian Journal of Psychology, and Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding 4e – the only psychology textbook that embeds Indigenous perspectives throughout each study area in psychology.

Belle is also the co-chair of the Ahpra Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Strategy Group for Psychology. Her main areas of focus are Indigenous psychology, social-emotional-wellbeing, culturally informed therapeutic practice, and cultural safety in psychological practice.

In 2024 Belle was awarded the Indigenous Allied Health Australia Excellence in Cultural Responsiveness Award. She is an active member of the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association (AIPA).

Bethany Wootton is a Clinical Psychologist and Professor in Clinical Psychology at the University of Technology Sydney. Clinically, Prof. Wootton focuses on the treatment of anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, and her research primarily focuses on improving the assessment and identification of these conditions, as well as the development and evaluation of remote psychological treatments in order to improve access to evidence-based treatment.

David believes in the potential of people and has built a career focused on future possibilities while respecting the past. He is dedicated to equity, access, and quality, regardless of an individual’s birthright. David is a passionate and experienced higher education and public sector transformation and development leader.

With over 30 years of experience leading change and growth, he has held senior roles in Australian higher education, including Chief Operating Officer at universities, Chair of the Universities Australia Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Corporate) group, and Director of the South Australian Department of Education. In these roles, he was responsible for higher education, independent school funding, statutory bodies, and external stakeholder engagement. Previously, David was CEO of one of a few fully funded Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) NGOs, collaborating with local partners in South, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Africa.

Originally from Southern Africa, David and his family moved to Australia in 1999. During the apartheid years, he was a national student leader and activist, later leading a rural education NGO for six years – a role recognised by President Nelson Mandela with a Presidential Education Award. David also led the South African parliamentary transformation and reform program, supporting the transition of the newly democratic South African parliamentary system, funded by the European Union.

David holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Education (Adult Education).

Debbie is an experienced clinical neuropsychologist working in private practise in Brisbane. She trained at the University of Melbourne (B.A. (Hons), M.A. (Clinical Neuropsychology) and has practised in Queensland since completing her course in 1989. She initially worked in public hospital settings before moving into full time private work.

Her work has evolved into almost full time medicolegal referrals. She evaluates clients primarily as an independent expert in medicolegal cases (personal injuries, decision making capacity and cognitive aspects of capacity to stand trial in criminal matters).  She enjoys the challenge of fully evaluating complex cases, and had given evidence in legal proceedings on a number of occasions.  She has several publications and conference presentations related to this work, which demonstrate her commitment to evidence-based practise.

Throughout her career Debbie has been active in professional organisations, and currently serves on the Board of ACNpA.  She is passionate about training the next generation of professionals, and undertakes casual lecturing at QUT, supervises clinical neuropsychology registrars and speaks at various educational events for other professions about the role of neuropsychology.  She also has a small team of neuropsychologists at Brisbane Neuropsychology Clinic – who specialise in evidence based cognitive assessment.

Dr Dianne Wepa originates from Aotearoa New Zealand and is descended from Ngāti Kahungunu. She has recently commenced her role as Senior Project Officer for the Cultural Safety Project with AIPEP.

Dianne brings over 25 years of experience in nursing, social work and cultural safety education. Her expertise includes curriculum development and research on digital disparities, suicide prevention and Indigenous health. She has held academic leadership positions at Charles Darwin University, Auckland University of Technology and the University of Bradford in the UK.

Her third textbook, Cultural Safety in Aotearoa New Zealand, will be published by Cambridge University Press in late 2025.

Emily Johnson is a Clinical Psychologist and Deputy Director of Psychology at Monash Health. She has over 19 years of experience across diverse public health settings, including a specialist service for personality disorders, community mental health teams, and inpatient aged rehabilitation. Clinically, Emily specialises in therapeutic and systemic interventions for individuals with personality disorders. In her current role, she drives strategic initiatives focused on evidence-based care, professional governance, and workforce development. Emily also oversees industrial relations and leads multiple psychology teams delivering services to inpatient medical wards. Although new to accreditation, Emily approaches it with a strong focus on training psychologists to deliver safe and effective care.

Emma-Jane Harrison in an endorsed Organisational Psychologist with over 25 years’ industry experience, both public and private sector. Her areas of speciality include Psychological Assessment and Development, Outplacement and Career Transition, Leadership and Organisational Development, and the supervision of provisional and early career psychologists. She has coordinated the placement program in the Master of Organisational Psychology (UQ) since 2009 and is a representative of the Australian Psychology Placement Alliance (APPA), bringing national perspectives on postgraduate psychology placement management and coordination.

To complement her industry and university experience she is interested in understanding how the process of supervised practice impacts the trainee confidence, competence and professional identity. Her research focuses on the dynamic process of supervisee goal progress and supervisor support during postgraduate training.

Professor Gavin Beccaria is currently the Acting Head of School and Dean for the School of Psychology and Wellbeing at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ). He is a practicing clinical psychologist has been a registered Psychologist since 1993. Gavin has extensive supervision and teaching experience with psychology students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and he has provided clinical supervision for over 500 psychologists and psychologists in training. He has either directly taught or supervised approximately 5% of all clinical psychologists in Australia.

Gavin has had a strong commitment to his profession throughout his career.  He most recently served Treasurer for the APS college of Clinical Psychology (2022 – 2024). He also was the Chair College of Clinical Psychologists Qld Section (2022 – 2024). From 1999 – 2001 has served Chair and Secretary Toowoomba Branch of the Australian Psychological Society, and from 2007 to 2009 he served as branch secretary. He is also an Assessor for the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council.

Gavin has taught at USQ since 2007, he was the coordinator of the Clinical Psychology Program from 2014 – 2018, and Toowoomba Psychology Masters Program Lead from 2019 – 2022. He has been successful for several internal learning and teaching awards.

Gavin has over 50 peer reviewed publications. He has written book chapters on mental health assessment, diagnosis, and disorders. He has also published in high-ranking scholarly journals on a wide range of topics including metal health, domestic violence, learning and teaching, work and career, clinical assessment, natural therapies, and Indigenous mental health. He has been successful for over $3M worth of grants including NHMRC.

Prior to moving to academia in 2007, Gavin was the Director of Psychology in Darling Downs Health Service District. He worked as a psychologist for Qld Health between 1994 and 2007 across the lifespan in both general and mental health. Gavin is married to Associate Professor Lisa Beccaria from the UniSQ School of Nursing and Midwifery. They have two adult children.

Jacky is an Honorary Professor in the School of Psychology, UNSW Sydney. She has extensive undergraduate education experience for which she has won numerous UNSW/national/international awards and fellowships. She is currently co-leading the International Collaboration on Undergraduate Psychology Outcomes (ICUPO) project, which has produced the International Competences for Undergraduate Psychology (ICUP) foundational competence model.

Jacky is a Fellow of the UNSW Scientia Education Academy, the Australian Psychological Society, and the International Federation of National Teaching Fellows (https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/professor-jacquelyn-cranney). She has contributed to and led national and international psychology education committees as well as communities of practice for educators. Her current activities have two foci: (1) undergraduate psychology education (https://icupo.org) and psychological literacy (https://psychliteracy.com); and (2) university student self-management, academic success, and wellbeing (https://teaching.unsw.edu.au/HealthyUni).

Associate Professor Jacqui Yoxall is Head of Psychology (Australia) at Southern Cross University, Chair of Psychological and Social Health leading 5 discipline groups; Director of Clinical Services for the SCU Student Health Clinic;  and a registered psychologist with three decades of professional practice experience.

She is passionate about advancing the psychology discipline in Australia and ensuring that education remains contemporary, applied, and responsive to professional practice demands. A committed academic leader and scholar, Jacqui has led major curriculum and accreditation reforms across multiple disciplines including psychology, developed innovative practice-based learning models, and championed interprofessional and inclusive education.

Her teaching and leadership are driven by a strong belief in preparing students for ethical, practice-ready careers and strengthening the discipline and profession’s contribution to Australian communities.

A Registered Psychologist with Endorsement in Clinical Psychology, Jillian works in private practice and is a long-standing employer and board-approved supervisor of psychologists, across the career span. Jillian’s areas of clinical interest include perinatal and infant mental health, developmental trauma and neglect, traumatic brain injury, emergency services and veteran mental health.

An experienced Company Director and Graduate of the AICD, Jillian has held corporate and clinical governance roles in primary care, including as a Director of a Primary Health Network. In 2018 Jillian was appointed to the Medicare Review Taskforce’s Mental Health Reference Group and continues to consult with government and other stakeholders in the mental health and primary care sector.

Jillian is currently the national health policy Chair of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists. She is a Director of the Blue Knot Foundation and President of the Applied Neuroscience Society of Australasia.

Jody is a clinical neuropsychologist of British and Dutch descent. She has worked in private practice, public health services and research roles for over a decade and is an Aphra Board Approved Supervisor.

In 2020, Jody co-chaired the national neuropsychology conference in partnership with the Australian Indigenous Psychology Association (AIPA) which had a focus on decolonising neuropsychology and Indigenous psychology. Her clinical work is framed by a decolonising and culturally responsive approach and includes neuropsychology assessment in the context of justice settings. Jody spent two years in a community role where she co-developed two Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEWB) services in the Fitzroy Valley, Central Kimberley region of Western Australia.

She has since returned home to Awabakal Country (Newcastle) to commence a PhD in decolonising neuropsychological practices with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, under Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander governance. She recently coauthored a Bugmy Bar Book report on “Decision-making and emotional and behavioural regulation in 18 to 25-year-olds: A neurodevelopmental perspective” (forthcoming).

John is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at the School of Psychological Science at the University of Western Australia and at the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide. Previously, he has been the Chair of APAC, Chair of HODSPA and Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide.

He is a Fellow of the Psychonomic Society and a member of the Association for Psychological Science, the International Association of Applied Psychology, the Cognitive Science Society, Society for Mathematical Psychology and the Australasian Mathematical Psychology Society.

John obtained his PhD in 1984 from the University of Western Australia. He has since worked at the University of Western Australia, the University of Queensland, the University of Adelaide, Murdoch University and Edith Cowan University.

His research is focused on cognitive psychology, human memory, reasoning, decision-making, cognitive modelling, mathematical psychology and methodological issues in human experimental psychology. He has published more than 80 peer-reviewed scientific papers and one book.

Kathryn Kallady is an Educational & Developmental Psychologist. She has worked across various settings including public and private schools, tertiary settings as well as public health settings. She has worked in private practice servicing regional areas in delivery of neurodevelopmental assessment and therapy. She has assisted in research including the Monash Autism and ADHD Genetics (MAGNET) Project. An enthusiastic educator, she is a PsyBA approved supervisor, providing training to future psychologists and has taught at Monash University. She is a clinical trainer for Pearson Assessment. She enjoys working with different disciplines and multidisciplinary settings.  She has been able to help facilitate workplace change at Monash University by engaging in the Occupational Health and Safety: Psychosocial Risk OHS Team.

A dedicated member of the Australian Psychological Society, she has been Chair for the Victorian Branch of the College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists (CEDP).  She has assisted with the CEDP in delivering professional development as well as chairing their 2023 conference.

Professor Linda Byrne is a senior academic leader and clinical neuropsychologist with more than 25 years’ experience across higher education, research, and clinical practice. She is currently Dean of the Faculty of Psychology, Counselling and Psychotherapy at The Cairnmillar Institute, one of Australia’s largest postgraduate training providers in psychology. She is a former APAC assessor and member of the APAC AAC.

Professor Byrne has previously held senior leadership roles at Deakin University, including Deputy Head of School (Psychology) and Associate Head of School (Teaching and Learning), where she oversaw major curriculum reforms and international partnerships. Her academic leadership is complemented by a strong research record, with over 60 peer-reviewed publications and several million in competitive and industry-linked research funding in areas including clinical neuropsychology, digital mental health, professional development in psychology, and applied neuroscience.

As a Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Neuropsychologists, she continues limited clinical practice to remain connected to professional issues in assessment, rehabilitation, and brain health. Professor Byrne is passionate about fostering high-quality, evidence-based psychology education that integrates research, clinical practice, and innovation across diverse learning environments.

Dr Megan Jenkins is a clinical psychologist and experienced academic leader and educator dedicated to strengthening Australia’s psychology workforce through innovative training and systems reform. As Head of Clinical Services and Programs at Federation University, she oversees postgraduate psychology programs and placements and leads FedCare Psychology Services. Her work focuses on expanding placement opportunities, improving access to psychological services, and ensuring high-quality, practice-based learning for emerging practitioners.

PhD, MPsych (Clinical), GC Tertiary Education (Management), GC (Tertiary Teaching), BA (Psych) (Hons)

Melissa is an experienced academic and leader in psychology education. She is currently the National Discipline Lead for psychology programs in the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Notre Dame Australia.

Before this Melissa held the role of Associate Dean (Psychology and Criminology) at Edith Cowan University (ECU).

She has also held other leadership roles in psychology education including the inaugural course coordinator of the Graduate Diploma and Graduate Diploma of Psychology (Advanced) at ECU, Master of Professional Psychology at both ECU and Curtin University, and the Director of Teaching and Learning in the School of Psychology and Speech Pathology at Curtin University.

Melissa has also held roles on national committees related to psychology education and training, including the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, APS Division of Education, Research and Training, APS Psychology Education Interest Group and the Psychology Board of Australia National Psychology Examination Committee.

She has substantial experience in professional accreditation as a member of the APAC Accreditation Assessment Committee (AAC) and member of the Australian Dietetics Council Assessment Committee.

Melissa has a professional background as a clinical psychologist working with children and adolescents. She teaches and supervises postgraduate psychology students and her research interests focus around psychology education, including competency development and assessment and psychology trainee wellbeing.

Rachel Dryer is an Associate Professor and Head of Discipline for Psychology at the Australian Catholic University. She is also the Indigenous Perspective Coordinator in the School of Behavioural and Health Science (Strathfield campus).

Rachel is a registered psychologist with research expertise in psychological assessment and health psychology with a focus on women’s perinatal and postnatal wellbeing. She has published numerous scientific manuscripts in leading international journals such as Journal of Affective Disorders, Psychological Assessment, Assessment, and Child Abuse & Neglect. Two of her recent book publications include Pregnancy-related anxiety: Theory, research, and practice (published as part of the Routledge Series in Women’s Mental Health) and Perinatal care and considerations for survivors of child abuse: Challenges and opportunities (Palgrave MacMillan).

She and her research colleagues have also developed the Pregnancy-related Anxiety Scale (PrAS), a psychometrically sound measure to screen for the presence of this distinct form of anxiety experienced by pregnant women. This scale has now been translated and adapted for use in Germany, Indonesia, Turkey and Ghana.

Rachel has taught various subjects across undergraduate, honours and postgraduate psychology coursework programs. She commenced as an APAC Assessor in 2022.

Rachel Phillips is an endorsed Clinical Psychologist, Board-approved supervisor of provisional psychologists and Chair of the Psychology Board of Australia. Rachel has worked predominantly in the public health sector across a variety of settings, including acute hospital, community child and youth mental health, and alcohol and drug outpatients. She has more recently worked in psychology leadership positions and hospital administration roles. She has also worked in private practice – as a sole practitioner, within large practices, and with psychiatrists. Rachel has had a longstanding role as a clinical supervisor of provisional psychologists completing the different pathways to general registration as well as registrars in clinical psychology.

Rachel’s experience in psychology regulation started when she was appointed to the National Psychology Examination committee in 2010 and assumed the Chair role in 2017. She was appointed to the Queensland Regional Board in 2014 and to the Psychology Board of Australia in August 2015.

Sahra is the President of the Australian Association of Psychologists, a Registered Psychologist, and co-director of Mindscape Psychology and Allied Health in Sydney’s Inner West. Sahra is an intersectional feminist psychologist, a political psychologist, and is interested in critical psychology, liberation psychology, and how systems of power influence the mental health of individuals and communities, and governs how psychologists work.

Sahra has been on the Board of AAPi for 6 years, and has contributed to government submissions, senate inquiries, member support, and policy and workforce working groups and reforms, working with her AAPi colleagues to build a psychology profession and workforce that is diverse, sustainable, and equitable for all.

Sonja Pohlman is the Postgraduate Professional Psychology Placement Coordinator at the University of Newcastle, NSW, and an endorsed Clinical Psychologist and Board-Approved Supervisor. A founding member of the Australian Psychology Placement Alliance (APPA), she currently chairs the NSW/ACT Placement Alliance (NAPC) and the NSW/ACT 5+1 Placement Coordinator Network.

Sonja represents APPA on the PsyBA Accreditation and Training Project Reference Group for the Higher Education redesign project and contributes to national research on competency assessment as a co-author of the Practicum Competencies Assessment Measure (PCAM) and collaborator on the VMAT-CYPRS measure.

With eight years in higher education and extensive experience coordinating placements across Clinical and 5+1 programs, Sonja is dedicated to fostering ethical, sustainable, and high-quality training experiences that support the growth of future psychologists and the evolving profession.

Stephanie is a graduate of Monash University and Australian Catholic University, holding a Master of Public Policy and a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology and History).

Her research skills enable her to analyse complex societal issues and contribute to evidence-based policy recommendations.

Passionate about understanding societal dynamics, she strives to apply her academic insights to real-world challenges, ensuring that her work supports informed decision-making and positive policy outcomes.

Tony is a distinguished psychological scientist and organizational researcher with a focus on workplace health, safety, and wellbeing. He has extensive experience in creating and managing educational programs to enhance psychological workforce literacy and career options for psychology graduates. He is a member of the International Collaboration on Undergraduate Psychology Outcomes (ICUPO) project.

Tony is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and has extensive experience as a leading psychology educator since 1992. He was Head of the UniSQ School of Psychology (2008-2018), Treasurer of the Heads of Departments and Schools of Psychology Association (HODSPA Inc) from 2008-2018, an assessor for the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (2019-2025), and Chair of the organising committee for the 2017 Inaugural Australian Psychology Learning and Teaching Conference (AusPLAT). He strongly advocates for psychology education to be based on and led by psychological science and include open science principles.

He participates in international collaborations between psychology educators from ICOPE Inc, STP, ESPLAT and Australia to support the development of psychology education. He recently presented at the Biennial International Symposium for Teaching of Psychological Science (BISTOPS2024). He has contributed as a member of the ICOPE Inc committee since 2022 and served as the Secretary for the ICOPE Inc for the 2023-4 term. He is currently President-elect of ICOPE Inc.

Vina M. Goghari, Ph.D., C.Psych. is a professor of clinical psychology and the Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation at the School of Graduate Studies at the University Toronto. Her current professional and research interests are in psychosis and mood disorders, understanding graduate student mental health, as well as education and training. She has served on the Canadian Psychological Association Accreditation Panel, as well as being involved in the recent revision of the Accreditation Standards.

She is the former Editor of Canadian Psychology, the flagship journal of the Canadian Psychological Association, and an Associate Editor of Clinical Psychological Science and Schizophrenia Bulletin. She was awarded two prestigious national awards in 2021, the Canadian Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology and the Canadian Council of Professional Psychology Program Award for Excellence in Professional Training – Academic.