Academic Qualifications: PhD (Clinical Psychology) (University of Queensland) December 2008 Bachelor of Psychological Science (Hons) (University of Queensland) December 2002 I examine the application of meaning making theory to a range of stressful life events. These include mental illness, physical illness, caregiving, relationship breakups, divorce, and natural disaster. In particular, I examine the interpersonal context (e.g., within couples, families and groups) in which we find meaning and adjust to highly stressful events.
Articles
Sense making and benefit in couples who have a child with Asperger syndrome: An application of the Actor-Partner Independence Model (with Kenneth I. Pakenham and Kate Sofronoff), Autism (2012)
Parents of children with Asperger syndrome face many challenges that may lead them to search...
Finding benefits in the aftermath of Australia's Black Saturday bushfires: Can distant witnesses find benefits and do benefits found relate to better adjustment? (with Kerrilee Hollows), Traumatology (2012)
This study aimed to extend the meaning literature beyond finding meaning in personal trauma by...
Alexithymia in relation to parental alcoholism, everyday frontal lobe functioning and alcohol consumption in a non-clinical sample (with Michael Lyvers, Roy Onuoha, and Fred Arne Thorberg), Addictive behaviors (2012)
Background: Recent studies have indicated that 45–67% of those in treatment for alcohol use disorders...
The nature of benefit finding in parents of a child with Asperger syndrome (with Kenneth I. Pakenham and Kate Soffronoff), Research in autism spectrum disorders (2009)
The present study examined the nature of benefit finding in 220 parents of a child...
The nature of sense making in parenting a child with Asperger syndrome (with K Pakenham and K Sofronoff), Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders (2008)
The present study examined the nature of sense making in 218 parents who have a...
Books
Carers in contemporary Australia: Relations among carer illness/disability groups, biographics, caring context, coping and distress (with K I. Pakenham, P Stebbins, and T Cannon) (2005)
Providing care and support to a relative or friend who has an illness, disease or...