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PsychNews
APS student prizewinners:
UniSA, Rachel Samson
For as long as I
can remember,
I have been
fascinated with
human behaviour
and emotion.
As a student,
this fascination
manifested as a
natural gravitation
toward the science
and practice of
psychology - clinical
psychology in
particular.
As an undergraduate
student, I
endeavoured to
complement my
formal studies in
psychology by pursuing additional research projects and
work experience in the field. During this time, I gained
practical experience working for various not-for-profit
organisations that aim to promote emotional wellbeing
through the delivery of programs and services for a diverse
range of people affected by mental illness and crisis.
Among other things, this pursuit also led me to work
collaboratively on a research project that examined the
self-reported experiences of non-Indigenous Australian
psychologists working in Indigenous contexts. This project
sparked my growing interest in the relationship between
Western psychology and Indigenous Australians, and
resulted in a publication in the area.
Thus, my passion for psychology extends beyond Western
mainstream psychology and includes indigenous and
Eastern psychologies, particularly Buddhism. I have
travelled widely throughout Asia exploring and developing
my interest in Buddhist philosophy and visiting important
Psychologists in the news
“Do or Die”
APS member Dr Travis Kemp will be on ABC2TV in Sept/
Oct hosting a series called “Do or Die” where he takes
workplace groups into a remote part of the outback to go
through a team/crisis situation. Travis will be host and
coach/mentor for these groups. His PhD thesis was on
outdoor experiential education, and he has previously
appeared on shows such as Insight. It’s the first
documentary series of this type commissioned by ABC2
and not at all like “Survivor”! Promotions for the show will
10
UNISA APS psychology prize
places of Buddhist pilgrimage in countries including India,
Nepal, and Thailand. Looking forward, my vision is for the
integration of Western psychology and eastern psychology,
particularly Buddhism. There is evidence this is already
underway as interest in Buddhism proliferates in both
research and clinical settings, and the clinical utility of
ancient Buddhist practises, such as mindfulness, are now
being demonstrated empirically.
As an Honours student I completed my thesis in the area
of adolescent sleep and mood. In particular, the project
aimed to examine whether patterns of adolescents’ sleep,
sleepiness, and mood differed across the school week and
weekend. Successfully completing my honours project
was my challenge and quickly became my passion. As
a practitioner, I aspire to work in the area, specializing
in the treatment of mood disorders, particularly anxiety
and depression in adolescents. For me, the APS prize is a
formal recognition of my passion for, and dedication to, my
studies over the past four years. I have also taken it as a
sign that I am on the right path.
appear on ABC1 later in the year. The broadcast will be
timed for after the Olympics, but exact dates are not yet
available.
Psychs on bikes
The South Australia Newsletter
In last newsletter we featured an article on “Psychs on
Bikes”. As I write the ride has just commenced, (April
14th) and readers will be interested to learn that Chris
Wigg, Chair, Clinical College (SA) and Member, APS State
Branch was participating in the ride. Chris has offered to
share his experience in the next newsletter.
News and views for APS Members in South Australia