Creative Hub
About Me
Philosopher • Mental Health Researcher • Programme Lead
I am a philosopher, mental health researcher, social worker, and trained child and adolescent therapist working at the intersection of philosophy, ethics, mental health, and lived experience.
I am an academic staff member in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Otago, Wellington, where I lead World of Difference | He Ao Whakatoihara kore, a lived experience-led education and research programme.
My research examines how we understand mental health and mental health challenges, and the ethical, social, and practical implications of different ways of understanding them.
My current research interests include:
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Lived experience, knowledge & expertise: Exploring how lived experience can contribute to knowledge production, research, teaching, and professional practice, and the ethical questions that arise when lived experience is incorporated into these settings.
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Philosophy, ethics & mental health: Examining concepts of mental health, mental disorder, harm, stigma, care, responsibility, and the ways philosophical and ethical thinking can contribute to mental health scholarship and practice.
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Children, young people & families: Exploring mental health challenges within family relationships, including the experiences and needs of children whose parents live with mental health and addiction challenges.
Alongside my academic work, I have a professional background in social work, and child and adolescent therapy, with more than 15 years' experience across community, not-for-profit, and mental health settings in Aotearoa New Zealand and the UK.
If you would like to read any of my work but you can't gain access online, email me.