Associate Professor Dion Khlentzos

Discipline Lead, Counselling
PhD, BSc Hons (Psych), GDip Couns, BA, GDip Ed (USyd)

Email: dion.khlentzos@nd.edu.au

  • Biography

    Dion has been an educator, researcher and manager in tertiary institutions for over 15 years. He is a counsellor and psychologist, and has maintained a small private practice over this same time period.

    Before joining the University of Notre Dame, Dion was the Head of the School of Counselling and Senior Lecturer at Excelsia University College, and before that, the Program Director of Counselling at the Jansen Newman Institute (now part of Torrens University Australia).

    He has also trained volunteers in crisis telephone counselling  Dion is passionate about mental health for individuals, their families and the community. He has a particular interest in research related to Christianity, attachment,  mental health, gender and parenting. He has also published in the areas of domestic and family violence and Christian higher education.

  • Teaching areas

    • Mental Health
    • Research Methods
    • Research Project
    • Developmental Psychology

  • Research expertise and supervision

    • Religious faith and mental health
    • Attachment relationships in higher education students
    • Christianity, cultural attitudes and group identity
    • Gender and domestic and family violence

  • Book chapters

    • Khlentzos, D.S. (2023). Domestic and family violence in Australia: Moving from competing perspectives to practical responses for the Christian church. In K. Beilharz, M. Miner & J. Fernandez (Eds.), In Redeeming truth and community in the age of individualism (pp. 53-78). Avondale Academic Press.
    • Khlentzos, D.S. (2023). Educating within Christian and secular worldviews: Implications for counsellor training. In M. Miner & K. Beilharz (Eds.), Embracing diversity (pp. 181-200). Information Age Publishing.

  • Journal articles and proceedings

    • Miner, M & Khlentzos, D.S. (2023) Helping the healers by supporting secure attachment relationships with God. Journal of Contemporary Ministry, 7, 65-79.
    • Miner, M., Khlentzos, D.S., Farag, I. & Poole, L. (2025). Secure base and classroom exploration processes of Australian higher education students: A qualitative study (article submitted for publication).
    • Khlentzos, D.S., Farag, I. & Poole, L. (2025). Attachment and Classroom Exploration among higher education students (article submitted for publication).

  • Conference papers

    • Miner, M. & Khlentzos, D.S. (2020). Helping the healers by supporting secure attachment relationships with God. Association of Practical Theology (APTO) Conference 2020.
    • Khlentzos, D.S. (2021). Preventing domestic violence through an emotion-focused parenting program for fathers in addiction recovery. Australian & New Zealand Addiction Conference 2021.
    • Khlentzos, D.S. (2023).Christian views not welcome: How publicly sanctioned beliefs about diversity are excluding a diversity of beliefs. Lumen Conference presentation, Sydney.

  • Professional affiliations

    • Clinical member, Christian Counsellors' Association (CCAA); Member, Australian Association of Psychologists (MAAPi)