Dr Suzanne Jenkins

Biography

Dr Suzanne Jenkins coordinates and lectures across the Counselling degrees on the Fremantle campus of Notre Dame. She also supervises HDR students. Prior to her employment at Notre Dame, Suzanne worked in private practice as a Consultant, Trainer and Therapist, specialising in the fields of interpersonal violence, child sexual abuse, trauma and child protection. Suzanne obtained her degree in psychology and her qualification in social work at the University of Liverpool (UK), her Masters of Science:Social Services Management at the University of Lancaster (UK), and her Doctor of Counselling at the University of Notre Dame, Australia. In the role of 'guest' lecturer, Suzanne has lectured at Murdoch University (Law School) on Child Sexual Abuse and the Family Court, at Edith Cowan University (MSc. Forensic Psychology) on the Evaluation and Management of Perpetrators of Sexual Offences, at the University of Liverpool (UK) (Masters of Clinical Psychology) on Attachment, Bonding, Separation and Loss and (Postgraduate Diploma in Child Protection) on Memory, Play, Language and Drawing, and at the University of Birmingham (Diploma of Clinical Criminology) on Working with Sexual Offenders. She has provided 'Court Expert' testimony in the UK, Ireland and interstate Australia, in both civil and criminal matters. Suzanne migrated to Western Australia from the UK in December, 1995.

Teaching areas

Counselling Skills
Counselling and Children
Clinical supervision

Research expertise and supervision

As part of her MSc degree, Suzanne completed a 60,000 word thesis on drug use and policy development in social welfare agencies which included an analysis of the development and management of drug control legislation in the United States and the UK.

Her doctoral thesis was titled 'Indigenous Secondary Education: What implications for counsellors lie in the stories of Indigenous adults, who as children, left their home communities to attend school.'

Suzanne's current research interests include:

curriculum development of culturally competent therapeutic paradigms;
the effects of inequality on wellness;
complex, holistic, interactive and hierarchic systems of wellbeing;
culturally competent research; and
developing models, processes, practices and strategies which support de-colonisation and genuine reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians

Suzanne has acted as reviewer for the publishing houses Palgrave Macmillian, Sage, and John Wiley & Sons, the Journal for Social Work in Health (International), and the Australian Community Psychologist.

She currently supervises HDR students enrolled in Masters and Doctorate degrees.

Books

Jenkins, S. (2013) Indigenous Secondary Education: What implications for counsellors lie in the stories of Indigenous adults, who as children, left their home communities to attend school? Saarbrucken, Germany: Scholar’s Press.

Book chapters

Forthcoming
Jenkins, S. (book chapter) ‘Releasing Privilege: how can we develop Indigenous knowledge and create credible pathways towards de-colonization and genuine reconciliation in Australia in our communities and our schools’, in Hart, M. (ed) International Indigenous Knowledge in Social Work: resurgence, implementation, and collaboration, Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Press.

Journal articles and proceedings

In print

Jenkins, S. (2015) 'Rehabilitating Psychology in Australia: The Journey from Colonising Agent to Cultural Broker,' Psychotherapy and Politics International.

Under review

Jenkins, S., 'What can we learn from the stories of Indigenous adults who, as children, left their home communities to attend school?' Journal of Australian Indigenous Issues.
Jenkins, S. (2013) 'Counselling & Storytelling – How did we get here? Psychotherapy and Politics International, 11 (2), 140-151.
Jenkins, S. (2004)'Developing a Residential Programme for Children in Response to Trauma-Related Behaviours', Children Australia, vol.29, no 3, 22-29.
Jenkins, S. (2002) 'Are Children Protected in the Family Court? A Perspective from Western Australia', The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, vol.23, no3, 145-152.
Jenkins, S. (1999) 'An Argument for Early and Appropriate Intervention with Juvenile Sexual Offenders', Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, Vo.4, no.1, 79-92.
Jenkins, S. (1997) 'Sexual Abuse – A Process not an Event', Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, vol.4, no. 1, 65-71.

Conference papers

Suzanne has been invited to present papers at the following conferences:

2014 7th World Congress for Psychotherapy (Durban, South Africa, 25-29th August).
2014 Joint World Conference on Social Work, Education & Social Development' (Melbourne Convention Centre, 9-12 July, 2014).
2013 'Second International Indigenous Voices in Social Work Conference, Indigenous Knowledges: Resurgence, Implementation & Collaboration (The Fort Garry Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 8-11 July 2013).
2013 Annual Conference See-Scape, Society of Counselling & Psychotherapy Educators (Adelaide University, 27-28 April, 2013).
2012 3rd International Conference on 'Racism in the New World Order: Realities of Culture, Colour & Identity' (Pacific International Hotel, Cairns, 30-31 August, 2012).
2012 Australian Psychological Society 47th Annual Conference (Perth Convention Centre, 27-30 September, 2012).
2011 6th World Congress for Psychotherapy (Sydney Convention Centre, August 24-28, 2011).
2004 39th Australian Psychological Society Annual Conference 'Psychological Science in Action', 29th September -3rd October, Sydney.
2004 WACOSS Conference 2004, 'Bringing on the Changes. New Directions in Community'. 17th-18th June, Perth.
2003 The Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 23rd Annual Congress on 'Trauma and Survival', 25th-28th September, Fremantle.
2003 International Conference on Trauma, Attachment and Dissociation, 12th-14th September, Melbourne.
2003 Australian Institute of Criminology: Child Sexual Abuse: Justice Response or Alternative Resolution, 1st-2nd, November, Adelaide.
2003 10th Annual Conference Australasian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, 31st March-3rd April, Hobart.
2001 The 1st Forensic Psychology Conference, 7th-11th February, Sydney,
1999 The Family Law Practitioners' Conference, Perth. 12th June, 1999.
1998 Australian Association of Social Workers State Conference, Perth.
1998 'The 3rd National Sexuality Education Conference', Perth. 20/21 April.
1997 Australian Crime Prevention Council 8th Biennial Conference, Perth.
1997 Australasian Conference of Police Child Sexual Assault Investigators.
1996 National Conference on Sexual Assault, Perth. 20th-21st June.
1996 Management and Treatment of Sex Offenders - An International Perspective. Perth. 22nd-24th April

Professional affiliations

Australian Psychological Society (APS)
Psychology Board of Australia
Society of Counselling & Psychotherapy Educators (SCAPE)

Community engagement

Suzanne mentors two Counselling graduates employed to develop foundational counselling services in two not-for-profit agencies, working with marginised youth.
She also provides advocacy for vulnerable, at risk individuals and groups.

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