School of Psychological Science
Excellence in Teaching

Professional Postgraduate teachers at La Trobe win prestigious teaching awards!

The Professional Postgraduate Programs in Psychology at La Trobe University are proud to offer teaching of an exceptionally high quality. We emphasise strong clinical skills development, supported by intensive supervision and advanced study of theory. In addition, we have a fine record in timely research project completions that enables students to move into their chosen area of work without delay.

We are especially proud of the achievements of three of our professional training academic staff for winning prestigious teaching awards and offer them our warmest congratulations - Professor Eleanor Wertheim (clinical skills development in all programs), Associate Professor Glynda Kinsella (neuropsychology psychology programs), and Dr John Farhall (clinical programs).

Professor Eleanor Wertheim Professor Wertheim specialises in teaching counselling skills, cognitive behaviour therapy, and skills for resolving conflict and she has received three national and two La Trobe University teaching awards. She was the winner of the 2004 Australian Award for University Teaching in Category 1: Biological Sciences, Health and Related Studies. More recently (2006) she received a Carrick Australian Award for University Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, for “Creating learning opportunities that enable students in professional courses to effectively meet the challenges of their professional and personal lives.” Her teaching has been further acknowledged by receiving the 2004 Australian Psychological Society (Directorate of Science) Excellence in Teaching Award.

Associate Professor Glynda Kinsella Associate Professor Kinsella studies neuropsychology to provide a framework to understand the relationship between the brain and everyday behaviour. As a Clinical Neuropsychologist as well as a researcher, she is passionate that our postgraduate training programs in clinical neuropsychology inspire students to develop skills not only in diagnosis of brain damage effects in cognition and behaviour but also skills in translating this knowledge into strategies for intervention and adaptation that will assist individuals and families in day to day activities and relationships. Her teaching has been excellence has been recognised by a 2007 Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning “For sustained commitment to developing innovative professional programs in clinical neuropsychology to enable students to become skilled and effective in meeting community needs.”

Dr John Farhall Dr Farhall has been committed to developing opportunities for postgraduate psychology students to learn about and research severe mental illnesses. His 2007 Carrick Award recognised the strong integration of academic study and professional practice in our professional programs, especially in areas such as psychopathology training. Guests who have disorders contribute their subjective perspective of mental illness to these classes, and the short Intensive Psychopathology Placement directly follows the classroom input with focussed clinical experience. Training such as this enables students to deeply understand mental illness and methods for treating it that are simultaneously evidence-based, effective and empathic.