Dr Celeste Merrigan

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School of Public Health

Contact Details

Email:C.Merrigan@latrobe.edu.au
Phone: (03) 9479 2567
International: +61 3 9479 2567
Fax: (03) 9479 1783
International: +61 3 9479 1783
Office: HS1-313

Qualifications

BA, GDipAppPsych Swinburne, MPsych Monash, DPsych La Trobe

Masters Degree (Educational and Developmental Psychology)
PhD (Clinical Child Adolsecent and Family Psychology)

Interests

Dr Celeste Merrigan, is a clinical and developmental psychologist.She has a Masters Degree in Educational and Developmental Psychology (Monash University) and a Doctorate in Clinical Child Adolescent and Family Psychology (Latrobe University). She is a full member of the Australian Psychological Society and a member of the College of Clinical Psychologists, In addition, Celeste is a Research Fellow of Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Academic Fellow of the University of Melbourne, and she holds a position on the committee for the College of Clinical Psychologists.

Celeste has had extensive experience with children, adolescents, and families, within the Royal Children's Hospital Mental Health Service and in large public sector organisations and educational institutions as clinician and professional trainer and academic. As lecturer in the School of Public Health, she co-ordinates, teaches, and supervises postgraduate counselling and psychology students.

Celeste is former clinical and academic Fellow of Psychology Department of the Royal Children's Hospital, co-ordinating and teaching in the Doctor of Psychology (Child specialisation) at the University of Melbourne and engaging in clinical practice and supervision. Celeste continues to provide specialist lectures to doctoral students at Melbourne, Monash, and Victoria Universities in the area of clinical child and family psychology. Celeste also provides clinical and research supervision to a range of post-graduate Masters and Doctoral students in psychology from the major universities working in hospitals and other clinical settings as a private consultant.

Research Interests

Celeste's research interests and activities reflect a whole of life span approach to prevention and early intervention initiatives for mental health.

Adjustment of children and adolescents, in particular the prevention and treatment of behavioural and emotional difficulties in children and adolescents
Parenting in general and:
Parenting in the face of major transitions eg separation/divorce/ remarriage/ ill health etc
Parenting children with learning disabilities
Development of the parent as co-therapist model
Burnout in health care professionals
The psychological impact of unemployment on the self/ on parenting / on family adjustment
Exploration of the notion of the "integrated therapist"
Social-emotional factors associated with learning disability
A whole-of-lifespan approach to mental health as such research that has as a focus the promotion, prevention and early intervention for mental health at various life stages and developmental tasks across the lifespan (including research focusing upon aspects of the changing family life cycle).
Application of the behavioural family intervention model to child and family issues
Collaborative parenting programs
Psychological adjustment to unemployment and the impact on family functioning.

Publications

Three papers have been accepted for presentation at the International Child and Adolescent Mental Health Conference - India, in October 2006.

Merrigan, C. & Saunders, B. (2006). Parenting Stress and child behavioural and emotional well-being in families with a learning disabled child. 19th Biennial Meeting International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development. Melbourne, Australia.

Merrigan, C., Saunders, B. Sayers, K. (2005) Parenting a child with learning difficulties: A stressful life event? 40th Australian Psychological Society Annual Conference. Melbourne, Australia.

Merrigan, C., Saunders, B., Savic, A. (2005) Social and emotional issues confronting children with learning difficulties: Are our assumptions correct? 40th Australian Psychological Society Annual Conference. Melbourne, Australia.