Research projects, partnerships and PhD pathways
At its core, our research is systemic, going beyond individuals to the networks, relationships, and contexts that shape people’s lives. From supporting families facing difficult circumstances, to developing new ways of working or shaping broader systems, our aim is always the same: to improve wellbeing, strengthen relationships, and create change that lasts.
Our Vision
Our vision is to help families manage the challenges they face by strengthening practice, informing policy, and generating new understanding that supports systemic change.
The innovative leadership we provide in relational and systemic research is grounded in continuous learning, co-design, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Our practice focus
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Clear purpose – we do not do research for research’s sake.
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Every project starts with questions our clinicians, trainers, funders, and partners care about.
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Our research must centre around the core of Bouverie’s work.
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Immediate relevance to real-world challenges.
Our research expertise
Our team specialises in mixed-methods research, combining quantitative, qualitative, and review methodologies to address real-world questions. We draw on a wide range of approaches, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, co-design workshops, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. With diverse expertise across the team, we match the method to the question, rather than forcing questions to fit predetermined methods.
2025 Research Snapshot
Published widely: reports, books, book chapters, and peer-reviewed academic articles.
Category 1 National Competitive Funding into the study of safety following family violence (Australian Research Council (LP210100181 and DP260103244)
Presented at conferences 29 times this year, across Australia and internationally, including the US, Canada, and the UK.
Platinum Conference Partners: Contributed significantly to The Australian Association of Family Therapy Conference with plenary presentations, workshops, a lived-experience panel, and paper presentations.
See our reserach in action
Access project summaries, publications, reports, translation materials, and recorded webinars from our work as a La Trobe University practice‑research centre.
Collaborate with us on a research project
Expand your research knowledge foundations and make a real-world impact with our research team. Our expertise in tackling challenging systemic research questions enables diverse partnerships with individuals, services, and governments to address issues that matter.
Higher reserach degrees
We host PhD candidates and Master of Family Therapy students interested in systemic research. We have an active research-student program based at our campus in Brunswick and a growing pool of supervisors across Victoria ready to support you in your research journey.