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USC to open public psychology clinic in 2008
The University of the Sunshine Coast will open a psychology clinic on campus next year to cater for the growing demand for mental health services in the region.
Heading up the clinic will be Professor Mary Katsikitis – previously the Manager of Science, Academia and Research with the Australian Psychological Society (APS) – who also will establish a suite of psychology programs at USC in 2008.
The programs, to be offered from Semester 1 next year, are a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Psychology), a Bachelor of Social Sciences (Psychology Honours) and a Master of Psychology (Clinical).
Professor Katsikitis said the psychology clinic would provide an important research and teaching function for USC staff and students and deliver mental health services on an outpatient basis at a reduced fee for Coast residents.
“We hope to improve waiting times for individuals who need psychological services in the Sunshine Coast area,” she said.
“The government has identified the need for greater access to mental health services in Australia. This is especially the case for regional and rural areas.”
Professor Katsikitis’ qualifications to establish psychology programs for USC could not be higher after overseeing the accreditation of all psychology courses in Australia during her five years at the Australian Psychological Society.
The society is the peak body for psychologists in Australia and has more than 15,000 members.
Her work as Manager of Science, Academia and Research at APS also included overseeing its publications, organising professional development for APS members and advocacy work with the Federal Government.
“The advocacy work involved promoting the discipline of psychology as a science and seeking more money for research and teaching,” she said.
Professor Katsikitis also is well known for her work at the University of Adelaide and for her publications about FACELAB, a laboratory which combined science, psychology, maths and computing to quantify the movement of facial muscles.
“At FACELAB, we looked at the way facial expressions changed as people recovered from illnesses,” she said. “If your face doesn’t move, it gives people the impression that you’re not paying attention, you’re bored or you’re disinterested or depressed.”
“If you show no facial expression when people are talking to you or with you, those people don’t come back to talk to you and that adds another layer of what could be a barrier to recovery.”
Professor Katsikitis said she was excited about her new role at USC.
“This job is a dream role for someone like me,” she said. “This position attracted me because it’s a foundation position . . . building up an academic unit of Psychology from scratch.”
She said the University would seek accreditation for the new psychology programs from the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC). Graduates would then be eligible for APS and have the opportunity to pursue careers as registered psychologists.
Professor Katsikitis said she would like to incorporate various aspects of psychology already being taught at USC and encourage Coast businesses to join USC in research projects.
These could include health-related research for general medicine and allied health practices, as well as assisting businesses in managing workplace change.