Placement Supervisor

MPsychClinPsych BAPsych(Hons) GCertTertEd

Throughout her career, Alana has worked in a range of settings, including tertiary institutions, private practice, psychiatric settings, the public sector, and community organisations. Whilst working in the community sector, Alana managed a counselling service, facilitated training, provided assessments, therapy, and groups to children and families experiencing trauma, co-ordinated psychology internship programs, and assisted with managing an Emergency Recovery Team, which supported individuals and communities after crisis or emergency situations. Alana has also worked in inpatient and outpatient settings, providing therapy and groups to patients experiencing psychiatric and alcohol and other drug problems. Her work in private practice includes therapy, supervision, and training, working with individuals across the lifespan experiencing a range of presenting problems, with a focus on complex trauma and interpersonal difficulties. In recent years, she has also conducted psychological assessments as part of the Victoria Police recruitment process.

Within the tertiary education sector, Alana has managed a psychology training clinic, assisted with course co-ordination, provided clinical supervision, and taught Psychology at Counselling at postgraduate and undergraduate levels. She is currently completing a PhD in the area of psychodynamic therapy.

 

Expertise

Alana works with clients across the lifespan, with particular interests in working with individuals with attachment difficulties and complex trauma, and supporting children and families. Alana’s training has been in both cognitive-behavioural and psychodynamic therapeutic modalities. While her predominant focus is on providing psychodynamic psychotherapy, she tailors her approach to the needs of each client, along with adapting supervision according to the needs of supervisees.

 

Research Interests

• Psychodynamic therapy
• Attachment theory
• Complex trauma

 

Recent Publications

• Howells, A., & McGillivray, J. (2007). Couple attachment interview: Theoretical discussion and sample narratives. In Pearce, Z.J. (Ed.),Generations of Relationships and Relationships Across Generations: Conference Proceedings; The combined 7th Annual Conference of the Australian Psychological Society's Psychology of Relationships Interest Group and International Association for Relationship Research Mini-conference, pp. 62-67. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Psychological Society.
• Howells, A., & McGillivray, J. (2006). Working at intimate relationships: Links between attachment, self-regulation, communication, and relationship satisfaction. In Wilkinson, R., and Pearce, Z.J. (Eds.),Relationships – Near and Far: Proceedings of the Australian Psychological Society's Psychology of Relationships Interest Group,  71-77. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Psychological Society.