Megan Ansell
Training Specialist
MPsych (Clinical), PhD (Clinical Psychology)
megan.ansell@thekids.org.au
she/her
Megan is a training specialist on the Healing Kids, Healing Families Team. She works on designing and evaluating training and education programs that focus on improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and families, particularly those impacted by trauma and adversity. For example, she is currently working on developing and implementing a culturally safe, responsive and trauma-informed parenting program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families.
Megan’s work also involves research support, stakeholder engagement and data management, utilising her prior research experience from her PhD program and prior work across a range of projects and teams at the Kids Research Institute. She particularly enjoys working on qualitative research projects.
Megan is passionate about supporting children and families who experience trauma and adversity, translating knowledge from research into meaningful community change and, increasing the accessibility and safety of mental health supports in the community.
On her working days outside the Kids Research Institute, Megan she works as a clinical psychologist with children, adolescents and their families. This work provides valuable experience that informs her input to the team’s research, education and training programs.
Education and Qualifications
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Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) – University of Western Australia
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Master of Clinical Psychology with Distinction – University of Western Australia
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Bachelor of Science with First Class Honours (Psychology) – University of Western Australia
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Bachelor of Arts (Political Science and International Relations) – University of Western Australia
Projects
Piloting a self-compassion program to promote physical and psychological wellbeing in youth with T1D
Published research
“It Just Makes You Feel Horrible”: A Thematic Analysis of the Stigma Experiences of Youth with Anxiety and Depression
Experiencing stigma is associated with a range of negative outcomes for people with mental health disorders. However, little is understood about the contemporary stigma experiences of young people with anxiety and depression. This study aimed to describe these experiences using semi-structured qualitative interviews.
The effectiveness of a day hospital mentalization-based therapy programme for adolescents with borderline personality traits: Findings from Touchstone—Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service
Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are at a substantial risk of harm to themselves and others, experience high levels of functional impairment and typically are high users of tertiary healthcare to address their mental health concerns. As indicators for BPD typically emerge in adolescence, a day therapy service in Bentley, Western Australia, Touchstone Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS), was developed as an intensive intervention for adolescents with indicators for BPD and its associated symptomology.