Dr Jennifer Coburn

M.Ed M.A GCHE B.A(Hons) Psych with Crim. MAPS FHERDSA

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  • Senior Lecturer and Unit Coordinator
  • Research Supervisor
  • Psychologist and Counsellor
Jennifer Coburn

Research Expertise

  • Professional practice of psychologists, counsellors and/or psychotherapists
  • Training of psychologists, counsellors and/or psychotherapists
  • Wisdom in practice (phronesis and practice wisdom)
  • Climate change / climate distress / climate awareness
  • Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis / Thematic Analysis / Philosophical Hermeneutic Inquiry

Research Supervision

Honours

Teaching

CAP101 Counselling Theories and Models (Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling)
CAP401 Psychotherapeutic Theories and Models (Graduate Certificate of Counselling and Psychotherapy)
CAP405 Cognitive Behaviour Therapies (ACT) (Graduate Certificate of Counselling and Psychotherapy)
CAP412 Ethics and Professional Development (Graduate Diploma of Counselling and Psychotherapy)
Practical Ethics for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (joint PACFA and Cairnmillar Institute course)

Clinical Expertise

Jennifer has practiced in the fields of psychology and counselling for over two decades, working with adults and late adolescents in the alcohol and other drug counselling, criminal justice and mental health fields. I have worked in government agencies, private practice, residential rehablitation, therapeutic communities and EAP services.

About

Jennifer has worked at The Cairnmillar Institute since 2018. She is passionate about learning, teaching and the experience of being a reflective practitioner. Jennifer is a former Course Coordinator for both the Masters of Counselling and Psychotherapy and the Bachelor of Psychology and Counselling at the Cairnmillar Institute. She teaches into both the undergraduate and postgraduate Counselling and Psychotherapy programs. Jennifer has a Fellowship of Teaching, awarded by HERDSA in 2021.

Jennifer is a past Chair of the Academic and Integrity Committee at the Cairnmillar Institute and past President of the Society of Counselling and Psychotherapy Educators (SCAPE / ACCAPE). She is a past member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)’s Education Program Accreditation Committee (EPAC). Jennifer supervises Psychology Honours students and has published papers with students. Jennifer gained her PhD at Monash University in the area of Counselling.

Key Publications

Peer reviewed published articles: 

Kilby, C.J., Nicoll, C., Coburn, J., Connor, J.M., Kambouropoulos, A., von Treuer, K. (2025). Student satisfaction as a function of student and staff sizes in higher education. Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-025-01569-y

Swiatek, L., Ducasse, A., Coburn, J., Northcote, M., Samarawickrema, N. (2024). Extending Higher Education Recognition Programs Through a Dedicated Post-award Reflective Practice Tool, Reflective Practice, 25(4), 529–549. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2024.2369355

Winzenried, C. and Coburn, J. (2023). Interpersonal dimensions of self-criticism: exploring nuanced social processes through vignettes in interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qualitative Research Journal, 23(2), 191–203. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-07-2022-0093

Silva, J. F. B., & Coburn, J. (2023). Therapists’ experience of climate change: A dialectic between personal and professional. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 23, 417–431. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12515

Winzenried, C., & Coburn, J. (2022 – In press) Interpersonal dimensions of self-criticism: Exploring nuanced social processes through vignettes in interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qualitative Research Journal https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-07-2022-0093

Silva, J. F. B., & Coburn, J. (2022). Therapists’ experience of climate change: A dialectic between personal and professional. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/capr.12515 

Peer reviewed conference abstracts: 

Samarawickrema, N., Coburn, J. Swiatek, L., Ducasse, A., Northcote, M., (2021, October). When does feedback cease to be useful and sustainable? Using SOTL to enhance feedback for mental wellbeing among academic staff International Society of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference (ISOTL), Online Conference hosted from Perth, Australia 

Coburn, J., Swiatek, L., Ducass, A., Northcote, M., Partridge, L., Samarawickrema, N. (2021, July). I have got my fellowship, now what?: Supporting post-award teaching and learning practice, reflexivity and planning. HERDSA Conference, Online presentation Brisbane, Australia 

Coburn, J. (2015, July) Seeing things differently: first, second and third year Bachelor student experiences in a transformative learning environment HERDSA Conference, Melbourne, AustraliaÂ