Dr Alexandra Bloch-Atefi
Program Director
School of Psychology
College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences
I am an experienced academic and registered Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor with over 14 years of experience in higher education. I am a Program Director for the Graduate Programs in Counselling and Psychotherapy, School of Public Health, FHMS. I am also the Program Lead for the trauma specialisation and the research specialisation of the Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy. I bring over 20 years of experience as clinician in the mental health space, having worked in various settings such as community services, business organisations, hospitals, and in private practice. I hold memberships with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation the Australian (PACFA) and the Australian Psychological Society (APS).
I am the Program Lead for the trauma specialisation and the research specialisation of the Masters in Counselling and Psychotherapy, School of Public Health, FHMS. As an active member of the Research Committee of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia and an editorial board member for the Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, I contribute significantly to furthering research in the area of Counselling and psychotherapy at a national level through disseminating, facilitating and commissioning high-quality, original research for the profession. I am an expert peer-reviewer for academic journals and examiner of research theses and dissertations. My research interests include trauma, mindfulness, climate change and creative approaches as well as how to advance the field of counselling and psychotherapy.
For details on projects available please view the following booklet: School of Public Health Student Projects
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 - ongoing | Program Director, Graduate Programs in Counselling and Psychotherapy, School of Public Health, FHMS | University of Adelaide |
| 2015 - ongoing | Course Coordinator, Lecturer, Research and Clinical Supervisor in the Graduate Program in Counselling and Psychotherapy, School of Public Health, FHMS | University of Adelaide |
| 2015 - ongoing | Lecturer | Australian College of Applied Psychology |
| 2013 - 2014 | Research Assistant | Australian Catholic University |
| 2008 - ongoing | Senior Research Consultant | ASR Pty Ltd |
| 2005 - 2006 | Research Assistant | University of Queensland |
| 2002 - 2005 | Tutor | University of Queensland |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| German | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 - 2006 | University of Queensland | Australia | PhD in Psychology |
| 2001 | University of Vienna | Austria | BA(Hons) of Psychology |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Leidig, N., Reilly, L., Brodie, T., Munn, Z., Bloch-Atefi, A., Slattery, F., & Eliott, J. (2026). Relationship between intergenerational trauma and chronic disease impacting Indigenous peoples of Australia, Canada, Aotearoa New Zealand, and the United States: a scoping review protocol.. JBI Evid Synth. |
| 2025 | Tapia-Echanove, M., Bloch-Atefi, A., Hanson-Easey, S., Oswald, T. K., & Eliott, J. (2025). Climate Change Cognition, Affect, and Behavior in Youth: A Scoping Review. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 16(1), e70000-1-e70000-32. Scopus13 WoS8 |
| 2025 | Bloch-Atefi, A., & Day, E. (2025). The Use of Therapeutic Outcome Measures by Australian Psychotherapists and Counsellors. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 13(1), 1-31. |
| 2025 | Bloch-Atefi, A. (2025). Balancing Ethics and Opportunities: The Role of AI in Psychotherapy and Counselling. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 13(1), 129884-1-129884-17. |
| 2021 | Bloch-Atefi, A., Day, E., Snell, T., & Bettmann, C. (2021). A snapshot of the counselling and psychotherapy workforce in Australia in 2020: Underutilised and poorly remunerated, yet highly qualified and desperately needed. The Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 9(2). |
| 2014 | Bloch-Atefi, A., & Smith, J. (2014). The Effectiveness of Body - Oriented Psychotherapy. PACFA, 2-37. |
| 2005 | Bloch-Atefi, A. (2005). Employee recognition as a predictor of work related outcomes. Australian Journal of Psychology, 57. |
| 2005 | Bloch-Atefi, A. (2005). Employee recognition as a management skill: Considering the effects of team efficacy.. Australian Journal of Psychology, 57. |
| 2003 | Bloch, A. C. (2003). A psychological approach to menopausal complaints: In reply to DeSoto's comments. Maturitas, 45(4), 303-304. Scopus1 |
| 2002 | Bloch, A. (2002). Self-awareness during the menopause. Maturitas, 41(1), 61-68. Scopus65 Europe PMC45 |
| - | Price-Robertson, R., Bloch-Atefi, A., Snell, T., Day, E., & O'Neill, G. (2020). Editorial: Reflections on Psychotherapy and Counselling From COVID-19 Lockdown. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 8(1). |
| - | Tudor, K., Bettman, C., Bloch-Atefi, A., Day, E., Hsi, T., Loewenthal, D., . . . van Deurzen, E. (2021). Psychotherapy Practice, Education, and Training During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Members of the Editorial Board of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia Share Their Experiences. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 9(1). |
| - | Bloch-Atefi, A. (2019). Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Internal Self-Alienation (2017) by Janina Fisher. New York, NY: Routledge. ISBN: 978-0-415-70823-4 (pbk).. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 7(2). |
| - | van Laar, C., Bloch-Atefi, A., Grace, J., & Zimmermann, A. (2025). Empowering voices—Learning From NDIS Participants About the Value of Creative and Experiential Therapies: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Testimonials and Academic Literature. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 13(1). |
| - | Bloch-Atefi, A., & Smith, J. (2015). The Effectiveness of Body-Oriented Psychotherapy: A Review of the Literature. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 3(1). |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Bloch-Atefi, A., & De Wever, J. (2021). Counsellors in regional areas: an untapped resource. In Australian Rural & Remote Mental Health Symposium 2021. Australia. |
| 2018 | Bloch-Atefi, A. (2018). ‘Expressive therapies and Trauma’. In Expressive Therapy Summit. New York. |
Scholarships and Grants
| 2026 | Establish an interdisciplinary evidence base on the human capabilities required for effective and ethical professional practice in an era of increasing AI use. Alexandra Bloch-Atefi, Deborah Devis, Lynton Graetz, Michelle Jones, William Ngiam, Christopher Hewitson, Natasha van Antwerpen. (College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences, Adelaide University) ($5,000.00) | ||
| 2026 | Developing a Psychological Framework for Community-Led Environmental Sustainability Initiatives. Bloch-Atefi, A., Keage, H. A. D., Pearson, E., Hillard, D., Caldwell, Z. (School of Psychology, Adelaide University) ($3,000.00) | ||
| 2026 | A groundwork study on motivation and burnout among students engaged in caring and social justice professions, or conservation efforts. Natasha van Antwerpen, Michelle Jones, Ella Vallelonga, Ali Afsharian, Jessica Loyer, Alexandra Bloch-Atefi. (College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences, Adelaide University) ($5,000.00) | ||
| 2026 | A cross-disciplinary curriculum mapping initiative to improve pain education at Adelaide University. Cheung, S.Y., Chur-Hansen, A., Bloch-Atefi, A., Hillard, D., Tier, L. & Wilson, M. (College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences, Adelaide University) ($4,996.65) | ||
| 2013 | Effectiveness of body-oriented and somatic psychotherapy. Bloch-Atefi, A. & Smith, J. (Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia) ($5,000.00) | ||
| 2005 | Postgraduate Research Grant (University of Queensland) | ||
| 2002-2005 | International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) | ||
| 2002-2005 | University of Queensland International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (UQIPRS) |
| since 2025 | PUB HLTH 7035 Advanced Trauma Practice | Course Author, Course Coordinator, Lecturer |
| since 2023 | PUB HLTH 7033 Trauma-informed counselling for CALD and Indigenous populations | Course Author, Course Coordinator, Lecturer |
| since 2020 | PUB HLTH 7019 Expressive Therapies: Creative Arts in Counselling | Course Coordinator, Lecturer |
| 2018 & 2019 | PUB HLTH 2009 Introduction to Counselling Theory and Practice | Course Author, Course Coordinator, Lecturer |
| 2017 to 2022 | PUB HLTH 7025 Trauma-informed Practice | Course Author, Course Coordinator, Lecturer |
| since 2017 | PUB HLTH 7010 Mindfulness Based Counselling Applications | Course Coordinator, Lecturer |
| 2016 & 2020 | PUB HLTH 6019 Counselling Skills 2 | Course Coordinator, Lecturer |
| 2016 to 2020 | PUB HLTH 5007 Attachment Across the Lifespan | Course Coordinator, Lecturer |
| 2016 & 2020 | PUB HLTH 5005 Counselling Skills 1 | Course Coordinator, Lecturer |
| 2016 to 2023 | PUB HLTH 7003 Cognitive Behaviour Therapy | Course Author, Course Coordinator, Lecturer |
| 2015 to 2020 | PUB HLTH 6018 Overview of Mental Health | Course Coordinator, Lecturer |
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | The relationship between chronic disease and intergenerational trauma in Aboriginal population groups. | Master of Clinical Science | Master | Full Time | Mr Nick Leidig |
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | The relationship between chronic disease and intergenerational trauma in Aboriginal population groups. | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Mr Nick Leidig |
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 - ongoing | Director | PACFA Board of Directors | Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia | Australia |
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 - ongoing | Member | SCAPE | Australia |
| 2010 - ongoing | Member | Association of Soul Centred Psychotherapists (ASCP) | - |
| 2006 - ongoing | Member | Australian Psychological Society & Committee Member of the APS SA Branch | - |
Connect With Me
External Profiles
