Teaching Strengths
Miss Zoe Caldwell
Lecturer
School of Psychology
College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences
Miss Zoë Caldwell is a counsellor and psychotherapist, whose clinical work focuses on supporting young people through Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), interpersonal, developmental and/or complex forms of trauma. Her academic work focuses on bridging the gap between academic/theoretical learning and clinical practice, achieved through innovative curriculum design and the incorporation of experiential teaching activities. Research interests include enhancing the counselling and psychotherapy professions in Australia, exploring systemic/intersectional perspectives on mental health, and critically appraising the influences of power, threat and meaning-making in relationships.
Broad research interests include enhancing postgraduate employment outcomes for counsellors and psychotherapists, reconceptualising experiences of distress according to systemic/intersectional perspectives on mental health, and critically appraising the influences of power, threat and meaning-making in relationships.
Specific areas of clinical expertise include trauma-informed practice standards, child/adolescent counselling approaches and understanding interpersonal, developmental and/or complex trauma typologies within this cohort.
I continue to support current students and early career graduates with self-publication. I extend this collaborative approach to research, scholarship and co-authorship to my colleagues, enhancing interdisciplinary research outputs.
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 - ongoing | Associate Lecturer and Placement Coordinator | University of Adelaide |
| 2021 - 2026 | Counsellor and Psychotherapist | Northern Area Community and Youth Services (NACYS) |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Award | Executive Dean's Team Prize | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 - 2021 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Master |
| 2016 - 2019 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Bachelor |
| Date | Title | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - 2024 | Certificate in Traumatic Stress Studies | Trauma Research Foundation | Australia |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| - | Shaji, S. (2025). The Efficacy of Interactive Drawing Therapy for Emotional Regulation in Children: A Literature Review and Critical Appraisal of Research Gaps. Australian Counselling Research Journal, 18(2), 56. |
External:
- $5,000: Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
- Principal Researcher: David Hillard
- Other Researchers: Professor Anna Chur-Hansen, Associate Professor Melissa Oxlad and Zoë Caldwell
- "Enhancing Mental Health Services in Australia: Investigating the Integration of Counselling Placement Students with General Practitioner Clinics"
Seed Funding:
- $3,000
- Principal Researcher: Dr Alexandra Bloch-Atefi
- Other Researchers: Professor Hannah Keage, Associate Professor Elissa Pearson, David Hillard and Zoë Caldwell
- "Developing a Psychological Framework for Community-Led Environmental Sustainability Initiatives"
I maintain an eclectic teaching workload, having coordinated, assessed, marked and/or clinically supervised students across the entire suite of courses currently on offer in the Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy program.
I currently co-coordinate Counselling Placements 1A and 1B with Gabrielle Enright, supporting second-year students as they navigate various Work-Inclusive Learning (WIL) environments. In 2025, I have implemented changes to the Core Learning Outcomes, to better align the curriculum with accreditation requirements and the new National Standards for Counsellors and Psychotherapists. To support our growing study body, I have expanded the program's network of external stakeholders and helped students gain meaningful entry into various medical settings for the first time. More recently, this has included the established of a counselling and psychotherapy presence at AU Health Clinics in Elizabeth, where I have remain involved as the Clinical Educator. This role aligns with Adelaide University's broader strategic plan to maximise student-led service provision in Northern Adelaide.
I remain involved Trauma-Informed Practice (teaching assistance), Counselling of Children and Adolescents (coordination), Ethics in the Counselling Workplace (teaching assistance) and Counselling Skills 2 (co-coordination). Across these courses, I have continued to redesign curriculums and assessments, integrating concepts from the flipped classroom approach. Experiential in-class activities, the ongoing use of simulated patients and excursions to industry partners, have enhanced student understanding of 'real world' presentations and clinical settings.
I provide Individual Clinical Supervision and Group Supervision to second-year graduate students throughout their first and second placements, helping interns to engage in reflective practice and demonstrate core competencies. As such, I continue to promote work-readiness and have enhanced post-graduate employment outcomes.
In 2027, I will be assisting with the development of new Psychology undergraduate courses, collaborating with others to develop innovative curriculums, teaching materials and assessments. These new courses will be designed to streamline undergraduate students into our graduate program, expanding School of Psychology students' options for graduate study pathways.
| Date | Role | Board name | Institution name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 - 2026 | Representative | Northern Area Community and Youth Services | Northern Area Community and Youth Services | Australia |
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 - 2026 | Representative | Stakeholders Sub-Committee | Northern Area Community and Youth Services | Australia |
Available For Media Comment.