Lecturer
Overview
Joel is a social worker and individual, couple and family therapist. Joel completed his undergraduate training in Social Work (1998), his Master of Mental Health (Psychotherapy) (2005), and his PHD (2010) at the University of Queensland. Joel's Masters dissertation and PhD thesis both explored systemic thinking about complex problems at multiple levels of abstraction, including the levels of frontline practice in therapy, mental health and other contexts, and policy, and systems reform. Joel has expertise in the theory and practice of therapy, first principles of problem formation and problem resolution, and the trans-disciplinary systems science of cybernetics. Joel has well over twenty years experience as a family therapist and mental health clinician. Joel has worked in an array of public and not for profit contexts and has operated a busy private practice (Brisbane Family Therapy Clinic) since 2004. In addition to university teaching in mental health, Joel has also been a regular provider of private training and professional supervision to other mental health and human service professionals over the past fifteen years. Joel's program of research is concerned with systems thinking and its application to context-sensitive approaches to therapy, mental health and human service work, and to social policy formulation and reform of care systems. Joel welcomes inquiries regarding research higher degree supervision.
Research Interests
- Context-sensitive approaches to research and practice in mental health
- Cybernetics and related approaches to understanding systems functioning
- Theory and practice of family therapy, couples therapy and psychotherapy
- Mental health practice and reform of mental health systems
- Theories of problems formation and problem resolution
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
- Master of Mental Health, The University of Queensland
- Bachelor of Social Work, The University of Queensland
Publications
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Journal Article: If we look at child protection reform through the lens of systems science, what do we see?
Cullin, Joel (2022). If we look at child protection reform through the lens of systems science, what do we see?. The British Journal of Social Work, 52 (7), 3964-3981. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac048
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Other Outputs: How does this keep happening? After so many child protection inquiries and reform efforts, it's time for a new approach
Cullin, Joel (2022, 06 22). How does this keep happening? After so many child protection inquiries and reform efforts, it's time for a new approach The Conversation
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Journal Article: Commentary: Thoughts about thoughts
Cullin, Joel (2014). Commentary: Thoughts about thoughts. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 35 (3), 293-294. doi: 10.1002/anzf.1063
Grants
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Insights from people with lived experience of disability and the justice system
(2022–2023) Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General
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Homelessness Systems, Pathways and Experiences
(2021–2023) Micah Projects Inc
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(2021–2022) UQ Knowledge Exchange & Translation Fund
Supervision
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Shelter from the Storm? The implementation of trauma informed care in specialist homelessness and mainstream services in NSW
Doctor Philosophy
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A mixed methods analysis of association between attachment and flow in young Australian adult male video gamers
Doctor Philosophy
Publications
Journal Article
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If we look at child protection reform through the lens of systems science, what do we see?
Cullin, Joel (2022). If we look at child protection reform through the lens of systems science, what do we see?. The British Journal of Social Work, 52 (7), 3964-3981. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac048
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Commentary: Thoughts about thoughts
Cullin, Joel (2014). Commentary: Thoughts about thoughts. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 35 (3), 293-294. doi: 10.1002/anzf.1063
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On learning and teaching family therapy
Cullin, Joel (2013). On learning and teaching family therapy. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 34 (4), 352-369. doi: 10.1002/anzf.1037
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Healy, Karen, Meagher, Gabrielle and Cullin, Joel (2009). Retaining novices to become expert child protection practitioners: Creating career pathways in direct practice. British Journal of Social Work, 39 (2), 299-317. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcm125
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Method in the madness: the strategic uses of absurdity and the unexpected in psychotherapy
Cullin, Joel (2008). Method in the madness: the strategic uses of absurdity and the unexpected in psychotherapy. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 29 (4), 191-200. doi: 10.1375/anft.29.4.191
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Levels of sameness: Understanding 'resistance' at the level of the therapeutic system
Cullin, Joel (2008). Levels of sameness: Understanding 'resistance' at the level of the therapeutic system. Psychodynamic Practice, 14 (3), 295-311. doi: 10.1080/14753630802164438
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Double bind: much more than just a step 'Toward a theory of schizophrenia'
Cullin, Joel (2006). Double bind: much more than just a step 'Toward a theory of schizophrenia'. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 27 (3), 135-142. doi: 10.1002/j.1467-8438.2006.tb00711.x
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The ethics of paradox: Cybernetic and postmodern perspectives on non-direct interventions in therapy
Cullin, Joel (2005). The ethics of paradox: Cybernetic and postmodern perspectives on non-direct interventions in therapy. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 26 (3), 138-146. doi: 10.1002/j.1467-8438.2005.tb00661.x
Other Outputs
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Cullin, Joel (2022, 06 22). How does this keep happening? After so many child protection inquiries and reform efforts, it's time for a new approach The Conversation
Grants (Administered at UQ)
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Insights from people with lived experience of disability and the justice system
(2022–2023) Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General
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Homelessness Systems, Pathways and Experiences
(2021–2023) Micah Projects Inc
-
(2021–2022) UQ Knowledge Exchange & Translation Fund
PhD and MPhil Supervision
Current Supervision
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Shelter from the Storm? The implementation of trauma informed care in specialist homelessness and mainstream services in NSW
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
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A mixed methods analysis of association between attachment and flow in young Australian adult male video gamers
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
