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Photo of Associate Professor Leesa Van Niekerk

Associate Professor

Leesa Van Niekerk

(She/Her)

Clinic Director, Psychology

Psychology

Orcid identifier0000-0002-6641-5888
  • Clinic Director, Psychology
    Psychology
  • (03) 6226 6645 (Work)
  • University of Tasmania, University Psychology Clinic (UPC), Private Bag 19, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia

BIO

Leesa is the Director of the University Psychology Clinics (UPC) located within the University of Tasmania's Sandy Bay and Newnham campuses. She is also a Senior Lecturer and teaches and supervises within the postgraduate psychology training programs at the University of Tasmania. Leesa teaches in the areas of assessment, intervention, ethics, and professional practice.

Leesa is the Lead Researcher in the Compassion, Health, Intimacy, and Perinatal Research Lab at the University of Tasmania. The Lab conducts research in the areas of persistent pelvic pain (e.g., endometriosis, vulvodynia, vaginismus, painful bladder syndrome), interpersonal relationships, emotional and sexual intimacy, self-compassion, body compassion, body-image, gender and sexual diversity, and perinatal psychology. The Lab also has a special focus on multidisciplinary management of health conditions and psychological interventions including cognitive behaviour therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and compassion-focused therapies.

Leesa is also a registered Clinical Psychologist and Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) approved supervisor, providing supervision to provisionally registered psychologists and psychologists completing their area of practice endorsement (AoPE Clinical) pathway.

SCHOOL AND PORTFOLIO

  • School of Psychological Sciences

AVAILABILITY

  • Collaborative projects
  • Industry projects
  • Masters by research or PhD student supervision
  • Media enquiries
  • Membership of an advisory committee
  • Mentoring (long-term)
  • Mentoring (short-term)
  • Panellist or speaker

FIELD OF RESEARCH