Author List

Tania Andrusiak

Tania Andrusiak has previously worked in advertising and is a freelance journalist. She lives in country Victoria with her two sons.

Brian Babington

Brian Babington is the Chief Executive Officer of Families Australia, a peak, national, independent, not-for-profit organisation which advocates national policies to enhance the wellbeing of families and children, particularly the most vulnerable. He is a national leader on child protection issues and a trained counsellor/mentor. Brian has run community development programs in Australia and Asia and has served on the boards of numerous international, national and local welfare and community organisations.

Katrina Beikoff

Katrina Beikoff is a Walkley-award winning journalist, columnist, communications consultant and mother of two. As a journalist Katrina has covered Australian and international politics, health, sports and education. In 2000 she won Australia's top journalism award for exposing CJ Hunter, America's world shot-put champion and the husband of disgraced sprint champ Marion Jones, as a drug cheat.

She briefly left newspapers to take up a position as a media advisor and political strategist based in Canberra, before returning to print as a freelance writer and columnist.

Vicki Bennett

Vicki Bennett is a trainer, a motivational speaker and the bestselling author of books on personal fulfilment and success - including Making Dreams Come True, her book for young people. As Chairperson of Young Achievement Australia in Queensland for 11 years, she was actively involved in working with teenagers. Vicki won a ‘Women of Substance’ award from Guides Australia Queensland for her mentorship of Girl Guides and their leaders. A mother of five - including three step-children - she worked closely with young people in schools during the development of Life Smart.

Jill Burrett

Jill Burrett is a consulting psychologist, in private practice in Sydney, who provides counselling and assessment services for a wide range of individual and family problems. She writes from personal and professional experience of the effects of separation on families, and is the author of Parenting after Separation and co-author of Shared Parenting. Her other books on divorce, relationships and parenting include But I Want to Stay With You, Dad’s Place and Making Good Decisions About Relationships and Separating.

John Cooper

John Cooper is a Senior Clinical Psychologist who has worked in schools, hospitals and community settings assisting children with a wide variety of behavioural, emotional and social difficulties since the 1970s. A parent of two children, John has also been involved in a number of specialised programs to prevent young children from developing behavioural problems. This work includes originating the unique PALS program (‘Playing and Learning to Socialise’), which helps children at kindergarten and preschool levels develop basic social techniques and more advanced skills.

Sue Cox

Sue Cox, AM, certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) and midwife, is widely respected as one of Australia's leading educators and practitioners in the field. Her expertise has been developed through motherhood, as an Australian Breastfeeding Association counsellor for nearly 30 years and as a midwife, breastfeeding specialist and lactation consultant for 25 years. Sue's work has been recognised in the 2004 Australia Day Honours list for service to community health, particularly as a lactation consultant, educator and counsellor for the care of breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

Justine Davies

Justine Davies is a freelance writer, blogger and author of How to Afford a Baby and How to Afford a Husband. She is a mother of three and currently has long-running blogs on Essential Baby and News.com.au. 

Daniel Donahoo

Daniel Donahoo is an author and commentator on child and family policy. He has two sons and lives in Melbourne.

Heidi Douglas

Heidi Douglas is a veterinary surgeon and veterinary chiropractic and acupuncture practitioner. She is also a commercial pilot and was a pilot in the RAAF. She has lived and travelled all over Australia working on a wide range of agricultural properties. Heidi currently operates her own business practising veterinary chiropractic around the Rockhampton region.

Max Dulumunmun Harrison

Max Dulumunmun Harrison, an initiated Yuin man, grew up on the South Coast of NSW as part of a close community where some boys and young men were still selected for initiation into ancient ways. As an adult, seeing the widespread marginalisation of his people and lack of acceptance of traditional teachings, he began what has become his life's work - providing a way for others to understand Aborigial culture.

Christine Durham

Christine Durham, M.Ed, teaches thinking skills and philosophy to schoolchildren and is in demand to discuss her innovative work in Australia and overseas. Christine is also the author of the highly acclaimed Doing Up Buttons, an inspiring account of her recovery from massive injuries following a car accident. She brings to her work the imaginative approaches used with her own children and grandchildren - and the countless pupils with whom she has explored the magic of 'thinking aloud'. She lives in Melbourne.

Dr Warren Farrell

Dr Warren Farrell has taught in the School of Medicine at the University of California at San Diego, and has taught psychology, women’s studies, political science and sociology at Georgetown, Rutgers and Brooklyn College. He is on the board of numerous fathers’ organisations and is the only man to have been elected three times to the board of the National Organization of Women in New York City. His books are sold in more than fifty countries in ten languages. He lives in California, USA.

Evelyn M Field

Evelyn Field, a parent with two adult children, is a counselling psychologist with over 25 years experience working with children and adults. She has been a school-based psychologist for the past 17 years and has worked extensively with children who have been teased, bullied or victimised. Her work has been acclaimed internationally following the successful publication of Bullybusting in 1999. She lives in Melbourne.

Michael Green

With over 30 years’ experience as a lawyer, Michael Green now runs a private mediation practice specialising in family conferencing, mediation, life skills programs and dispute resolution. He conducts programs to assist men and women to better manage their lives and parenting following separation and divorce. He is the father of two children and the author of Fathers After Divorce, a book that has helped many men become successful separated parents, and coauthor of Shared Parenting. He lives in Sydney.

Dr Janet Hall

Dr Janet Hall is a Melbourne clinical psychologist, hypnotherapist and public speaker. The author of numerous books and audiotapes on family life and personal relationships, she is well known for her successful ‘Boss of the Bladder’ program for children with day- and night-wetting problems. Dr Hall presents workshops around Australia that promote practical strategies for families. She is the author of several books including: Fear-free Children, Fight-free Families, and Sex Life Solutions.

Maria Hoaglund

Maria Hoaglund, a hospice counsellor, is a graduate of Yale, and was awarded a Masters of Divinity by Chicago Theological Seminary. She served as a parish minister for ten years in the Uniting Church of Christ in the USA before moving into hospice support. Initially working in the area of bereavement, Maria soon moved into spiritual counselling. She is often called the 'Prayer Giver' by those she works with, and now feels she has found her true vocation. Maria is based in Washington state, USA.

Rob Hopkins

Rob Hopkins is a cofounder of the Transition Network. He has been a teacher of permaculture and natural building for many years - and has a background in creating practical solutions to environmental problems. Having successfully devised an Energy Descent Plan for Kinsale in Ireland (which was later adopted as policy by the town council), Rob initiated Transition Town Totnes, the first UK town to address the issues of life after peak oil. He lives in the UK.

Dr John Irvine

Dr John Irvine is widely known through his radio broadcasts, newspaper columns, Internet advice and his successful books, Who'd Be a Parent?, A Handbook for Happy Families and Thriving at School. Formerly a school teacher, school counselor and lecturer on behaviour management, he is now director and consultant psychologist at his READ clinic in Gosford, NSW.Over many years he has achieved a national following for his radio segment, 'Coping with Kids', with over 3000 episodes now recorded.

Derrick Jensen

Derrick Jensen is an environmental activist and lives in norther California. He is the prize-winning author of (amongst other titles) The Culture of Make Believe, Listening to the Land, Strangely Like War, As the World Burns, Welcome to the Machine and Walking on Water. Originally released in the USA in 2000, A Language Older Than Words, regarded as his seminal work, is now published for the first time in Australia and New Zealand.

Emma Kaufmann

Gillian Martin and Emma Kaufmann met over the Internet through their enormously popular blog sites. After exchanging mutually admiring emails they decided to write a book together. Many more emails and several gallons of Chardonnay later, Cocktails at Naptime was born. Emma is based in Baltimore, USA and is the author of Confessions of a Cake Addict. Gillian lives in Aberdeen, Scotland, and is a freelance writer and director, college lecturer and radio film critic. They both have two children and understanding husbands. They have never met in person.

Stephanie Kaza

Stephanie Kaza is Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Vermont and a leading Buddhist teacher. She is coeditor (with Kenneath Kraft) of Dharma Rain: Sources of Buddist Environmentalism and the editor of Hooked! Buddhist Writings on Greed, Desire, and the Urge to Consume.

Satish Kumar

Satish Kumar was born in India. He was a Jain Monk for nine years and later studied Buddhism and Hindu philosophy. Living in the West over the last thirty years has shown him both the need and practicality of applying these principles to daily affairs. He is Editor of Resurgence magazine, Director of Programs at Schumacher College and an internationally renowned speaker on ecological and spiritual issues.

Rhodanthe Lipsett

Trained as a nurse and midwife, Rhodanthe Lipsett, OAM had over 50 years of helping new mothers before her retirement. She was based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Canberra for over 18 years. In her last ten years there, Rhodanthe looked after more than 23,000 day-stay mothers who needed support. Rhodanthe is a Fellow of the Australian College of Midwives. In 1992 she received the Order of Australia Medal for services to infant health and the care of mothers and babies.

Ian Macdonald

The late Ian Macdonald spent his life in art and advertising - and was, additionally, a soldier and a lecturer. His book Men After Separation evolved from a painful personal experience that left him searching for a book to help him deal with the trauma of parting. He could not find one and decided to remedy the situation.

Beth Macgregor

Beth Macgregor is a psychologist who trains health and welfare workers in infant mental health, child development and child protection. She has worked as a child protection caseworker, specialist and researcher, and is an active member of the Australian Association for Infant Mental Health. Her work as a specialist educator is devoted to creating happier children, families and societies. Beth is the mother of a delightful little boy.

Joanna Macy

Joanna Macy has been a respected voice in the movements for peace, justice and ecology for five decades. As the root teacher of the Work That Reconnects, she has created a groundbreaking theoretical framework for personal and social change, as well as a powerful workshop methodology for its application. Her work helps people transform despair and apathy, in the face of overwhelming social and ecological crises, into constructive, collaborative action. Many thousands of people in Australia and around the world have participated in Joanna’s workshops and trainings.

Rex McCann

Rex McCann is a professional facilitator and group leader who has been a significant innovator in the area of men's awareness since 1985, leading men's workshops and conferences. He created the Essentially Men programs, which are now offered throughout New Zealand, and developed a network of men's groups. Rex, who has a masters degree is Social Ecology, lives in Auckland and shares the parenting of two boys with his partner Maggie.

Peter McConchie

Peter McConchie began his photographic career studying in Milan in the early 1990s. Over the next decade he successfully freelanced as a portrait photographer in London and New York. Now based in Australia (Melbourne), he is dedicated to caring for the environment and recording the Elders. Peter is also a founding board member of the Melbourne-based organisation People Culture Environment. His photographs can be seen throughout My People's Dreaming.

Ken and Elizabeth Mellor

Ken and Elizabeth Mellor are parents and internationally known parent educators. They have been involved with children and parenting in a variety of ways for more than thirty years. Their work during this time has included parent education, social work, psychotherapy, childcare-worker training, family counselling and involvement in the custodial and institutional care of children. Their work as social workers and psychotherapists has allowed them to develop a large repertoire of simple and successful techniques that parents can use.

Genevieve Morton

Genevieve Morton was a lifestyle reporter and columnist for The Mercury and Sunday Tasmanian newspapers for many years before becoming a full-time mum and freelance writer. A long time ago she thought baby making was fun, until she lost circulation in her feet from hanging upside down. She knows she’s not alone and therefore decided to write Bump & Grind: The A-Z Survival Guide for when you're trying to get pregnant and sick of being told to RELAX!

Andrew Mullins

Andrew Mullin's career in teaching has included over 25 years' teaching the humanities in Australian secondary schools, leading to his interest in presenting the wisdom of classical thinkers and philosophers. In his position as headmaster of Redfield College, Sydney, he has involved parents in the process of developing desirable values in young people. This book had its origins in a series of successful talks presented to parents.

Louise Newman

Dr Louise Newman is Professor of Developmental Psychiatry at Monash University, and former Director of the NSW Institute of Psychiatry. Her area of expertise is infancy and early childhood development. She is involved in advocacy for the human rights of asylum seekers and particularly for children affected by the policy of mandatory detention.

Neil Nicoll

Neil Nicoll, a psychologist in private practice, specialises in developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder. He lives in Sydney. ‘Through this book I hope to pass on some of what I have learnt over the past twenty years to parents of children with special needs and to the professionals assisting them.’

Mandy Nolan

Mandy Nolan is a stand-up comedian, journalist, scriptwriter and respected artist. In her early stand-up career she worked alongside internationally acclaimed celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg and Eartha Kit. Since then she has supported Wil Anderson, Dave Hughes, Fiona O’Loughlin, Tom Gleeson, Akmal, Charlie Pickering, Arj Barker and almost every high-profile comedian in the country. Mandy currently writes for Prevention magazine and The Byron Shire Echo and performs stand-up regularly around Australia. She has five children aged two to 15 and lives in Byron Bay.

Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli

Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli is internationally recognised for her publications on gender, ethnicity and sexuality. She is Senior Lecturer in the School of Health and Social Development at Deakin University; Honorary Lifelong Patron of PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Gays and Lesbians) Victoria.

Ben Peacock

Ben Peacock is a surfer, dog lover, guitar strummer and cancer survivor. He is a spokesperson for the Cancer Council and founder of ethical advertising agency Republic of Everyone and is most proud of his work with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), for which he won an Animal Action award in 2008. Ben lives in sunny Bondi with his incredibly loving wife Annabelle.

Gisela Preuschoff

Gisela Preuschoff is a psychologist and the author of over 20 books in the fields of parenting, relationships, self-esteem and communication. Three decades of experience as a family therapist - and as a mother - have given her the wisdom about parenting that she brings to this book. She lives in Germany.

Dr Brenton Prosser

Dr Brenton Prosser, a specialist in ADHD for more than 10 years, broke new ground with his doctoral project by interviewing secondary students with ADHD about their school experiences. Previously he worked as a coordinator of a respite program for children with challenging behaviours (including ADHD), a secondary school teacher and a media/policy adviser. He is now a lecturer and research fellow with the Education Faculty of the University of South Australia, where he supports teachers working with students in Adelaide’s northern urban fringe.

Dr Graeme Russell

Dr Graeme Russell is Associate Professor in Psychology at Macquarie University and an internationally recognised consultant on fatherhood and work-life strategies. He has been appointed to the Federal Government's National Marriage and Family Council, and is a member of the National Diversity Think Tank. He is also the author of The Changing Role of Fathers and A Practical Guide for Fathers. He lives in Sydney.

Michaela Ryan

Michaela Ryan is a freelance writer and journalist who has contributed to various women's and health publications. She was inspired to write this book through her own experience of finally conceiving after she made significant emotional changes in her life. Michaela has lived in Japan and speaks Japanese and French. She is now the mother of a beautiful boy and lives in Queensland.

Dr Samantha Seymour

Dr Samantha Seymour, a mother of two sons, is a clinical psychologist based in Tasmania. She works extensively with children, adolescents and their families - and with people of all ages - to improve their emotional wellbeing by becoming more aware of the connection between their thoughts, emotions and behaviours.

Erin Shale

Erin Shale has been a high school careers counsellor for ten years, and is currently responsible for the motivation and guidance of over 1800 students. She teaches Health Education and Personal Development, and is the editor of the anthology Inside Out. Erin is a regular speaker at conferences for teachers, social workers and health professionals. She is the author of The Best School for Your Child and the coauthor of Adolescence. She lives in Melbourne.

Dr Timothy Sharp

Dr Timothy Sharp is a clinical and coaching psychologist. He is the Chief Happiness Officer of The Happiness Institute, Australia’s only organisation focusing specifically on enhancing happiness in individuals, couples, families and organisations. He lives in Sydney.

Maja Storch

Dr Maja Storch is an analytical psychologist and therapist who works in the tradition of CG Jung and is based at the Educational Institute of the University of Zurich. She has an established psychotherapy practice in Germany and is a published author with books on youth, psychotherapy and personal development.

Helen Street

Associate Professor Helen Street, a psychologist, lectures in the School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience at the University of Western Australia. She is a co-founder of Wise Solutions, an educational mental health service. In addition to her teaching work, Helen has ten years of clinical experience as an expert in stress management, working with over five thousand professionals in Australia and the UK. Helen works clinically with individual clients on a one-on-one basis and speaks at seminars on stress.

Cyndi Tebbel

Cyndi Tebbel is the former editor of the Australian edition of New Woman magazine. She campaigned to have a more realistic presentation of women's bodies in the magazine, but came up against the opposition of advertisers. Nowadays she is an advocate for a fairer representation of women in the media and is a regular speaker on the subject.

Rosette Teitel

Rosette Teitel is a retired American high school teacher who nursed her husband through vascular dementia until his death. This book was initially published in the US as The Handholder's Handbook (2002).

Salli Trathen

Salli Trathen has over 20 years' experience working as a psychologist, social worker and family therapist in government, hospital and community-based services, and in private practice. Blood Ties is the result of Life-Lines, a writing project Salli initiatied for women diagnosed with the HIV virus. She lives in Melbourne.

Steve Vinay Gunther

Steve Vinay Gunther is founder and director of the Northern Rivers Gestalt Institute which offers nationally accredited counselling programs. The approaches recommended in his book have developed from the author's work as a psychotherapist and trainer of therapists. However, they are also drawn from his life experience and that of many people he has worked with. He lives in Lismore, NSW.

Birgit Weber

Birgit Weber is a psychotherapist and social worker whose focus since 1984 has been on the challenges of intimate relationships. Birgit works predominantly with couples, families or singles with relationship problems.

Kali Wendorf

Kali Wendorf is the founder, editor and publisher of Kindred, an online natural living resource and community. She lives in Northern NSW.

Ben Whitehouse

Ben Whitehouse is interested in shaping the world. A social worker who is passionate about youth issues, he lives in Western Australia and longs for the day when his services will be required by the West Coast Eagles. Along with his identical twin brother Andrew, Ben is the co-editor of Out of the Frying Pan.

Jan Yager

Jan Yager, PhD, is an internationally-awknowledged expert in workplace relationships, a speaker, coach and author. Her numerous published titles include books on business, friendship and being single. Dr Yager has taught sociology, criminology and writing courses at the University of Connecticut, Pennsylvania State University, The New School, and other colleges and universities. In addition to her doctorate in sociology, Jan's educational background includes graduate work in art therapy and a masters degree in criminal justice. She lives in Connecticut USA.