Clinical Psychologist | Educator & Researcher | Mens Mental Health | Lifestyle Factors in Mental Health
Dr. James Brown (PhD)
BSocSc(Psych), PGDipPsych, MPsych, PhD, FAPS, FCCLP
Clinical psychologist, & educator, including expertise in men's mental health & fathering. Helping clinicians bring lifestyle factors into focus in clinical practice.
About me
I'm a clinical psychologist and educator with deep expertise in men's mental health, informed by more than 20 years of clinical practice and a research background in fathering. My current focus is to help clinicians integrate interventions that target lifestyle factors into evidence-based psychological practice.
I completed my undergraduate training at QUT in Brisbane, a Master of Psychology through Swinburne University in Melbourne, and my PhD at the University of Southern Queensland, investigating the barriers and facilitators of father involvement in child development. I'm a full member of the Australian Psychological Society and the College of Clinical Psychologists.
Over the course of my career I've worked across a range of clinical and consulting settings — public, not-for-profit, and private — including my own private practice, where I developed a particular focus on men's mental health. I've taught in postgraduate psychology and counselling programs at the University of Southern Queensland, and I'm currently a Lecturer in Clinical Psychology at the University of New England.
I'm passionate about advocacy for better physical and mental well-being among men. I'm a member of the Australian Men's Health Forum and serve as a non-executive board member of The Fathering Project, where I provide clinical input to programs supporting fathers in communities across Australia.
Outside of work, I enjoy family time with my wife Michelle and our four children. I'm also a keen cook, a bushwalker, a traveller, and a member of an award-winning a cappella group, Monday Nights.
Research
My current research focuses on the role of lifestyle factors in the treatment of mental health difficulties — an area where the evidence is strong but clinical implementation is still catching up. I'm leading a project aimed at developing practical tools to help clinicians better assess and address lifestyle factors as part of routine psychological practice.
My doctoral research explored the importance of relationship closeness between fathers and their children, and the barriers that get in the way of father involvement. Earlier work examined fathers' use of humour in their homes and the challenges of work–life integration. I've presented at the International Conference on Policies and Parental Support at York St John University in the UK (2022) and the Australian Fathering Researchers Symposium in Melbourne (2023), and I'm an affiliate of the Australian Fatherhood Research Consortium.
Community Engagement
Giving back to the profession and the broader community has always been important to me. I've served as both Chair and Treasurer of the Toowoomba Branch of the APS, and I've been a regular contributor to local radio, television, print, and social media on topics including mental health, fathering, and the role of psychologists in our society. I believe psychologists have an important voice in public conversations about wellbeing — and I'm committed to being part of that.
Publications
Coparenting Decisions and Fathers’ Attendance in Parenting Programs: A Dyadic Qualitative Study - https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8187924/latest
Unpaid Professional Work at Home and Work-Life Interference among Employees with Care Responsibilities - https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2021.1884825
Depression. In Common Client Issues in Counselling: An Australian Perspective. University of Southern Queensland. https://usq.pressbooks.pub/counselling/chapter/depression/
Fathers care deeply, but systems need to do better -
https://www.centreformalepsychology.com/male-psychology-magazine-listings/fathers-care-deeply-but-our-systems-need-to-do-better
https://newsreel.com.au/article/perspectives/fathers-care-deeply-but-the-system-needs-to-do-better/
Father Involvement - What does a healthy work-life balance look like? Opinion Article. June 15 2024 . Male Psychology:The Magazine
Follow my writing journey on Substack
Conference Presentations
Policies to Support Father Involvement in Parenting. International Conference on Policies and Parental Support, August 2022. St John University, York, U.K.
Engaging Fathers in Parenting Programs. Australian Fathering Researchers Symposium, May 2023. Melbourne, Australia.
Men as Caregivers. The Fathering Summit. March 2024. Sydney, Australia.
Keynote Adresses
Webinar: Understanding & Addressing Men’s work stress - The Fathering Project