Dr Denis O'Hara
Program Lead, Master of Counselling
Clinical SnrLecturer Counselling&MH
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work
+61 7 336 52834
Researcher biography
Dr Denis O'Hara is the Program Lead for the Master of Counselling within the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work. He is a chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society and member of the Psychotherapist and Counsellors Federation of Australia. Dr O'Hara is a past Head of School of Counselling and Psychotherapy at the Australian College of Applied Psychology (ACAP) and is Adjunct Professor at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Dr O'Hara has taught in several universities and colleges both in Australia and overseas across faculties of education, psychology, and counselling. He enjoys research and writing and has published several books and book chapters, and multiple peer reviewed journal articles. Some of his research interests include hope studies, psychological trauma, ADHD, self-differentiation, and psychotherapy integration. One of Dr O'Hara's principal areas of reearch is on hope studies and apart from reports in research papers, a detailed examination of hope can be found in two of his books. The most recent volume is an edited book which provides an examination of hope from multiple perspectives including psychological, sociological, fiction and film, and is entitled "Phoenix Rising from Contemporary Global Society". A second text is a full examination of hope and its application within the context of counselling and psychotherapy and is entitled " Hope in Counselling and Psychotherapy'.
Publications
Book
O’Hara, Denis (2013). Hope in counselling and psychotherapy. London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications. doi: 10.4135/9781446269992
Book Chapters
O'Hara, Denis (2023). Depression. The SAGE handbook of counselling and psychotherapy. (pp. 215-220) edited by Terry Hanley and Laura Anne Winter. London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications.
Beel, Nathan, Hoare, Nancey, Davies, Michael, O’Hara, Denis J. and du Preez, Jan (2021). Application and careers for counsellors and counselling psychologists. The Australian handbook for careers in psychological science. (pp. 116-139) edited by Tony Machin, Tanya Machin, Carla Jeffries and Nancey Hoare. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Univerity of Southern Queensland.
O’Hara, Denis J. (2021). Three spheres of hope: generalised, particularised and transformative. Phoenix rising from contemporary: global society. (pp. 3-14) edited by Lisa Ortiz and Denis O'Hara. Oxford, United Kingdom: Brill. doi: 10.1163/9781848883345_002
O’Hara, Denis J. and O’Hara, Eva Fiona (2020). Hope and well-being in sustainable development. Good Health and Well-Being. (pp. 1-10) edited by Walter Leal Filho, Tony Wall, Anabela Marisa Azul, Luciana Brandli and Pinar Gökcin Özuyar. Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature Switzerland . doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-69627-0_118-1
O'Hara, Denis John and O'Hara, E. Fiona (2020). Innovations in a changing world. A metatheoretical framework for the integration. (pp. 247-258) edited by Katrina Andrews, Fiona Ann Papps, Vincent Mancini, Larissa Clarkson, Kathryn Nicholson Perry, Graeme Senior and Eric Brymer. Sydney, NSW Australia: Australian College of Applied Psychology.
O'Hara, Denis (2017). Depression. Sage handbook of counselling and psychotherapy. (pp. 404-409) edited by Colin Feltham, Terry Hanley and Laura Anne Winter. Thousand Oaks, CA USA: Sage Publications.
Hanley, Terry, Steffen, Edith and O'Hara, Denis (2016). Research: From consumer to producer. Handbook of Counselling Psychology. (pp. 530-545) edited by Woolfe, Ray, Strawbridge, Sheelagh, Kasket, Elaine and Galbraith, Victoria. London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications. doi: 10.4135/9781529714968.n33
Meteyard, John and O'Hara, Denis John (2015). The diversity of university-community engagement: an international perspective. Community counselling: direction and focus. (pp. 83-94) edited by Chris Pratt. Pinang, Malaysia: Asia Pacific University-Community Engagement Network.
O'Hara, D. J. (2009). Societal expectations and tolerating interpersonal difference as factors within the differentiation of self. Building Asian families and communities in the 21st century: selected proceeds of the 2nd Asian psychological association conference. (pp. 52-65) edited by Jas Laile , Suzana Binti Jaafar and Sherri McCarthy. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Journal Articles
Schirmer, Jim, Ellwood, Michael W., Witteveen, Kate and O'Hara, Denis (2024). Are professional counsellors and psychotherapists prepared to make a greater contribution to the Australian mental health workforce? A comparison of training content and mental health standards. Advances in Mental Health, 1-14. doi: 10.1080/18387357.2024.2347434
O'Hara, Denis (2023). Conceptions of counselling and psychotherapy: towards professional self-clarification. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 11 (2). doi: 10.59158/001c.88162
O'Hara, Denis (2023). The Power Threat Meaning Framework and Self-Discrepancy Theory: Complementary Perspectives. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 11 (2). doi: 10.59158/001c.88063
Barna, Emil and O’Hara, Denis (2019). Applying the radical exposure tapping protocol in the treatment of trauma-related emotional reactivity: A phenomenological case study. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 7 (1). doi: 10.59158/001c.71261
O'Hara, Denis (2016). The self: reflective, relational, and embodied. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 4 (1). doi: 10.59158/001c.71166
O'Hara, Denis J. and O'Hara, E. Fiona (2015). Counselling and psychotherapy: professionalisation in the Australian context. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 3 (1). doi: 10.59158/001c.71147
Meteyard, J. and O'Hara, D. J. (2015). Counselling psychology: a view from Australia. Counselling Psychology Review, 30 (2), 20-31.
O'Hara, Denis J. (2015). Editorial: An international perspective of counselling psychology. Counselling Psychology Review, 30 (2), 2-4.
O’Hara, Denis and O'Hara, E. Fiona (2014). The Identity of Counselling and Psychotherapy and the Quest for a Common Metatheory. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia, 2 (1). doi: 10.59158/001c.71131
O'Hara, Denis (2014). Dialogues and debates: the question of the self. Counselling Psychology Review, 29 (2), 67-69. doi: 10.53841/bpscpr.2014.29.2.67
Hanley, Terry, O'Hara, Denis and Steffen, Edith (2014). Editorial: A year in the life of Counselling Psychology Review. Counselling Psychology Review, 29 (1), 3-6. doi: 10.53841/bpscpr.2014.29.1.3
O'Hara, Denis J. (2014). The question of the self. Counselling Psychology Review, 29 (2), 67-69.
O'Hara, Denis J. (2014). The identity of counselling and psychotherapy and the quest for a common metatheory. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia.
O'Hara, Denis J., O'Hara, E. Fiona, Meteyard, John and Anderson, Kirsty (2013). Therapist characteristics of self-differentiation and epistemic style and their relationship with therapist dispositional hope.. Australian Journal of Counselling Psychology, 33-39.
Meteyard John, Andersen, Kirsty and O’Hara, Denis (2013). The relationship between anxiety and managing interpersonal difference: Implications for couples counselling.. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia., 1 (1). doi: 10.59158/001c.71120
O'Hara, Denis J. and O'Hara, E. Fiona (2012). Research Paper Towards a grounded theory of therapist hope. Counselling Psychology Review, 27 (4), 42-55. doi: 10.53841/bpscpr.2012.27.4.42
O'Hara, Denis (2012). Editorial: Common factors of therapeutic change in counselling psychology. Counselling Psychology Review, 27 (4), 3-7. doi: 10.53841/bpscpr.2012.27.4.3
Hanley, Terry, O'Hara, Denis J. and Steffen, Edith (2012). Considering collaboration and ‘crodswoggle’. Counselling Psychology Review, 27 (1), 3-9. doi: 10.53841/bpscpr.2011.27.1.3
O'Hara, D. J. and O'Hara, E. F. (2012). Towards a grounded theory of therapist hope. Counselling Psychology Review, 27 (4), 42-54.
Hanley, T., O’Hara, D. J. and Steffen, E. (2012). Editorial: Considering collaboration and ‘crodswoggle’. Counselling Psychology Review, 27 (1), 3-7.
O'Hara, D. J. (2012). Reconciling technical and practical knowledge in psychotherapy through Polanyi’s tacit knowing. . British Psychological Society, Counselling Psychology Section: Counselling Psychology Review, 27 (1), 64-72. doi: 10.53841/bpscpr.2011.27.1.64
O'Hara, D. J. (2012). Editorial: common factors of therapeutic change in counselling psychology. British Psychological Society, Counselling Psychology Section: Counselling Psychology Review, 27 (4), 3-6.
O'Hara, D. J. (2011). Hope as promise: Psychological and spiritual explorations. . Eremos, 115, 12-15.
O'Hara, D. J. (2011). Coaching philosophy, eclecticism and positivism: A commentary. Annual Review of High Performance Coaching & Consulting , 6 (s2), 53-57.
O'Hara, Denis John and Meteyard, John (2011). The differentiation of self and the capacity to tolerate interpersonal difference and societal expectations: an exploratory study. Asia Pacific Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 2 (2), 126-137. doi: 10.1080/21507686.2011.557772
O'Hara, D. J. (2011). The nature of hope: A response. Therapy Today, 22 (2), 34-35.
O'Hara, Denis (2011). Psychotherapy and the dialectics of hope and despair. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 24 (4), 323-329. doi: 10.1080/09515070.2011.623542
O'Hara, D. J. (2010). Hope: The neglected common factor. Therapy Today, 21 (9), 17-19.
O'Hara, Denis and Schofield, Margot J. (2008). Personal approaches to psychotherapy integration. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research, 8 (1), 53-62. doi: 10.1080/14733140801889113
Alexander, I. S., Mackay, F., Meteyard, J., O’Hara, D. and Brown, C. (2004). Liminal space and transitions in the journey.. Conversations: A Forum for Authentic Transformation, 2 (2), 18-23.
Research Reports
O'Hara, Denis J., Ellem, Kathy and Witteveen, Kate (2024). Evaluation of the National Counselling and Referral Service Counselling within Correctional Centres: executive summary and final report. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/8d16fc4
Schirmer, Jim, Witteveen, Kate and O'Hara, Denis (2021). Evidence of focused psychological strategies provided by counsellors and psychotherapists: a systematic scoping review. Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/edfa455
Creative Works
O'Hara, D (2018). Hope in Counselling and Psychotherapy. London, United Kingdom: Sage Knowledge.
O'Hara, D (2018). The self and therapeutic change. London, United Kingdom: Sage Knowledge.