Dr Susie Burke

I am a psychologist, researcher, writer, and climate change campaigner with a background in individual and couples therapy, group work, conflict resolution, disaster psychology, parenting issues, and environmental issues. 

I am now working full-time with individuals, couples and families in private practice as a psychologist in Castlemaine, Victoria, as well as consulting to councils, groups and organisations, and running workshops and individual sessions on parenting issues, and to help people cope with and come to terms with climate change and disasters. 

For 17 years I was the senior psychologist at the Australian Psychological Society and developed resources, training programs and workshops on a variety of social issues including: refugee issues, bullying, children's wellbeing after parental separation, homelessness, Indigenous issues, racism, climate change and disasters, LGBTI issues,  violence and conflict, gambling, the future of work, cyberpsychology. Prior to that, in the late 1990’s, I was working at Relationships Australia (VIC), and then the Victorian Parenting Centre running groups and training professionals in working with children with emotional and behavioural problems.

As a researcher and writer, my current interest is in the role that psychology plays in helping us understand the causes, impacts and solutions to climate change and other environmental threats, including natural disasters.  I have authored a number of resources including the Psychological First Aid Handbook, the Climate Change Empowerment Handbook, and other materials on coping with climate change, raising children for a climate altered world, and disaster preparedness and recovery.