by PsySSA-Web Support | Oct 22, 2025
I am a social and psychological researcher, who is interested in social science research, public health, and climate change. My preferred method is qualitative research methodology. For my Honours research at the University of Johannesburg, I used autoethnography to study Child Sexual Abuse. Completed my Masters in Social and Psychological Research at the University of the Witwatersrand, exploring the experiences of black women leaders in corporate South Africa, using Foucauldian discourse analysis. I am a writing consultant by profession, and have a book review publication on Anarchism and Climate Change Activism, published in 2022. Co-authored a journal article on Feasibility Testing of a Health Literacy Intervention With Adolescents and Young Adults in South Africa, published in 2024. This feasibility study introduced me to public health psychology, and made me passionate about finding the links between individuals’ health and how their behaviour impacts their relationship with their direct environment, through a psychological lens. I am specifically interested in how psychological theories such as the socio-ecological system can help social science researchers understand why people care (or not) about their health, environment and thus, the climate. I am excited to serve on the CEPD as a divisional member and join the Psyssa community.
by Web Admin | Oct 22, 2025
Dr Lauren Martin is a counselling psychologist since 2014 and has worked in education for over 12 years. Lauren currently holds the role of Dean at the South African College of Applied Psychology (SACAP). Lauren has a deep-rooted passion for education and mental health, reflected in her PhD which focused on integrating mental health into learning and teaching practices to enhance resiliency in psychology students. Through various roles, whether Vice Chair for the Research Ethics Committee, an Academic Board member, BBBEE Committee member, or members of HELTASA or WHEN, she strives to contribute to driving positive change in psychology and society.
by Web Admin | Oct 22, 2025
Boshadi Semenya is a clinical psychologist and teaches in the MA clinical psychology programme at the University of South Africa. Boshadi uses ecosystemic, decolonial and other critical theories and qualitative methods to explore multiple, complex processes in which sexual and reproductive issues are embedded.
by PsySSA-Web Support | Oct 21, 2025
I’m an analytical thinker with a profound interest in the forces that shape human cognition, focusing on the mechanisms of decision-making and meaning-making. This academic curiosity is put into practice through a dual role as an academic and the founder of an NGO.
As an academic, I am committed to advancing a nuanced understanding of human behavior, bridging empirical precision with psychological analysis. This approach is anchored in the belief that mental life must be studied in relation to the narratives, embodied experiences, and environments in which thinking occurs, not solely through neurobiological processes.
In my professional capacity as the founder of an NGO, I direct research and curriculum design initiatives focused on the development of executive functioning. My work emphasizes how cognitive capacities are cultivated and constrained in under-resourced communities. This role has allowed me to combine empirical investigation with applied program design, producing interventions that strengthen focus, resilience, and long-term goal orientation in learners.
In addition to my other work, I serve as a mental health coach for a UK charity, providing crucial support to individuals from under-resourced communities.
My contributions lie in creating integrative, ethically informed, and contextually grounded models of mental life. This unique blend of theoretical inquiry and practical application aims to foster a more comprehensive understanding of human cognition while creating tangible, positive change.
