School of Psychology
University of Queensland
Brisbane, QLD 4072
AUSTRALIA

BBSc (Hons); PhD LaTrobe University

After completing my honours degree in psychology at LaTrobe University in Melbourne I had a brief stint as a psychologist at Mont Park Psychiatric Hospital and discovered that I was terribly under prepared for clinical work. I returned to do my Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Latrobe University focusing on social anxiety and skills training, which I completed in 1979.  I taught at the Lincoln Institute for four years, working in health psychology and establishing a multi-disciplinary Post Graduate Diploma in Community Health. In 1982 the call of warmer climates led me to Brisbane where I took a job as a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at what was then Brisbane College of Advanced Education (now part of Queensland University of technology), where I co-ordinated a Post Graduate Diploma in Counseling, and developed a part-time private practice. I wanted to get more seriously into research, and took a job as a Lecturer in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Queensland, and began working with couples and families. For 5 years from 1990 to the end of 1994 I was appointed to a conjoint position as Chief Psychologist of the Royal Brisbane Hospital and Reader in Clinical Psychology. In 2005 I was appointed as Professor and Head of the School of Applied Psychology at Griffith University, where I worked for 14 years in a range of management roles, and sustained and built my research on couple relationships. In 2009 I began as Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of Clinical Training in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland. I am a practicing clinical psychologist, an active researcher and a clinical teacher. My specialist area of expertise and enthusiastic interest is couples and families, with a focus on developing and evaluating innovative interventions.

I love travel and have been fortunate to build this into my work by being a Visiting Professor at the University of Oregon (1989), Manchester University (1993), University of North Carolina (1997) and Chinese University of Hong Kong (2006), as well as being a regular visitor and collaborator with colleagues at Denver University, Brigham Young University and the Technical university of Braunschweig. These experiences have sparked in me a keen interest in cross-cultural issues in family psychology.

 A little personal note 

 I am married to Barbara, who is also a psychologist, and have two wonderful adult sons Chris and James. Combining these family bonds with keeping contact with a circle of special friends; and meeting the demands of being a tragically passionate Brisbane Lions supporter as well as being an enthusiastic but unskilled cook, tennis player, skier, photographer, yoga practitioner, and surfer, results in clinical psychology being a very important but not all consuming passion in my life. (So relying on replies to e-mail from me over the weekend, or while I am on leave, is only like to cause disappointment.)

Journal Reviewer for:

Behavioral Assessment

Behaviour Research and Therapy

 Behavior Therapy

Australian Psychologist

Australian Journal of Psychology

Behaviour Change

Clinical Psychology: Research and Practice

Cognitive Therapy and Research

Health Psychology

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

Journal of Family Psychology

Journal of Marriage and the Family

Psychology and Health

Social and Personal Relationships

Grant reviewer for:

National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia

Australian Research Council

Australian Department of Human Services and Health, Health Research Grants

Diabetes Foundation of Australia

Membership of Professional Associations

Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society

Member, College of Clinical Psychologists, the Australian Psychological Society

Member, Australian association of Behaviour and Cognitive Therapies

Member, Association of behaviour and Cognitive Therapies (North America)

Foreign Affiliate, American Psychological Association

Recent Membership of Professional Committees

Chair (2003-2008 )  and Australian representative (1993-2000, 2001- ) World Congress Committee for the Federation of Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy Associations.

Member, Organizing Committee Second World Congress of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies held in Acapulco, Mexico July, 1998.

Convenor, Heads of Schools and Departments of Psychology Association of Australia. 1996.

Member, Psychologists Registration Board of Queensland (1993-95).

Clinical Practice

I maintain an active practice in clinical psychology, which I have for most of my career, except for a 4 year lapse when I entertained the idea that I was a university manager. (An idea I have now recovered from.) I work predominantly with adults, and have particular interest in couple relationships.

My major research focus is couple relationships:

·        how healthy relationships help people to adapt to stressful events.

·        determinants of relationship satisfaction and stability

·        promoting healthy couple relationships through relationship education and therapy

·        dissemination of evidence based couple interventions

Significant contributions of my work include

·        development of brief couple therapy approaches

·        assessment and intervention with couples in which one partner has significant

psychological disorder (e.g., depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse gambling)

·        assessment and reduction of risk of future relationship problems

·          development and dissemination of self-directed learning processes for promoting healthy couple relationships.

Current work focuses upon

·        Further evaluation and dissemination of the  Couple Commitment and Relationship

Enhancement (Couple CARE) program

·        Developing and evaluating relationship enhancement programs for step-families,

·        Developing and evaluating programs for couples in crisis (e.g., as a result of diagnosis

of cancer in one of the partners.

·        Innovations to enhance the efficacy of couple therapy

REFERRED JOURNAL ARTICLES

In press

91. Halford, W. K. , Farrugia, C. , Lizzio, A., & Wilson, K. L. (in press). Relationship Aggression, Violence and Self-Regulation in Australian Newlywed Couples. Australian Journal of Psychology. (Accepted January 4, 2009).

90. Halford, W. K., Farrugia, C. , Lizzio, A., & Wilson, K. L. (in press). Relationship Aggression, Violence and Self-Regulation in Australian Newlywed Couples . Australian Journal of Psychology. (Accepted January 4, 2009).

89. Halford, W. K., & Wilson, K. L. (in press). Predictors of relationship satisfaction four years after completing flexible delivery coupler relationship education. Journal of Couple and Family Therapy.

88. Larson, J. H., & Halford, W. K. (in press). One size does not fit all: customizing couple relationship education for unique couple needs. Journal of Couple and Relationship Therapy.

2008

87. Chambers, S. K., Schover, L., Halford, W. K., Clutton, S., Ferguson, M., Gorden, L., Gardiner, R. A., Occhipinti, S., & Dunn, J. (2008). ProsCan for Couples: randomized controlled trial of a couple based sexuality intervention for men with localized prostate cancer who received radical prostatectomy. BMC Cancer, 8, 226.

86. Halford, W. K., Markman, H. J. , & Stanley, S. M. (2008). Strengthening couple relationships with education: social policy and public health perspectives. Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 497-505.

85. Kavanagh, D., Pourmand, D., White, A., Robertson, D., Halford, W .K., & Vaughn, K. (2008). Predictive validity of the Family Attitude Scale in people with psychosis. Psychiatry Research, 160, 353-363.

84. Petch, J., & Halford, W. K. (2008). Psychoeducation to enhance couples’ transition to parenthood. Clinical Psychology Review, 28, 1125-1137.

83. Pearce, Z., & Halford, W K. (2008). Do attributions mediate the association of attachment and negative couple communication? Personal Relationships, 15, 155-170.

82. Sher, T. G., &  Halford, W. K. (2008). Challenges and opportunities in public health perspectives on family interventions: Introduction to the Special Section. Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 495-496.

81. Wilson, K. L., & Halford, W. K. (2008).  Processes of change in the flexible delivery of couple relationship education.  Family Relations 57, 625-635.

2007

80. Halford, W. K., Lizzio, A., Wilson, K.L., & Occhipinti, S. (2007). Does working at your relationship help? Couple relationship self-regulation and satisfaction in the first 4 years of marriage. Journal of Family Psychology, 21, 185-194.

79. Halford, W. K., Nicholson, J. M., & Sanders, M. R. (2007). Couple communication in step families. Family Process, 46, 471-483.

78. Kelly, A. B., & Halford, W. K. (2007). Responses to ethical challenges in conducting research with Australian adolescents. Australian Psychologist, 59, 23-44.

77. Nicholson, J. M., Phillips, M., Whitton, S., Halford, W. K., & Sanders, M. R. (2007). Promoting healthy stepfamilies: couples’ reasons for seeking help and perceived benefits from intervention. Family Matters, 77, 48-57.

2006                              

76. Halford, W. K. (2006). Strength in numbers: the couple relationship in adult therapy. Behaviour Change, 23, 87-102.

75. Halford, W. K., O’Donnell, C., Lizzio, A., & Wilson, K. L. (2006).  Brief Report: Do Couples At High-Risk of relationship problems attend pre-marriage education? Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 160-163.

74. Kelly, A. B., & Halford, W. K. (2006). Verbal and physical aggression in couples where the female partner is drinking heavily. Journal of  Family Violence, 21, 11-17.

73. Sweeper, S.,  &  Halford, W. K. (2006). Assessing adult adjustment to relationship separation: the Psychological Adjustment to Separation Test (PAST). Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 632-640.

2005

72. Halford, W. K., & Simons, M. ( 2005). Couple relationship education in Australia. Family Process, 44, 147-259.

71. Markman, H. J., & Halford, W. K. (2004). International perspectives on couple relationship education. Family Process, 44, 139-146.

70. Wilson, K. L., Charker, J., Lizzio, A., Kimlin, S., & Halford, W. K. (2005). Assessing how much couples work at their relationship: the Behavioral Self-Regulation for Effective Relationships Scale. Journal of Family Psychology, 91, 385-393.

BOOKS AND OTHER MAJOR PUBLICATIONS

8. Halford, W. K., (in press). Marriage and relationship education: what works and how to provide it. New York: Guilford.

7. Halford, W K., Moore, E. M., Wilson, K., Dyer, C., & Farrugia, C. (2006) Couple Commitment and Relationship Enhancement: a guidebook for life partners. Brisbane: Australian Academic Press.

6. Halford, W K., Moore, E. M., Wilson, K., Dyer, C., & Farrugia, C. (2006) Couple Commitment and Relationship Enhancement: Professional leaders manual. Brisbane: Australian Academic Press.

5. Halford, W K., Moore, E. M., Wilson, K., Dyer, C., Farrugia, C., & Judge, K. (2006) Couple Commitment and Relationship Enhancement [Audiovisual production available as DVD or videotape]. Brisbane: Australian Academic Press.

4. Halford, W. K. (2001). Brief Couple Therapy. New York:Guilford.

3. Scott, J. L., & Halford, W. K. (1999). CanCope: a guide for women coping with breast cancer and their partners[Audiovisual production available as DVD or videotape]. Brisbane: Epic Productions.

2. Halford, W. K. (1999). Marriage in millennium three: a research and development agenda for marriage education. Canberra: Australian Department Family and Community Services. 

1. Halford, W. K., & Markman, H. J. (Eds.) (1997) Clinical Handbook of Marital and Couple Interventions. Chichester, England: Wiley.

BOOK CHAPTERS

In press

29. Halford, W. K., & Casey, L. (in press) Taking it to the people: using technology to enhance the impact of couple relationship education. In K. Hahlweg, M. Grawe & D. Baucom (Eds.) Enhancing Couples: The Shape of Couple Therapy to Come. Gottingen: Hogrefe.

28. Casey, L., & Halford, W. K. (in press). Couples and the silicon chip: applying technology to couple services. In K. Hahlweg, M. Grawe & D. Baucom (Eds.) Enhancing Couples: The Shape of Couple Therapy to Come. Gottingen: Hogrefe.

2008

27. Nicholson, J.M., Sanders, M. R., Halford, W. K., Phillips, M., & Whitton, S. W. (2008). The prevention and treatment of children’s adjustment problems in stepfamilies. In J. Pryor (Ed.) The International Handbook of Stepfamilies: Policy and Parctice in Legal, Research, and Clinical Environments. (pp. 455-484). New York: Wiley.

2007

26. Halford, W. K, Wilson, K. L., & Moore, E. (2007). Promoting a love for life: couple relationship education to enhance relationship outcomes. In E. Shaw. & L. Sheehan, (Eds.) Couple Therapy in Australia. (pp.181-198). Melbourne: Psychoz.