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Staff at the Coaching Psychology Unit

The staff in the Coaching Psychology Unit come from a wide range of academic and business backgrounds.



The core staff are:

Dr Gordon Spence

PhD MAppSc BPsych(Hons)
Dr Gordon Spence

Research Fellow, Coaching Psychology Unit

I am a psychologist with a long standing interesting in the psychology of coaching, an interest that I indulge through my work as a researcher and as a practitioner. I hold a BPsych (Hons), a Masters of Applied Science (Coaching Psychology) and a PhD. The title of my PhD thesis was “New direction in the psychology of coaching: The integration of mindfulness training into evidence-based coaching practice”. I have presented my work at numerous conferences both nationally and internationally and published in several peer-review journals.

I am currently post doctoral fellow on the $3.5 million ARC Linkage grant project: “Leadership in High Stress Workplaces”, which is due to conclude in 2011. The project is notable for the development of a new model of leadership and an investigation of the impact of developmental coaching on leadership in complex work settings, along with a variety of other psychological and behavioural characteristics.

Prior to commencing my career in psychology, I had a corporate career spanning 13 years (international trade/financial services) and worked for organisations such as Woolworths, Simsmetal, National Bank of New Zealand, Fletcher Challenge Forests (NZ) and Unisys (UK). As a practicing coach I find this experience invaluable and constantly seek to blend my past experiences with my understanding of psychology in a way that assists individuals (and groups) to develop leadership qualities that enhance employee engagement, work satisfaction, high performing teams and employee well-being.

I live in Sydney with my wife Anita, son Riley (3½) and Ella (1½). Whilst coaching, research and teaching are strong interests of mine, parenthood brings me my greatest joy and there is nothing I like more than to adorn my office with Riley and Ella’s latest masterworks. We are currently preparing to build our dream home and will, in 2011, make a “tree change” and move to the NSW central coast.

Contact Information
School of Psychology,
University of Sydney
NSW 2006
Australia

Phone: +61 2 9351 4659
Mobile: 0421 641 649
Email: gordon.spence@sydney.edu.au

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Dr. Travis J. Kemp

PhD, MA, MSocSc, GradDipPsychSt, GradDipEdCouns, BEd, DipTA, DipCH FAICD, FAIM, FAHRI, MAPS, MSCP (Accred), MCASA
Dr. Travis J. Kemp

Adjunct Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator, Coaching Psychology Unit

Dr. Kemp is the Managing Director & Chief Psychologist of The Teleran Group Pty. Ltd. He holds post graduate degrees in Education, Social Science and Psychology, is a Registered Psychologist, Registered Psychotherapist and Registered Teacher and holds additional adjunct academic appointments as Senior Research Fellow in the University of South Australia’s School of Management and Affiliate Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine at the University of Adelaide.

Dr. Kemp’s twenty year business career has consisted of a range of senior Human Resources and Leadership positions within organisations including Faulding Pharmaceuticals (now Hospira), EDS (now HP), Built Environs and the University of South Australia where he held the position of MBA Director. In addition, Dr. Kemp is a professional Company Director, holding the Company Director’s Diploma, serving a number of organisational boards both past and present.

He has published widely in the professional and research based literature in Leadership and Executive Development and was co-editor the first evidence-based coaching psychology text Evidence-Based Coaching Volume One: Theory, research and practice from the behavioural sciences. He is also co-editor of the International Coaching Psychology Review.

In 2008 was made an Honorary Vice President of the international Society for Coaching Psychology and was a foundation national committee member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Interest Group in Coaching Psychology since 2002. He is also a member and supervisor of the APS College of Organisational Psychologists.

Dr. Kemp was invited member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the 1st International Congress of Coaching Psychology (2010) and the 2nd European Coaching Psychology Conference (2009) and is a Research Advisory Board member of the Harvard Medical School’s Institute of Coaching.

He is a Fellow of Australian Institute of Management, the Australian Human Resources Institute and the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds board appointments to the boards of ARIA award winning media production company CIK Media and Surf lifesaving South Australia where he has been an active Surf Lifesaver for 25 years and rescue crewperson the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service.

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Dr Suzy Green

Doctor of Psychology (Clinical), BA(Psych Hons), MAPS
Dr Suzy Green

Consultant Coaching and Clinical Psychologist (Reg’d NSW)
Co-Founder, Positive Psychology Institute
Adjunct Lecturer, Coaching Psychology Unit, University of Sydney

Dr Suzy Green is a registered Clinical and Coaching Psychologist. Suzy holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and is a pioneer and leader in the complementary fields of Coaching Psychology and Positive Psychology. Suzy is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Coaching Psychology Unit at the University of Sydney where she lectures on “Applied Positive Psychology”. Suzy’s expertise in Coaching Psychology has also been acknowledged through her appointment as an Honorary Vice President for the Society for Coaching Psychology (SCP), an international association committed to the promotion of Coaching Psychology globally. Suzy also co-founded the Positive Psychology Institute (PPI), an organization committed to promoting the well-being of individuals, organizations and communities.

Suzy’s doctoral research involved conducting the first-ever randomized controlled study (RCT) on the effectiveness of evidence-based life coaching as a mental health promotion and prevention intervention. Participants in Suzy’s study reported significant increases in goal striving, hope and well-being. Suzy’s research was published in the Journal of Positive Psychology in 2006. Suzy completed another RCT on the effectiveness of evidence-based life coaching for Year 11 students at MLC School, Burwood, which was published in the International Coaching Psychology Review in 2007. Suzy also conducted a further RCT at MLC School in 2007 on the effectiveness of evidence-based workplace coaching for teachers, which is currently submitted for publication. Suzy continues to research evidence-based coaching through her association with the Coaching Psychology Unit, University of Sydney.

Suzy conducts regular presentations on Coaching Psychology and Positive Psychology. Suzy’s audiences have included the Australian Human Resource Institute, the Professional Golfers’ Association, Lion-Nathan, Schering-Plough, Novo-Nordisk and AMP amongst many others. Suzy gave a keynote speech at the Australian Psychological Society Coaching Psychology Interest Group Symposium in 2004 and was allocated a Fellowship Award by the Gallup Organisation to present at the International Positive Psychology Summit in Washington DC in 2003. Suzy was also an invited keynote speaker at the 2009 Happiness & Its Causes Conference and the 2009 University of Sydney Happiness &Well-Being Conference held in Sydney

Suzy and her PPI associates also consult on applied positive psychology to organizations, schools and communities. This includes the co-creation of applied positive psychology strategy and associated training and coaching. In addition, the provision of executive coaching to senior level staff also supports this.

Suzy also has a strong media profile and appears regularly on both television and print media. Suzy is also the “Australian Womens’ Health Magazine” Psychologist and writes a regular “stress-less” column.

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Mr Sean O'Connor

I am a current PhD candidate working on the $3.5 million ARC Linkage grant project: “Leadership in High Stress Workplaces”, which is due to conclude in 2011.

I have a particular interest in Creativity, Complex Adaptive Systems theory and Social Network Analysis and how these ideas can help broaden our understanding of coaching in complex organisations. In following this interest I have been given a research grant from Harvard Medical School, Institute of Coaching and additional funding from Sydney University Learning Solutions to research what I call The Coaching Ripple effect, focusing on the individual and systemic level impact of leadership development in organisations. This research will attempt to show how coaching can effect members of an organisation both directly and indirectly through the social network and interaction networks that they share with each other. This will be the first research in the coaching field to directly measure systems level intervention impact.

I have previous experience in Leadership, team development, people management, franchising, marketing and sales, leadership training and government funding and service development. My coaching experience tends to be focused in Finance, Telecommunications and IT related industries, coaching senior and middle management through organisational change and leadership development. I also consult for a number of major organisations on the development of team intervention and coaching programs.

I held the position of President of the University of Sydney Coaching and Mentoring Association for three years and was successful in transitioning this to an Alumni chapter. I am currently enjoying teaching and learning as part of the coaching psychology unit and while finding it very challenging I also find it extremely stimulating. I am also looking forward to finishing my PhD.

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