Dr Mandy Commons Treloar

Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy (Psychological medicine) - Monash University - 2010

Graduate Certificate in Teaching (Tertiary) – University of Ballarat – 2006

Master of Psychotherapy and Counselling – University of Ballarat – 2005

Graduate Diploma of Applied Science (Professional Psychology) – University of Ballarat – 1999

Bachelor of Arts – University of Ballarat - 1998

Teaching

Courses

• Master of Psychology

Units

• Advanced Skills for Clinical Practice (PSYCM7128)

Biography

Mandy is a Clinical Psychologist and Registered Supervisor with the Psychology Board of Australia. She has extensive knowledge and several years of experience in the clinical treatment of clients suffering from high prevalence disorders and serious mental illness, as well as in the assessment and treatment of clients at risk. Mandy is also the creator of the iOS and android MyPsyDiary application for mental health support, devised due to her interest in using information technology applications to enhance clinical practice and improve client outcomes.

Mandy also has experience in a wide range of assessment techniques and experience in the assessment of complex cases for clarification of diagnosis and determination of appropriate treatment modalities (including Cognitive-behavioural therapy, Family therapy, and Psychodynamic/Psychoanalytic therapy).

Mandy thoroughly enjoys teaching and has extensive experience in the delivery of clinical-based education (both in a community and tertiary environment), and in the provision of supervision of research and clinical work. She has also been a researcher in the area of Borderline Personality Disorder, with both a national and international publication record.

Areas of expertise

Mandy’s area of expertise in clinical psychology is varied. She has expertise in understanding and working with behavioural disturbance in Borderline Personality Disorder, assisting other health professionals to manage their professional response to these behaviours, and using clinical/theoretical framework to exploring deliberate self-harm triggers. She also has expertise in the area of diagnostic application/clarification and case conceptualisation with other personality disorders and serious mental illnesses. Mandy has also been involved in the provision of clinical supervision to other health services’ internationally in the area of Borderline Personality Disorder, and recently fulfilled a role as an international examiner for a PhD thesis in New Zealand.

Research interests

• Borderline personality disorder
• Deliberate self-harm and suicidal behaviours
• Serious mental illness
• Transference and countertransference considerations
• Psychoanalytic psychotherapy
• Use of iOS and android application in clinical practice

Supervision

No current supervision arrangements – teaching role at the present time

Publications

Books & Dissertations:

Commons Treloar, A. J. (2014). Borderline personality disorder: Understanding the unconscious function of deliberate self-harm and managing the transference relationship. New York: Nova Publishers.

Commons, M. (2004). The experience of psychotic symptomatology and its relationship to personality structure. (Dissertation for the Masters of Psychotherapy and Counselling, University of Ballarat. Supervised by Dr. A. Lewis)

Commons Treloar, A. (2010). Guilt, masochism, and self-harm in the Borderline patient: Using educational initiatives to improve clinician attitudes and diagnostic practices with borderline personality disorder. (Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy, Psychological Medicine, Monash University. Supervised by Dr. L. Rodriguez and Dr. A. Lewis)

Refereed journal articles

Commons Treloar, A. J., & Lewis, A. J. (2007). Responding to self harm in borderline personality disorder: From clinician frustration to therapeutic enquiry. Psychotherapy in Australia, 14(1), 34-45.

Commons Treloar, A. J., & Lewis, A. J. (2008). Professional attitudes towards deliberate self harm in patients with borderline personality disorder. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 42(7), 578-584.

Commons Treloar, A.J., & Lewis, A. (2008). Targeted clinical education for staff attitudes towards deliberate self harm in borderline personality disorder: randomised controlled trial. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 42(11), 981-988.

Commons Treloar, A. J. (2008). Borderline personality disorder: Patient perspectives of mental health and emergency medicine services. Psychotherapy in Australia, 15(1), 24-30.

Commons Treloar, A. J., & Lewis, A. J. (2009). Diagnosing borderline personality disorder: An examination of how clinical indicators are  used by professionals in the health setting. Clinical Psychologist,  13(1), 21-27.

Commons Treloar, A. J. (2009). Effectiveness of education programs in changing clinicians’ attitudes toward treating borderline personality disorder. Psychiatric Services, 60(8), 1128-1131.

Commons Treloar, A. J. (2009). A qualitative investigation of the clinician experience of working with borderline personality disorder. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 38(2), 31-35.

Refereed conference proceedings 

Commons Treloar, A. J. (2009). Assessing the impact of clinical education on the attitudes of health professionals towards working with borderline personality disorder, in V. Miller et al. (Eds.), Be the change you want – workforce ingenuity, contemporary TheMHS in mental health services, Auckland conference proceedings 2008 (recommended reading section), (pp.42-49). TheMHS conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

Requested book review from Psychotherapy in Australia on Joel Paris’ (2008) publication of Treatment of borderline personality disorder: a guide to evidence-based practice, featured in journal publication 15(3), 83-84.

Associations 

• Member of the Australian Psychological Society
• Fellow of the APS College of Clinical Psychologist