Dr Cassandra Sundaraja

Biography

Dr. Cassandra Sundaraja is a clinical psychologist. She initially completed her training in clinical psychology in India. Since qualifying as a clinical psychologist, Cassandra ran a private practice in India for several years, before relocating to Australia in 2018. She also had experience as a guest lecturer at Universities in India. She completed her PhD in Psychology from UNE in 2021. Cassandra is a member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc (AAPi).

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science in Psychology, University of Madras, India

Master of Science in Psychology (Clinical), CHRIST University, India

Master of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), India

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology, University of New England, Australia

Research Interests

• Perinatal Mental Health & Traumatic Birth Experiences
• Climate Change & Mental Health
• Intimate Partner Relationships
• Psychotherapy

Publications

Sundaraja, C. S., Lykins, A. D., & Hine, D. W. (2024). Purchasing sustainable palm oil products: Narrowing the intention-behavior gap. Frontiers in Nutrition, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2023.1329901

Lykins, A. D., Bonich, M., Sundaraja, C., & Cosh, S. (2023). Climate change anxiety positively predicts antenatal distress in expectant female parents. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 102801. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102801

Lykins, A. D., Cosh, S., Nunn, P. D., Kumar, R., & Sundaraja, C. S. (2023). “Io, keimami leqataka vakalevu na vei gauna mai muri” (“We are worried about the future generation”): Experiences of eco-grief in rural indigenous Fijians. Global Environmental Psychology, 1, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.5964/gep.11447

Sundaraja, C., Hine, D., Thorsteinsson, E., & Lykins, A. (2022). Purchasing products with sustainable palm oil: Designing and evaluating an online intervention for Australian consumers. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1017/aee.2022.27

Sundaraja, C. S., Hine, D. W., Alex, A., Cosh, S. M., & Lykins, A. (2021). Can consumers do it all? An exploration of factors that influence the purchase of sustainable palm oil products. Journal of Food Products Marketing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10454446.2021.1965063

Sundaraja, C. S., Hine, D. W., & Lykins, A. (2021). Palm oil: Understanding barriers to sustainable consumption. PLoS One, 16(8), e0254897. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254897

Sundaraja, C. S., Hine, D. W., & Lykins, A. D. (2020). Confronting the palm oil crisis: Identifying behaviours for targeted interventions. Environmental Science and Policy, 103, 99-106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.08.004

Sundaraja, C. S., & Shah, A. (2017). How to work with middle-aged siblings: Integration of Narrative-Behavioral approaches in family therapy. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 28(1), 76-91. https://doi.org/10.1080/08975353.2017.1279885

Sundaraja, C. S. (2015). Transition to fatherhood: Exploring experiences of first-time fathers. Journal of Psychological Researches, 59(2), 34-47.

Sundaraja, C. (2013, March 15). Is child sexual abuse culture-specific? International Council of Professional Therapists (ICPT) Magazine