Dr Jackie Amos is a child and adolescent psychiatrist and gestalt psychotherapist, and supports Children’s Services Unit (CSU) programs at Centacare. Her role is being highlighted as part of National Families Week (May 15-21).

Jackie works psychotherapeutically with vulnerable families, where abuse and neglect of children is a central concern.

In her doctoral research, Jackie developed two complementary models of the intergenerational transmission of neglect and abuse, and the role of trauma in maintaining relationship difficulties.

These models were then used to understand the key objectives of treatment for families where the care and protection of the children is compromised

Key techniques and processes used are Adult Exploration of Attachment Interview (AEAI) and Parallel Parent and Child Narrative (PPCN). Jackie trains CSU therapist in her models of therapeutic practice.

In 2017, Jackie’s PhD When wounds from infancy collide -The mother child relationship as trauma, trigger, and treatment, was passed with no changes.

The examiners were extremely positive about the work and suggested that it has international significance.

The PhD has opened up many pathways for Jackie who has shared her expertise at state and national level over the past year. She has presented on how parental history of trauma has disrupted ability to parent, and on breaking the cycle of intergenerational transmission of neglect and abuse.

You can read more about Jackie’s work here:

New hope in prevention of child neglect

Project explores impact of shame