معرفی
Dr. Sonam Pelden is a Lecturer and Academic Lead for Counselling Discipline at Edith Cowan University’s School of Arts and Humanities. She coordinates counselling and psychotherapy programs and mentors doctoral/master’s students. With 22+ years in education and clinical practice, she specializes in suicide prevention, culturally responsive interventions, and global pedagogy. She pioneered school counselling policies in Bhutan and collaborates with UN agencies on youth development.
- Education: PhD (Curtin University, 2016), Master of Human Services Counselling (Curtin, 2009)
Research Interests: Suicide prevention in adolescents, culturally appropriate counselling, Bhutan’s school counselling policies, and migrant community support. Her work emphasizes bridging policy, practice, and global educational standards.
Recent articles explore counselling research capacity, immigrant youth substance use, and Indigenous climate resilience. She co-authored a seminal review on Bhutan’s post-pandemic higher education landscape.
- Awards: Endeavour Scholarship (2012), Bhutan Royal Government Scholarship (2007), India Government Scholarship (2000)
Grants/Projects: RISE UP (WA Justice, 2024-2026), Tenacious House evaluation ($31k), and Bhutanese migrant needs assessment ($5k). Supervises four PhDs focusing on transnational identity, GNH philosophy, pandemic impacts, and youth substance use.
She advocates for culturally inclusive education and has led student-led clinics in Bhutan. Her future work includes expanding global mental health equity and policy advocacy.
