Vicki Hutton

Professor Vicki Hutton is the Discipline Chair of Counselling and Course Coordinator of the Graduate Diploma of Counselling at ACAP Melbourne campus, James Cook University. She holds a PhD in Applied Psychology and has over 10 years' experience in higher education, focusing on cultural competence in teaching and research. Her work bridges mental health, HIV/AIDS studies, and human-animal relationships, emphasizing ethical and empathetic approaches.

Her research explores topics such as stigma reduction, animal ethics, and the psychological benefits of companion animals for marginalized groups. She actively contributes to professional communities through affiliations like the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia and the International Society for Anthrozoology. Beyond academia, she maintains long-term involvement as a counselor at Southway Counselling Centre, established over 20 years ago to provide affordable mental health support.

Professor Hutton’s teaching philosophy integrates cognitive, affective, and behavioral learning to prepare students for culturally diverse environments. Her publications span peer-reviewed journals and books, including Cultural competence in counselling (forthcoming) and A reason to live: HIV and companion animals (2018). She presents at international conferences on human-animal studies, mental health methodology, and educational innovation.