#200 – Dr James Morandini on Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation

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In this episode of Better Thinking, Nesh Nikolic speaks with Dr James Morandini about advancing research across gender identity, gender dysphoria, sexual orientation, and the mental health challenges connected to these areas.

James Morandini is a clinical psychologist and researcher whose clinical and research work focuses on matters of gender dysphoria/identity and sexuality. James has published widely on sexuality/gender in academic journals, including more than 20 empirical articles on these topics, and maintains active involvement in clinically relevant research in sex and gender. James completed a Ph.D in Psychology at The University of Sydney under A/Prof Ilan Dar-Nimrod and Professor Alex Blaszczynski between 2011 and 2016, examining ontological beliefs about sexual orientation held by LGBTQ+ individuals and their implications for self-acceptance and mental health.

He subsequently completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship with A/Prof Ilan Dar-Nimrod between 2016 and2020 funded by Australian Research Council and Templeton Grants. Dar-Nimrod and Morandini have created a hub for sexuality and gender research in the School of Psychology, at The University of Sydney, that is both socially minded and affirming while being scientifically rigorous and at the very cutting edge of sex research. James has pursued an “alternative” academic  career since 2020 founding King Street Psychology Clinic.
James lectures on gender/sexuality diversity in undergraduate and postgraduate clinical programs (including UTS, UWS, ACU, ACAP, USYD), is an Honorary Research Associate at The University of Western Sydney and University of Technology Sydney, as well as a Ph.D. and higher degree supervisor at The University of Sydney School of Psychology. He  provides clinical supervision on these issues to clinical psychologists and other health professionals in Australia and abroad, including in his capacity as National Convenor of the Psychology of Diverse Bodies, Genders, Sexualities Interest Group of the Australian Psychological Society (APS).