Dr Cait McMahon OAM

Dr Cait McMahon OAM is psychologist and an international expert on the intersect of trauma and journalism. She was the founding Managing Director of the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma-Asia Pacific (2003-2021) a project of Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism, NYC. In that role she facilitated in-person psychoeducation across 30 nations in the Asia Pacific region, as well as North America, the UK and other parts of Europe. She has consulted to media houses internationally on the implementation of policies and processes to mitigate the impacts of work-related trauma exposure.

Working with the media profession since 1987 when engaged at The Age newspaper in Melbourne as an in-house staff counsellor, McMahon completed one of the world’s first studies on journalists and trauma in 1993. In 2016 her doctoral work focused on trauma exposed media professionals, examining posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth.

Dr McMahon was integral to the establishment of peer support programs at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the cross-industry peer program of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines. In 2016 Cait McMahon was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for services to journalists’ mental health and wellbeing.