I originally intended to be a music artiste (rapper *yikes*), but then I ended up in a seminary to become a priest where I fell in love with philosophy. After my seminary education, I started a Master of Philosophy in research exploring the interplay of religion and cross-cultural psychology when I got connected with Ward Davis who introduced me to attachment theory research. It was then I realised I wanted to pursue a career in research as a psychologist of religion.

After I completed my Bachelors and my Master of Philosophy research investigating youth attachment and authenticity in a South African context, I got my Ph.D. in Religious Studies (with focus in the Psychology of Religion) at the University of Groningen (2018) studying the interplay of religious and place attachment in a migration context. I got a second Ph.D. in Psychology at Western Sydney University (2019) researching the complex relationships between different types of adult attachment experiences and health/quality of life outcomes in Australia. By training I am a social, health, and positive psychologist, social scientist, and psychologist of religion who uses psychological theories and methods to derive predictions and account for observable phenomena in attachment behaviours, religion/spirituality, human-environment interactions, radicalisation, behaviour change, migration, health-related outcomes, youth mental health, and clinical spiritual care.

I am the Head of Research & Program Development at Counted Solutions Australia Pty Ltd and Fellow of the School of Psychology, Western Sydney University. I am also Research Associate of the Cambridge Institute for Applied Psychology & Religion, where I work with Fraser Watts examining the interplay of place attachment and religion. 

I consider myself an interdisciplinary voice in psychology and religious studies. Particularly, I am interested in social, health, and environmental psychology, the psychology of religion, and mental health research. I am also interested in the dialogue between psychology and religious studies/theology, though mostly known for my work on The Psychology of Religion and Place.  

When not researching, I enjoy trying new restaurants and movies with my wife Jessie, an Education and Care Services Manager, and we love traveling around the world changing lives one community at a time.