Victor Counted, Ph.D.

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 theology and philosophy. After my seminary education, I started a Master of Research exploring the interplay of religion and cultural psychology when I got connected with Ward Davis who introduced me to attachment theory research in the psychology of religion field. 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 Health 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 and developmental psychologist, practical theologian, and health scientist who use psychological theories and methods to derive predictions and account for observable phenomena in attachment behaviours, religion/spirituality, environment-behaviours, psychopathology, migrant health and quality of life, youth mental health, radicalisation, and clinical spiritual care.

I am the Head of Research & Program Development at Counted Solutions 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/theology. Particularly, I am interested in social, health, and environmental psychology and the psychology of religion. I am also interested in leading the dialogue between psychology and religious studies/theology, though mostly known for my scholarly work on The Psychology of Religion and Place.  

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