I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with UniSA’s Justice and Society academic unit and currently work on an Australian Research Council (ARC) funded research project titled: “Re-building life after migration: Settlement experiences of refugee and migrant youth”. I hold a PhD in Psychology, a BA (Honours) in Psychology, a Graduate Diploma in Psychological Studies, and a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations. I am also a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide.
I received my PhD from the University of Adelaide. My thesis titled: “Surviving, striving and thriving: A qualitative study with former refugees and their service providers in Australia” was awarded the Frank Dalziel Prize... Read more
About me
I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with UniSA’s Justice and Society academic unit and currently work on an Australian Research Council (ARC) funded research project titled: “Re-building life after migration: Settlement experiences of refugee and migrant youth”. I hold a PhD in Psychology, a BA (Honours) in Psychology, a Graduate Diploma in Psychological Studies, and a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations. I am also a Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide.
I received my PhD from the University of Adelaide. My thesis titled: “Surviving, striving and thriving: A qualitative study with former refugees and their service providers in Australia” was awarded the Frank Dalziel Prize for Psychology, for the best thesis in 2015. My work experience includes many years working as a trauma-informed strength-based counsellor to survivors of torture and trauma from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds and people impacted by domestic and family violence, and sexual assault. Previously I worked as a human rights lawyer and advocate in Sri Lanka. In Hong Kong, I was the regional coordinator to a project promoting the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT), in 4 Asian countries—Bangladesh, Cambodia, Philippines and Sri Lanka.
About me
Member of the Australian Psychological Society (APS)
Visiting Research Fellow (VRF), School of Psychology, University of Adelaide
Member, Survivors of Torture & Trauma Assistance and Rehabilitation Services (STTARS)
About me
Doctor of Philosophy The University of Adelaide
Research Assistant, School of Nursing and Midwifery, UniSA (2013-2015).
Academic Tutor, School of Psychology, University of Adelaide (2012-2013).
Counsellor & Advocate | Training Coordinator, STTARS, Adelaide (Feb. 2014 onwards).
Regional Coordinator, Asian Human Rights Commission, Hong Kong (2007-2009).
Research Associate, Pathways to Active Citizenship Project, focusing on the transition from school to further education, training and employment of refugee youth aged 15-24 years.
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Wellbeing, integration and seeking help after migration, Preventive Health SA, 25/06/2024 - 30/01/2025
Evaluation study with Relationships Australia South Australia, Relationships Australia South Australia Limited, 04/05/2023 - 15/11/2023
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2024 |
Open access
|
| 2023 |
Open access
1
2
2
|
| 2023 |
Open access
5
5
3
|
| 2023 |
Open access
1
|
| 2023 |
Open access
1
1
8
|
| 2023 |
5
5
|
| 2021 |
Open access
10
9
3
|
| 2021 |
9
7
11
|
| 2019 |
Open access
6
6
9
|
| 2018 |
5
|
| 2018 |
Open access
21
20
6
|
| 2016 |
Open access
14
10
12
|
| 2016 |
Open access
|
| 2015 |
31
33
9
|
| 2015 |
53
46
4
|
| 2014 |
23
17
|
| Year | Output |
|---|---|
| 2019 |
Open access
|
| 2009 |
Open access
|
Ziaian, T., Puvimanasinghe, T., Miller, E., de Anstiss, H., Dollard, M., Esterman, A., ... & Afsharian, A. (2018). Challenges, facilitators and enablers of conducting research with youth from refugee backgrounds. The Australian Community Psychologist, 29(2), 56
Puvimanasinghe, T. & Price, I. (2015). Healing through giving testimony: An empirical study with Sri Lankan Torture Survivors. Transcultural Psychiatry, 53(5), 531-50, doi: 10.1177/1363461516651361.
Puvimanasinghe, T., Denson, L.A., Augoustinos, M., & Somasundaram, D. (2015). Vicarious Resilience and Vicarious Traumatisation: Experiences of Working with Refugees and Asylum Seekers in South Australia. Transcultural Psychiatry. (Published online: 20/3/2015), doi: 10.1177/1363461515577289.
Puvimanasinghe, T., Denson, L.A., Augoustinos, M., & Somasundaram, D. (2014). Giving back to Society what Society gave us: Altruism, Coping and Meaning-making of two Refugee Communities living in South Australia. Australian Psychologist 49(5), 313-321, doi: 10.1111/ap.12065.
Puvimanasinghe, T., Denson, L.A., Augoustinos, M., & Somasundaram, D. (2014). Narrative and Silence: How former Refugees talk about Loss and Past Trauma. Journal of Refugee Studies, 28(1), 69-92, doi: 10.1093/jrs/feu019.
Perera, C., Puvimanasinghe, S., & Agger I. (2009). Giving voice to the voiceless: Using testimony as a brief therapy intervention in psychosocial community work for survivors of torture and organised violence. Copenhagen, Denmark: Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims, Hong Kong, China: Asian Human Rights Commission.
Research
Research Associate, Pathways to Active Citizenship Project, focusing on the transition from school to further education, training and employment of refugee youth aged 15-24 years.
External engagement & recognition
| Organisation | Country |
|---|---|
| Australian Migrant Resource Centre | AUSTRALIA |
| Institute for Multicultural Counseling and Education Services | UNITED STATES |
| Middlesex University | UNITED KINGDOM |
| Multicultural Youth SA | AUSTRALIA |
| Newcomer Centre of Peel | CANADA |
| People Against Torture | KENYA |
| Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims | DENMARK |
| Tel Aviv University | ISRAEL |
| University of Adelaide | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Jaffna | SRI LANKA |
| University of New England | AUSTRALIA |
| University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
| University of Technology Sydney | AUSTRALIA |
| Women's and Children's Hospital | AUSTRALIA |
External engagement & recognition
| Engagement/recognition | Year |
|---|---|
MemberAustralian Psychological Society (APS) |
2017 |
MemberBar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) |
2017 |
Visiting Research FellowThe University of Adelaide, School of Psychology |
2017 |
Visiting Research FellowThe University of Adelaide, School of Psychology |
2016 |
Teaching & student supervision
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
| Thesis title | Student status |
|---|---|
| Examining the acculturation process of South Asian migrant youth and their parents in Australia | Current |
| Rebuilding Life After Migration: Settlement Experiences of Refugee and Migrant Youth | Current |
