Monika is a registered Community and Counselling psychologist and an AHPRA endorsed supervisor.

Monika’s teaching, special interests and PhD research include community health and interventions,  psychotraumatology and researcher wellbeing within qualitative research.  

Monika’s professional expertise in providing psychological intervention, training and supervision across a range of trauma related areas exceeds 30 years, having worked in international, national and local settings.

In Melbourne, Monika provided support services at the Coroner’s Court of Victoria and community-based training for health and community workers in responding to disaster and emergency settings in the aftermath of the Black Saturday Bushfires of 2009.

In Sweden, Monika provided individuals with clinical interventions at Karolinska hospital and later contributed to training and research in psychotraumatology and to the coordination of the psychosocial support response in the emergency services command organisation of Stockholm.

In The Netherlands, Monika contributed to the development of and provided Witness and Victims Support and Protection services with the United Nations at the War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

During 2006–2010, and again during 2018–2021, Monika worked in the VU College of Sport, Health and Engineering as a lecturer in Psychology and held the role of Chair of postgraduate counselling programs. Appointed as senior lecturer in 2020, Monika co-chaired the postgraduate Applied Psychology (Community) program until 2024 and held the position of Director of the VU Psychology Clinic between 2022–2026.

Portfolios

Areas of expertise

  • Psychotraumatology

Contact details

(03) 9919 8739
[email protected]

Recent publications

Refereed journal articles

Vania Ranjbar, V., Näslund, M.S., Vingare, E., Hagelthorn, C., Englund, L. & Karlsson, I., (2015) The Swedish Psychotrauma Society: joining forces for a national psychotrauma platform from a multidisciplinary and holistic approach. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 6: 28546.

Conference presentations

  • Naslund, M. (2025) Emotional labour in qualitative doctoral research with emotionally sensitive content Conference presentation at the 2025 Annual meeting of the Society for Qualitative Inquiry (SQIP) at Marquette University, Milwaukee, USA. SQIP is a division of the APA (American Psychological Association).
  • Sharples, J., Shearson, K., Chapin, L., Morda, R. & Naslund, M. (2020) Community Capacity Building and Health Promotion through an Interactive Systems Framework, Paper presented at the 8th International Conference of Community Psychology Committee, Melbourne, Australia.
  • Naslund, M (2016) An investigation of Psychological and Social Support Services within Regional Emergency and Disaster Preparedness and Planning: Organisation, Competence and Collaboration among Key Agencies, International Society for Stress and Trauma Studies (ISTSS) Dallas, Texas.
  • Naslund, M (2016) National conference - Traumadagen, Stockholm, Sweden.
  • Naslund, M. (2013) An investigation of a Community’s Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Response:  An exploration of the critical elements of collaboration, cooperation and competence in the provision of psychological and social support services. European Congress of Community Psychology, Naples, Italy.

Appearances in the media

 

Professional memberships

  • Australian Psychological Society
  • Fellow, College of Community Psychologists
  • Fellow, College of Counselling Psychologists
  • Psychology Board of Australia.

Industry experience

  • International Field delegate in psychosocial support, Swedish Red Cross 2012
  • Skills for Psychological Recovery, ACPMH, Australia 2008
  • Community Recovery Following Disaster, Beyondblue, Australia 2008.

 

Teaching responsibilities

Teaching/Unit convening

  • Foundations in Psychotherapy
  • Interventions 1: CBT
  • Psychology of Health & Community