COFFS Harbour Psychology Lecturer Dr Desirée Kozlowski is the latest talent to be featured on the Southern Cross University (SCU) Buzz Podcast.

She discusses everything from pleasure and gender harmony, why change scares people so much, mental health during COVID, and the surprising outcomes of research into the psychology of swearing.

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In our current climate, Dr Kozlowski sees the number of people using mental health services since the pandemic started, and as the nation becomes divided on issues such as vaccines and lockdowns, Desirée shares how the human desire to want the absolute truth plays a part.

“I think what would be ideal is if we can all just understand that everybody’s afraid.

“Everybody’s suffering and there is no one true position. While we’re polarised, it’s just eating away at us even more,” said Desirée.

“Having a go at people in the other camp and digging in even more firmly, it’s almost like we’re clinging to the belief that our opinion is absolute truth and anybody else’s opinion can be discounted.

“I think we have to accommodate a bit more nuance than that,” she said.

As a researcher she will conduct a National Pleasure Audit at the end of the year to find out what gives Australians the most pleasure.

She encourages those participating to look beyond pleasures that are front of mind such as chocolate to pleasures such as a warm shower.

“That’s just so impossibly beautiful and luxurious,” she said.

“I think we often take things for granted that are actually wonderful.”

Dr Kozlowski completed her undergraduate Psychology degree, Honours, and PhD at Southern Cross University.

In 2009, she commenced work at Southern Cross and has a true passion for democratising tertiary education.

“I am here for students who don’t know anyone who’s been to university before, or Indigenous students, there are so few Indigenous psychologists in Australia.

“If I can facilitate the education for Indigenous students to come along and go out there and work with their own cultural understanding, that just means so much,” she said.

By Sandra MOON