Daphne Simoens
Research Associate & Psychologist
BPsych, MAppPsych (Org), MAPS, MAPPi
Daphne is a practising Registered Psychologist and holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a Master of Applied Psychology (Organisational) from Murdoch University. She is also a member of the Australian Psychological Society and the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc. Daphne has worked in corporate, government, tertiary education, and private practice.
From a very young age, Daphne had her moments of quiet introspection. From these moments grew a strong interest in studying the universal principles that underlie human behaviour, cognition, and feeling. Understanding the complexity of human beings would become her life-long journey of learning. At times, she has felt challenged by this, but her desire to learn has unlocked many doors.
In 2010, Daphne was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for Academic Excellence for being in the top 2% of those enrolled in a Bachelor degree at Murdoch University across the three campuses. Due to this achievement, Daphne was offered a research placement at the Department for Child Protection and Family Support where she spent five years adding value by conducting job analysis research, changing culture, and improving recruitment processes.
While completing her postgraduate degree, Daphne also taught research methods and statistics at Murdoch University. There, she saw the diverse and varied projects that researchers engaged in and saw her window to contribute to the world.
In 2012, Daphne’s passion for improving the lives of others led her to volunteer for the United Nations Young Professionals Network in Western Australia, by heading the organisational development portfolio. In 2014, she travelled to Nepal to work with orphaned children: teaching English, sanitary and health education, providing care, and conducting creative programs. She also spent time trekking in the beautiful mountains.
After working for a large private company and doing VLOOKUPs in Excel, Daphne grew a desire to be a part of something with a bigger purpose, and she reached out to Sharon. When Daphne started the conversation with Sharon, she discovered that they had two similar passions: organisational psychology and research. When Sharon spoke with Daphne about Clear Perceptions and the Sharon Faye Foundation’s research, Daphne immediately saw the unique opportunity to fulfill these two passions and contribute to a bigger purpose.
Daphne lives in Perth and loves to read, run, box, and travel. She also loves to spend time with her niece. Daphne is inspired daily by different world views and acquiring new knowledge.