Bio
Dr Karenne Hills maintains a ‘portfolio lifestyle’ with a number of professional interests. She completed her Ph.D. titled “Spirituality in the Context of Nonverbal Autism” in 2019, and is passionate about exploring the spirituality of people who may experience barriers to traditional religious teaching and involvement. Karenne operates a private practice combining her professional qualifications in the areas of counselling, nursing, teaching, disability and autism. She works with individuals, couples and families in a variety of contexts, specialising in supporting families and organisations with a member with a disability. She also consults to local disability organisations, and is currently working on an innovative program designed to support students with specialised learning abilities to achieve success in post school educational and employment opportunities. She regularly speaks at local, national and international conferences on a varity of topics pertaining to people with disabilities, spirituality and autism. Karenne has published in several academic journals and books.
Professional Experience
• Clinical Member of Christian Counsellors Association Australia (CCAA)
• Clinical Member of Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA)
• Clinical Member of Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
• 2015 – Current: Member of the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IASSIDD).
• 2016 – Current: Affiliate member of Centre for Disability Employment Research and Practice (CDERP)
Journals
Hills, K., & Meteyard, J. (2013). Disability: A fresh approach to an old dilemma. Journal of Religion, Disability & Health, 17(1), 62-72.
Hills, K., Clapton, J., & Dorsett, P. (2016). Towards an understanding of spirituality in the context of non-verbal autism: A scoping review. Journal of Disability and Religion, 20(4), 265-290.
Hills, K., Clapton, J., & Dorsett, P. (2019). Spirituality in the context of nonverbal autism: Practical and theological considerations. Practical Theology. 12(2). 186 – 197.
Hills, K., Clapton, J., & Dorsett, P. (2019). Spirituality, silence and solitude: A reflective interpretation regarding mystery and people with nonverbal autism. Journal of the Study of Spirituality. 9(2). 138 – 151.
Hills, K., Clapton, J., Dorsett, P., & Andersen, K. (2019). Spirituality in the context of nonverbal autism: A research process – Findings and Analysis. Journal of Religion and Disability. 23(4). 365-386.
Hills, K., Clapton, J., & Dorsett, P. (2019). Ethical considerations when conducting research with people with nonverbal autism: A commentary on current processes and practices. Journal of Social Inclusion. 10(2). 58-64.
Hills, K., Clapton, J., Dorsett, P., & Andersen, K. (2020). Conducting collaborative research with people who are nonverbal from their own perspective: A first hand methodological approach. Journal of Social Inclusion. 11(2). 5-23. DOI: http://doi.org/10.36251/josi.162
Aghamiri, F., Luetz, J., & Hills, K. (2022). Impacts of sexual addiction on intimate female partners – The state of the art. Sexual Health & Compulsivity. DOI. 10.1080/26929953.2022.2050862
Aghamiri, F., Luetz, J., & Hills, K. (2023). Pornography addiction and its impacts on intimate female partner wellbeing-A systematic synthesis. Journal of Addictive Diseases DOI: 10.1080/10550887.2021.2021058
Aghamiri, F., Luetz, J., & Hills, K. (2024). Investigating the impacts of compulsive sexual behaviours on women using descriptive phenomenology: A research agenda. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. DOI:10.1007/s13178-024-00934-3
Books and Book Chapters
Hills, K., Andersen, K., & Davidson, S. (2018). Personalised learning and teaching approaches to meet diverse needs: A prototype tertiary education program. In. J. Luetz, T. Dowden, and B. Norsworthy (Eds.), Reimagining Christian education – Cultivating transformative approaches. Switzerland: Springer.
Luetz, J., Bergsma, C., & Hills, K. (2018). The poor just might be the educators we need for global sustainability – A manifesto for consulting the unconsulted. In W. L. Filho, A. Consorte-McCrea et al. (Eds.), Sustainability and Humanities: linking social values, theology and spirituality towards sustainability. World Sustainability Series. Switzerland: Springer.
Ayre, C., Hills, K., & Luetz, J. (2021). Ecology, war and nuclear testing in the Pacific: The path of reconciliation, in Beyond Belief: Opportunities for Faith-Engaged Approaches to Climate-Change Adaptation in the Pacific Islands. Springer
Hills, K., & Gosbell, L. (2022). Reflections and aspirations: Personalised learning and approaches to meet diverse needs in higher education. In A. Calder, J Clapton and T Parmenter (Eds.), Reflective Being, Being Reflective: 25 years of mult-faith perspectives on disability and spirituality in Australia and Aotearoa, New Zealand. Melbourne, Victas.