Sarah Penwarden (Pākehā) has a doctorate in counselling, is a practicing counsellor, supervisor, and an Anglican priest. She teaches in the School of Theology on a part-time basis. Her academic interests connect to practical theology and counselling, and how the realities of ordinary life can be held in tandem with the hope of the Gospel. She teaches papers about research methods and mental health.

Summary of key research

Sarah’s research interests circle around the integration of counselling and theology, counselling itself (and in particular responding to loss and grief), and engaging with people’s lives through qualitative research interviews. She has had five book chapters and fifteen articles published. Some of her articles feature her work in creative responses to grief and loss, such as “Crafting Order and Beauty from Loss” in the Journal of Poetry Therapy (2021).

Most recent publications

• “Grief as the Sounding of Multiple Notes: Grief and Loss as Seen Through the Movements of the Triduum.” Pages 162–178 in Practicing Faith: Theology and Social Vocation in Conversation, ed. Lisa Spriggens and Tim Meadowcroft. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2022.
• “Thera-Poiesis: An Exploration of the Work of Resonant Images in Found Poetry to Create Newness in Counselling.” European Journal of Psychotherapy & Counselling 24.3 (2022): 339–356. https://doi: 10.1080/13642537.2022.2072927.
• “Being and Becoming Pākehā: Unfolding the Places of Colonisation Behind my Pepeha.” New Zealand Journal of Counselling 43.1 (2023): 23–40.
• “Listening ‘as if at a Poetry Recital’: Finding poetry in Talk and Reflecting on it as a Way of Knowing.” Pages 213–226 in Poetic Inquiry Atlas. Vol. 1: A Survey of Rigorous Poetics, ed. Adam Vincent. Wilmington, DE: Vernon Press, 2024. “Continuing to Become Other: Responding to the Complexities of the Shifting Subject in Qualitative Research Through a Narrative Therapy Lens.” The Qualitative Report 29.12 (2024): 22–35. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2024.7800

Personal Bio

Sarah believes that being a scholar is a calling in itself. She enjoys encouraging others to grow in their academic identity in writing and publishing. She is married to David, has three adult-step children and lives in leafy west Auckland. Her hobbies are travelling and writing.

Research areas of specialisation and supervision

• Qualitative research (using interviews and focus groups to gather stories about people’s lives)
• Practical theology
• The integration of theology and counselling
• Grief and loss
• Topics relating to counselling or psychology

Current Thesis Students

Valda Gummer, “Lewis and Neufeld: Attachment and Love’s Role in Relationship with God.” Co-Supervisor, MTh thesis.

Taulutoa Schuster,  “O A’U, O A’U LAVA (I AM who I AM): Faith in a NZPI Gen-Z World.” Second Supervisor, AUT PhD.

Christoper Sola, “E fofō e le alamea le alamea: The Crown of Thorns Starfish Shall Heal Itself: A Study of How the Diaspora Sāmoan Church in Auckland, NZ has Contributed to the Social and Economic Disparities of its Members and the Role the Church can Play in Addressing those Disparities.” Second Supervisor, AUT PhD.

Wiliawan Samanthimankong, “Jesus as the ‘Son of God’: Comprehending Sonship in John’s Gospel and its Understanding in Thai Protestantism.” Second Supervisor, AUT PhD.

Qualifications & Awards

• PhD, University of Waikato, 2018 (Winner of the Noeline D. Alcorn award for best doctoral thesis in the Faculty of Education, University of Waikato, 2018).
• MCouns - Master of Counselling, University of Waikato, 2002.
• PGCertEd - Postgraduate Certificate of Education, University of Bath, 1996.
• BA - Bachelor of Arts (History) with Honours, University of York, 1993.