Join one of Coach Bayliss’ online
Brene Brown Book Clubs

All you need to know about this PhD project that seeks

YOUR valuable knowledge and input to help others.

The below information is available as a downloadable sheet here.

Who is doing the research? 

The study is being conducted by Professor Tara Brabazon as the principal researcher and Megan Bayliss, Senior Social Worker and PhD candidate from the Faculty of Health at Charles Darwin University. Every aspect of the project is under the supervision of Professor Tara Brabazon, Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Cultural Studies, and Dr Cornelius-Bell, Lecturer, Academic Development with the University of South Australia. It is achieved with Type Face Books as an Industry partner.  

What this research is about?

This research examines why people read Brene Brown and what they do with any learnings from the book/s. It looks at what is in "the dash" of those readers (see the video below to know what the dash is).

To join the study you will have:

1. Experienced a life changing mental wellbeing challenge at some life stage.
2. Read one, or more, Brene Brown books.
3. Reached adulthood: over 18 years of age.

This research is significant because it aims to arm the helping professions with an evidence base to use Brene Brown's work in teaching and first responding situations. 

Findings will be used to remerit Brene Brown's pop psychology as having  psycoeducative and bibliotheapeutic worth to academic and non-academic readers so everyone knows that the information in the book is solid, helpful and verified outside of America. The findings, your input, will become a book used in universities and sold as popular culture.

As a thank you for your valuable input, you will get either a digital copy of the relevant part of the finished thesis, or, the book when published.

Why you?

The researchers are interested in talking to you about what you got, or didn't get from the book: your thoughts on it. We are looking for participants who self-identify as having faced a life changing experience that affected your mental wellbeing. It could be divorce, death, relocation, loss of job....the list is endless. It is anything that upset your life to the point of change and that made you reach for a book to read to try and self-heal. Your participation in the study is integral to understanding why people do or don't choose Brene Brown and what they do with the information they do choose to read.

What will I have to do?

Turn up for an online Brene Brown book club and discuss the book with a small group of people (10 max) who, like you, have also reached for a book following a life-changing mental well-being challenge.

1. Women and Shame (incorporated with book 2)
2.  Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t) Wednesday 15th May. 9.30am or 7.30pm AEST 
3. The Gifts of Imperfection (2010) 22nd May. 9.30am or 7.30pm AEST
4. Daring Greatly (2012) 29th May. 9.30am or 7.30pm AEST
5. Rising Strong (2015) 5th June. 9.30am or 7.30pm AEST
6. Braving the Wilderness (2017) 12th June. 9.30am or 7.30pm AEST
7. Dare to Lead (2018) 19th June. 9.30am or 7.30pm AEST
8. Atlas of the Heart (2021) 26th June. 9.30am or 7.30pm AEST
9. You Are Your Best Thing (2021 Edited by Brene Brown) 3rd July. 9.30am or 7.30pm AEST

If the time doesn't suit you, you can watch a replay via a link and make comments below the link. It is provided for 1 month in a private members-only section of this website. To protect participants privacy, the video cannot be shared.

There is one book club for each Brene Brown book. Come to one or all if you've read all her nine books.

Will the research harm me in any way?

Interviews will run for approximately 1 hour on Zoom and will be scheduled to QLD Australia time. 

Because people with life changing mental well being challenges are discussing  a piece of popular psychology, you may be triggered and uncomfortable or sensitive feelings may arise during the discussions. If you become triggered, upset or distressed, you are able to leave, or ask to go into a break-out room with one of my counselling colleagues.  Or, you can seek an independent debrief from any of the telephone and website pages that are offered to you after registration.

When you register, you will receive a handout with the numbers and websites of national help lines to call. You may not want to talk to myself or my colleague but we do not want to cause you any distress so we encourage you to talk to someone as soon as possible. 

You matter. Your emotions matter. We care about you.

Who is this not for?

If you have a diagnosed mental illness you can attend. However, if you are actively psychotic or become psychotic, this research will not be conducive to helping you heal. Ethically, I will be unable to use your valuable experience. If you have a serious mental illness and you would like me to talk with your treating mental health professional, then with your written permission, I am happy to do so. Email or ring me to discuss: 0473945194 or [email protected]

What happens to my information?

When discussions are analysed and written up, your participation is made anonymous and your responses will not be identifiable by a general public at any stage. Whereas you need to register with your own email address that only the researchers will see, you can pick a pseudonym to use (a made up name) and come into the Zoom or Teams room under that name, or email me and let me know what name to use against your information.

Book clubs are audio and video recorded on Zoom or Teams for the purpose of creating verbatim, accurate transcriptions. Confidentiality will be strictly maintained throughout the study; secure, encrypted digital platforms are utilised to ensure that personal details are not linked to responses in the analysis. The research will be published in academic journals, as popular culture books, and presented at conferences. Data (your words and stories) are made non-identifiable before any publication or wider dissemination by removing or altering any identifying information from the transcripts, such as names, specific job titles, or locations. Recordings and links are deleted one month after the data is analysed and this website landing page is deleted upon completion of the research.

What if I don’t want to be involved?

You can choose not to participate at all. You can choose to withdraw from the research at any time, and your data will not be used. This is about you being comfortable first and helping others through your own experiences second.

Where can I go if I have concerns?

This PhD project is being done through Charles Darwin University and has Ethics clearance (#H24031). I am one of the researchers, a Social Worker (AASW 197775) with over 30 years of experience working with people. You can talk through any concerns with someone from Ethics at Charles Darwin University or my professional body, the Australian Association of Social Workers.

For more information about the study:

Requests for further information or queries about the study should be directed to the Principal Investigator, Professor Tara Brabazon, 0889467884.

Concerns regarding ethical conduct must be directed to the Ethics Committee.

If you have any questions or concerns that you do not want to direct to the researcher, you are invited to contact the Charles Darwin University Research Integrity and Ethics team on (08) 89466063, toll-free number, 1800 466 215 or by email, [email protected]. The Research Integrity and Ethics team can pass on any concerns to the Charles Darwin University Human Research Ethics Committee (CDU-HREC) and appropriate officers within the University.

We look forward to discussing Brene Brown books with you because your understandings have the potential to help many more people.

Megan Bayliss, BSW, Dip SOC, Grad Dip Sustainability, TAE, AMHAASW
Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, Social Work supervisor, PhD candidate (CDU), trainer, speaker, author.
I help social workers help others.
P: 0473945194
: [email protected]

This is what "The Dash" means.

My research looks at what is in your dash after you have read a Brene Brown book. Read the amazing poem by Linda Ellis to consider what you've got in your dash or what you'd still like to add to your dash with the time you have left.