JACQUI COSTIGAN, who with Erma Fidler spearheaded the creation of our book, died in early 2002 after battling cancer for more than twelve months. The team at Ups & Downs has lost its guiding light, but it should be emphasised that the development of our website had always been one of Jacqui’s persistent ambitions – the result is a tribute to her vision.

Jacqui was a true professional and a high achiever in all aspects of her career. She was a senior lecturer in applied psychology in the school of public health at La Trobe University. Jacqui came from a background of nursing, midwifery and social work before venturing into the psychology field.

She taught applied developmental and counselling psychology to allied health professional students in the College of Nursing, Lincoln Institute of Health Sciences and La Trobe Faculty of Health Sciences for over 26 years. She was the convenor of the Personal Construct Association (PCP) since its inception in 1984 and spent many years as an active participant in national and international PCP networks.

Jacqui’s insightful Introduction and Conclusion to Ups & Downs reinforces her reputation as a brilliant teacher, researcher and writer.