Michelle O'Brien

Post-Graduate Researcher currently working on the issues facing transsexual and intersex people as a consequence of the medicalisation of gender.

My first degree was in Philosophy, from where I became interested in Eastern philosophy and religion, theology, psychoanalitic theory, organic gardening and cookery.  I have been involved in a number of church-based, community and social projects in both voluntary and paid capacities.  While working in the area of drug-addict rehabilitation, I began my own engagement with psychotherapy over four years.  I have participated in a number of Myers-Briggs workshops, and from these learned that we are best playing to our strengths.

I first became interested in Michel Foucault while doing some research on surveillance for a dissertation on my MSc in Information Technology.

I worked up to consultant during my ten years working with IT systems, managing various UNIX and Sybase, Informix and Oracle database systems for companies ranging from software houses to international oil and telecommunications companies.

During all this time I maintained my varied reading in religion and psychotherapy etc., and began reading into gender, trans and queer theory about ten years ago. I also became involved in online discussions with people involved in the trans and intersex communities, academics and activists.  This developed into the basis for my thesis.