An Armidale-based clinical psychologist has released her first book after identifying a gap in understanding the power play in teenage girls' relationships.

As well as being a researcher (and now author), Dr Mary Kaspar is a mother to three young adult daughters. She also has five elder sisters.

"Girls are my world," she said.

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"As part of a doctorate in clinical psychology, I lectured in the clinical psychology master's programme.

"And in my private practice, I did group programmes for girls.

"The feedback I was getting from those girls was telling me that there was an area on which we needed some more resources."

Dr Kapsar said since releasing her book 'The Popular Girls' earlier this year, the response has been overwhelmingly positive - particularly from experts in the field in Australia and internationally. She says more than 200 books on the subject have been referenced in her tome.

"The topic is gathering a lot of interest," Dr Kaspar said. "A couple of sentences in my book cover three or four books I've read. It's dense, covers a lot of literature, and has been received incredibly well."

Renowned Australian parenting author and educator Maggie Dent said 'it 'may very well be' the best book she had read about understanding adolescent girl psychology and how it affects behaviour, well-being and friendships in her review of 'The Popular Girls'.

The period of adolescence ( which continues until the early twenties) is one of the highest risk periods for loneliness, according to Dr Kaspar, even though young adults are surrounded by others through academic and sporting programs.

"My goal is to dismantle harmful status hierarchies and move youth towards connection and well-being," Dr Kaspar said.

"I provide a framework that provides a clear pathway to help girls achieve the courage and openness necessary for real connection and 'likeability', within the classroom and beyond."

Dr Kaspar deconstructs popularity and its links to girls' well-being. Her book illustrates how most girls crave the type of popularity that will not improve their lives.

At the end of this month, she will be a guest speaker at a parent forum hosted by PLC Armidale along with best-selling parenting girls author Madonna King.

The event will be held on Wednesday, August 31 and is open to all community members regardless of where their daughters go to school.

PLC Armidale principal Nicola Taylor said the college had identified the opportunity of bringing together keynote speakers, researchers and leaders in their respective areas to look at some of the emerging and current issues challenging girls and parents of daughters.

Last year the historic Armidale all-girls institution hosted a similar forum (online due to COVID-19 restrictions) featuring social media safety guru Kirra Pendergast and local police.

"We are focusing on factors that impact on the growth and development of young women in an increasingly technological, disconnected, digital and highly sexualised world," Mrs Taylor said.

"Many of the strategies Dr Kaspar mentions in her book are evident in our college programs. Things like focusing on connection, signature strengths, gratitude, self-compassion, developing emotional intelligence and setting goals consistent with those values."

Dr Kaspar says her research didn't analyse the impact of a single-sex environment; however, in her opinion, an all-girls environment is 'really conducive in allowing girls to focus on being the best version of themselves'.

"Why did I only run girls in my group programme?," she said.

"I just wanted the girls together because I think that girls can sometimes change when boys are around. It changes the interaction, and perhaps they're not as confident."

All three of Dr Kaspar's daughters went to PLC Armidale, and she said they 'flourished in an all-girl setting'.

And while her book is focused on her research into teenage girls' behaviour, Dr Kaspar says the same behaviour can be prevalent in boys' relationships.

"The research shows that boys use covert relational aggression just as much as girls," Dr Kaspar said.

"And some research said boys use it as much as the more overt aggression we associate with them. So my book focuses on girls because they were the examples I was familiar with - not because it does not apply to boys."

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