Psychotherapists and Counsellors Answer your Questions
Conversations with Therapists
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What led you to choose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession?
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Which philosophical approaches have influenced your professional development?
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Which particular aspects of health or the human journey are you interested in?
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What methods do you use?
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When do you think the client will start to feel that progress is being made?
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How has therapy made a difference in your life?
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What do you like most about being a therapist?
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Do you ever have 'bad hair' days?
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What do you think is the most significant problem we face, in the world today?
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Can you share the name of a book, film, song, event or work of art that inspires you?
Ernst Meyer
After a crisis in my private life I was looking for different ways to live my life. I enrolled in a training program for psychotherapy, and over time I transitioned from being helped to being the...
Sudhir Dean
I was blessed to have an existential crisis at a very early age. It threw me into doubting all that I had been educated to believe was meaningful and true. The outcome of this was that I began a...
Carlyn Chen
Counselling and psychotherapy are able to assist people to heal the root causes of trauma as well as empower people with skills to thrive in the here and now. Through the therapeutic process, we can...
Mairead Cleary
I have been working with people in various capacities for 15 years. But 12 years ago I participated in a therapeutic process that caused a dramatic and life changing shift for me. That was it. I had...
Nick Batty
I have always had a strong interest in human behaviour, and in 2013 I followed my passion and commenced the pathway to become a Psychologist.
Kerry Kostinsky Verlingieri
I felt deeply saddened by how many hurting people kept crossing my path. The more I spoke to people the more I found that everyone was hurting, even the people who looked like they had everything...
Natajsa Wagner
Becoming a psychotherapist was actually a career change for me. My background prior to this was working in the corporate sales sector. I began my journey in psychotherapy when I started to ask the big...
Marvel Adeyemi
I realised that some of my friends and family ask me for advise about their relationships or situations. They say that I am insightful, objective, have good listening skills and empathetic. So I...
Nina Linder
I trained as a Registered Nurse and worked in Nursing for over 20 years. Life circumstances changed and I then worked in family services for many years working with adults and children who had...
Kelsey Hendrickson
A lifelong interest in people and what makes us humans tick is what first drew me to study psychology as a Bachelor's Degree in the U.S. I've always been keen to understand why people act the way they...
Morag Paterson
I have always been a deep thinker and observer of life around me. In my 20's, I had my own internal struggles and found myself reading self help and personal growth books which were validating,...
Karen Potter
A strong interest in understanding my own and others' internal worlds and relationships as well as a desire to help others in their lives.
Gidon Weinstein
I struggled to find genuine joy or meaning in my customer service roles, feeling stifled by the conglomerate of industries. Transitioning to human services filled me with confidence and purpose, as I...
Ash Rehn
I have always been interested in people and their stories. I think our identity - who we are - is no't produced privately and individually but through interaction with others. We benefit from the...
Denise Tsirtsakis
One of the reasons why I chose this profession was because I always had a strong desire to help others and to assist people with the challenges of daily living. I also witnessed therapy creating...
Siobhan McKenna
I struggled with complicated bereavement in my 20's. In my 30's, I went to a grief counsellor, who knew what to say, how to say it and when to say it.
I left her therapy room feeling heard,...
Trudy Clutterbok
Art and literature explore what it is to be a human being and some art works and books explore psychoanalysis in particular. Studying counselling and then psychoanalysis was a logical extension of my...
Jisha Syriac
I was searching for my calling and I explored different career paths to find meaning. From fashion to IT to HR. For over 12 years I volunteered in Church and underprivileged schools in India. With all...
Donald Marmara
I was motivated to train as a somatic psychotherapist following my own experience of anxiety and depression, and the frustration I felt with my lack of success in overcoming them via limited methods...
Stephanie de Niese
This profession was always something I knew was meant for me. I decided on this pathway at the age of 12 and although had hit the usual stumbling blocks along the way, I eventually found my place. I...
Darius Leo
When I was 17 I was walking through an opp shop with a friend and came across a book on psychology. As I was flicking through the pages I thought that it looked interesting. I paid 70c for it and took...
Reed Everingham
During my early twenties, I had my first encounter with psychotherapy. Working with a wonderful practitioner for several years profoundly imprinted on me. For the first time, I truly understood what...
Jessica Ryan-Zeman
I think like most of us that end up in helping professions it was because of my own struggles with my mental health especially as an adolescent. I remember thinking at the time how much I had wished I...
Sarah Bergman
I have always been interested in talking with and getting to know people. I am very curious about myself and others. What makes us unhappy and happy? How do our relationships with ourselves and others...
Kathleen Montaigue
From a young age, I remember watching people curiously. As I grew, I started to see something I didn't like. I saw people living unfulfilled lives. I grew a little more and joined the millions of...
Lukas Wooller
In my previous life as a musician, aspects I loved were collaborating and creating with other people to create something that individually we wouldn't have arrived at on our own. I find a similar...
Helen Basili
Social justice has always been very important to me and social work was a way of enacting these values.
Mary A McIntyre
I have a passion for understanding people and offering the right help at the right time. Past challenges in my life such as high stress and chronic pain have shifted due to having had good therapy in...
Abbie Couchman
I've always been curious about why people are the way they are. I'm naturally drawn to subjects like psychology and sociology, and I love having conversations with people about their lives,...
Nathan Dick
As a manager, leader, parent, uncle and partner over the last 20 years I have found people often seeking me out for advice and support with the challenges of life. After many suggesting that I take up...
Sarah Lawson
I have always reached out to those around me in need of help. In my 20s I realized I myself needed help and this was the start of a wonderful journey of self-discovery and healing. I now look back on...
Arna Stewart
I have always been a curious observer of others so psychology made sense because it is a study of human experience and behaviour. Becoming a psychologist and counsellor has been a natural and...
Laura Bruce
I keep circling back to Psychology as I did it in my undergrad over 20 years ago. I had to start from the beginning again many years later but I was glad for the opportunity as the field is evolving...
Tracey Larkin
I've always been an empathic person and deeply interested in how people cope with difficult life experiences, and how friendships, partners and family influence our growth and identity.
Nicky Angelone
I had a moment of passion in 2015 (at 43 years old), for the first time in my life, where I realised my calling was to support people experiencing emotional issues that were negatively impacting their...
Vassilka Dimitrova
I have always been interested in understanding the human condition. All my endeavors, all my studies, and everything I've done is related to that. On reflection, it seems that our professions choose...
Megan Drummond
My path to psychotherapy was deeply influenced by both personal and professional experiences. I saw firsthand how transformative the healing process could be. This ignited a passion to help others on...
Sirini Kularatne-Samarapathi
My inner growth brought me to Buddhist practice, and that in turn evolved into me becoming a counsellor dedicating myself to support others find the same inner peace and growth.
Joshua Comyn
I have always been fascinated by the human mind, and it was through theatre, literature and philosophy that I originally pursued this interest. My own journey of self-discovery and healing led me to...
Michelle Tadros
I studied an Arts degree with majors in Anthropology, Theatre Studies, and Psychology—each focused on understanding people and their stories. Psychology, in particular, felt like the perfect path...
Mark De Calmer
Life experiences along with years of significant trauma led me to a very dark place. I found ways to cope and to help others out of the darkness to a brighter life. It became a passion to see others...
John Devling
In my twenties I was a special education art teacher, awakening to the inner world's of my students and to the therapeutic elements of creative expression in whatever form: art, crafts, music, song,...
Eleni Kidis
When I initially entered university I knew I wanted to work with children, but I didn't want to be a teacher. My own childhood experiences and upbringing led me to this desire. I remember somebody...
Mei Tani Wang
My path to psychotherapy was shaped by a lifelong fascination with the complexities of the human experience—life, death, and the spaces in between.
From early on, I sought to understand how...
Laura Simpson
I chose social work and counselling because I’m passionate about making a difference in people’s lives. From a young age, I was drawn to helping others and advocating for those facing challenges....
Shaun McMahon
I had a rough start to life, which ignited a burning desire to answer a simple question: why do people do what they do? As early as my teens I developed an interest in psychology and self-development,...
Jessica Vivien
I had a close sister who committed suicide when we were in our teens, and I first needed to understand how such things can happen, and then to understand how they can be prevented.
I then became...
Geoff Heard
I first studied massage, and was intrigued at the way people would, week after week, re-create in their bodies the tensions I had massaged away the week before. This led me to investigate the...
George Turnure
I have always been curious about human behaviour, what makes people the way they are, the things they do. I have always been interested in others' experiences, what they liked and disliked, why they...
Daisy Dollisson-Oatley
Before being a psychotherapist I was a farmer. Whilst working with people on my farm I found myself inadvertently holding therapeutic spaces for people and also others for me. The dropping into...
Tessa Ipp
I was going through some issues of my own in my 20's. A good friend suggested I see a wise and insightful Clinical Social Worker, Bev. She had such a profound impact on my life that I decided to...
Robyn Mansfield
A deep curiosity and interest in people and the human condition.
Rachel Hannam
Rachel's dream as a teen was to work in performing arts. She studied Art and Theatre in school and enjoyed exploring the characters’ motivations and emotions. Key people in her life discouraged her...
Chris Wallace
I chose this profession, for the sense of purpose that it gives me. The kind of work I get to do with people at really difficult or wonderful moments of their lives, I considered to be a valuable use...
Jila Baker
I have observed a lot of pain and the possibility of healing is available that gives hope to individuals and future generations.
Dee Hardy
A healthy curiosity of human behaviour, not 'why' but 'how' someone comes to be who they are and what manifests due to life experiences.
I like people - prior to my formal qualifications, I have...
Carolyn Choy
I've always been interested in listening to different people's life stories: how they've endured and overcome challenging times, what drives them, what their passion is and what it is that they love...
Leah Wilson
I was drawn to psychotherapy and counselling by a deep desire to help individuals navigate the complexities of their inner world. My journey into this profession was fueled by a commitment to mental...
Kellie Nichol-Smith
Having benefited from counselling myself I understand the amazing support this service can offer.
Sally Hainey
I have always been curious about human behaviour and thought processing. Over time, this has led to a natural curiosity to understand how negative events can develop into trauma, impacting our...
Gregory Egan
I have worked since the late 1990's in the welfare sector across a variety of fields such as child protection, disabilities, drug and alcohol, criminal justice, as well as government, not for profit...
Karen Rose
I have a background in community work that allowed me the immense privilege of being with people during vulnerable moments of their lives. This lead me to choose a social work degree, which then lead...
Sheela Paul
I was coming across many people from different walks of life looking for answers to how to manage their lives. I decided to equip myself with tools that can help me hold space for others and decided...
Tim Fraser
Previously I worked in mental health recovery support in both inpatient and outpatient settings, provided psychological care to hundreds of people in drug-affected states as a Dancewize volunteer, and...
Stelle Shakti
In 2015 I experienced a very significant Plot Twist to Life and the only way to recover was to embark on a personal healing journey and a path of Soul discovery. It is during this time that I felt a...
Elaine Ford
I have always enjoyed helping people find meaning in their lives. During my hospital training as a student nurse, I met many people who faced significant health challenges or struggled to adjust to...
David Anthony
Life offered me a chance to teach music in a maximum security gaol. This opened my eyes to the power of music to heal and connect. So, I studied for my post-grad qualifications and started working...
Jonathan Tandos
Most of my life people have been coming to me to share their stories and issues. In my first experience as a client in counselling I felt inspired and began to consider whether I wanted to be a...
Maddy Kretschmer
My interest in the unconscious and existential philosophy gave me early frameworks to understand my experience of being human. I wondered about unconscious and existential impacts on mental health,...
Felix Perigrie
High school was hard. Not just for me, but a lot of my friends (and enemies), too. I wanted to be there for them, and as I got older I wanted to be there for lots of people. Once I started studying...
Naomi Rubinstein
After 3 decades of educating, it was obvious to me that education was not my end game.
I had an “aha” moment whilst watching the movie ”Hope Springs”, seeing Meryl Streep and her co actor in...
Natasha Lawrence
I have always loved listening to people and understanding what motivates them. This love led me to do my own therapeutic work to gain a deeper insight into myself. While depression, anxiety,...
Nicola Kickbusch
Since I was in high school I just knew that Counselling was where I was meant to be. I have always had a desire to support those around me and help empower people to be the best versions of...
Stefanie Marris
I have always been fascinated by people and why they do the things they do! Even after studying psychology and sociology 20 plus years ago I would find myself drawn to books and training that was...
Steven Segal
My passion for psychotherapy emerged out of my own experience of being a client in therapy in my mid 20's. Going to psychotherapy made a big difference to myself. I then began studying psychology and...
Veronik Verkest
After a difficult period in my work life, I physically became unwell and was eventually diagnosed with a chronic illness. My habitual way of pushing through difficulties and ignoring my body signals...
Corina Johns
It's the only thing I've wanted to do since the age of about 15 when the idea first came to me. I've always had a gift for listening to and helping people, and genuinely love getting to know and...
Tanya Robinson
My experiences and childhood in Africa shaped my passion to help others and to work in the helping profession. I am an African-Australian mental health entrepreneurial woman. I aspire to take on every...
Martina Palombi
During a therapy session in my early twenties it dawned on me that if I trained as a therapist I could support others through the same process I was experiencing myself. A process I was deeply...
Steve Bonanno
I have always marveled at the resilience of the human spirit... and I have wondered what conditions must be present to allow someone to overcome adversity.
Having experienced good therapy as a...
Michael Dods
I've spent lot's of time with people from all walks of life and backgrounds and am an inherently curious person who tries to understand people and human relationships. I've always been a big reader...
Annie Monks
My journey to becoming a psychotherapist was driven by a deep passion for understanding human behavior and a desire to help others navigate their mental health challenges. My early experiences in...
Nina Green
After starting a postgraduate degree in Psychology, I realised I was much more interested in the counselling conversation than the rats and stats research-based approach of formal Psychology, so I...
Dee Kumbukage
Since I was a little girl, I have always been passionate about understanding and supporting others on their journey of personal growth and well-being. I was naturally drawn to listening to people's...
Michele Watson
I believe in people's potential and knew I wanted to help people.
I studied psychology at university and then went looking for something more meaningful to me and that's when I enrolled in the...
David Mandrake
I discovered that everyone tends to deal with the same issues in life, but people handle them differently. I found better ways of managing life's difficulties through personal experience and by...
Lauren Reiners
I saw a counsellor as a child and found the process to be so helpful, and insightful. It allowed me space to be able to express whatever it was that I was feeling, without judgement. Since I was a...
Kathleen Goossens
My training and experience in health started from a medical paradigm which over time felt limiting. I was drawn to individual holistic work which led me to training in naturopathy and body work. After...
Dalit Bar
I am passionate about working with people to achieve meanings in their life and helping make positive changes.
Weiyu Guan
Various life challenges, and the kind and magical strangers who moved me along the way, as well as a reverence for the web of life.
Laura Emilia Escudero
Navigating a tumultuous path marked by cultural conditioning and disordered behaviours, Laura embarked on a quest for healing, confronting burnout, overwhelm, and anxiety. This journey led her through...
Jaya Narayan
My own lived experience and the impulse to resource my body and nervous system from familiar ways of coping that had led to unhelpful choices. My pursuit of therapy as a client not only helped me but...
Ren Slade
I was that kid at high school that all her friends would go to with their big life issues. I figured out that I was pretty good at helping them, and so I thought I'd do it for a job!
Philipa Thornton
Having worked for many years to become a licensed psychologist my values inspire me to be of service to others in a meaningful way.
It's important to keep growing and learning.. This leads me to...
Stefan Durlach
For as long as I can remember I've been interested in how life works, its meaning and purpose, the why's and how's of existence. Philosophy, psychology, and spirituality deal with these issues, and...
Marie Mooney
* A deep passion and desire to support people to live the life they want for themselves.
* Being able to sit with a therapist when I have experienced my own emotional pain, trauma, grief and loss and...
Gabby Skelsey
An interest in the resilience of peoples' coping styles and a desire to learn how they have developed over their lifetime.
Vivian Baruch
I've had a life-long fascination with what makes people tick. Growing up in a dysfunctional family with a father who had PTSD/complex trauma, I've always searched for the ingredients of a successful...
Christopher Basten
I have always had an interest in the human condition - what it means to think and feel. This extended to wanting to understand why some people think and feel differently ina way that causes them pain.
Sharn Waldron
I initially trained as an archaeologist but after having young children I discovered counselling and psychotherapy and after having some therapy which changed the direction of my life I went on to...
Ashley White
I've always struggled with superficial conversation, preferring to hear about what is meaningful to people. The idea of discussing what matters most and finding ways to help move towards that with...
Philip Hilder
I became interested in counselling and psychotherapy when I witnessed significant alcohol abuse in rural Australia. That prompted me in 1990 to begin study in alcohol and other drug counselling. I...
David Indermaur
A deep interest in how the mind works and why people do what they do. My first concern was to understand why some people hurt other people. The deeper my explorations went I found that the way we...
Max Rutherford
From an early age I have been interested in science, the arts, literature, philosophy and the nature of reality. My interest in psychotherapy grew naturally from these earlier preoccupations.
Katie Beckwith
I have been interested in mental health since I was in school, and as I studied psychology in university and experienced therapy as a client, I found I was always looking for something that went...
Robyn Price
Psychotherapy eventually found me. The seed was planted many years ago as I recovered from a bout of depression in my university days. The catalyst for recovery was a creative dance class run by a...
Carol Marando
My own serious mental health issues (a result of early trauma) drove me to find a way to change and heal myself. After trying around 10 different therapists I finally found the right one for me at...
Rosa Oyta
When I was young, I had a natural tendency to help my friends with their problems. I felt fulfilled when I could offer them guidance and support. This led me to develop a strong interest in counseling...
Jim Filshie
A combination of things have led me here: my deep interest in engaging with and getting to know others, my increasing understanding of how the world and society impacts positively and adversely on...
Lisa Paul
I saw there was a gap in the health system in supporting mothers and fathers especially with the transition to parenthood. Everybody focuses on the birth of this baby and the baby itself when it comes...
Meg Bonnell
I have always been passionately curious about people; in my career I wanted to learn what made each of us who we are, and why we do what we do. I also have always been a bit of a counsellor. Even as...
Uri Bookman
In the 1990s, I worked in the healing space. However, after some years, I ended up establishing an IT business instead of pursuing my passion. Although I was good at it, I didn't find IT work...
Nicol Thomas
The intrinsic quality that each subject has something to say that needs to be witnessed and heard. The idea and feeling that one's voice could be buried under layers of categories, diagnoses and...
Marzena Diard
My own experience of transformation through Gestalt Therapy.
Suzanne Rosenberg
My own personal (ongoing) journey as a client of very good therapy. As I gained understanding and better emotional functioning, improved relationships and healing in so many ways, I wanted to support...
Rina Taub
I was always attracted to the idea of working with people and had a belief that expressing yourself and exploring problems was useful (I suspect my mother's kitchen table conversations with my friends...
Teresa Wilkinson
Growing up in a complex family system and then experiencing how life-changing therapy can be.
Lisa Moore
I am drawn to counselling by a genuine desire to make a positive impact on people's lives. I care deeply about the well-being of others and find immense satisfaction in providing support during...
Jacquie Flecknoe-Brown
I was always interested in communication, and the more experienced I became in my profession, the deeper I wanted to explore the therapy modalities. I worked for some time in an acute psychiatric ward...
Linda Sawrey
Significant family illnesses which changed my world overnight as a teenager, set my path towards caring and supporting. Firstly I went into nursing and specialised in Patient Safety and Quality....
Tania Djipalo
I believe we all have a unique gift to offer the world. It was in my own pursuit of peace and purpose I became interested in therapy. Firstly I received it and then I became interested in becoming a...
Tamara Pallos
I originally trained and worked as a lawyer but didn't enjoy it. I had found therapy really valuable in my own life (I have a complex trauma background) and wanted to be able to support others in a...
Michele Stewart
Difficult childhood experiences and getting 'lost' emotionally in my late teens/ twenties lead to a thirst for understanding what it means to be fully human. Training as a therapist seemed the route...
Patrick O’Brien
The good support I received through challenges and difficulties through therapy.
Michelle Morris
From a young age I have been very interested in people and fascinated by people's stories. I remember when I was around 10 years old being very moved by the film The Three Faces of Eve, about a woman...
Nigel Bailey
I have always been fascinated by human psychology and behaviour. I worked in the creative industry for many years where this was regularly interpreted and applied from a very particular perspective....
Alissa Knight
My journey begun at university. My academic background spans across 17 years of University Education. Despite often questioning my own sanity over that extended time being the 'Uni student', across...
Ron Dowd
I feel it has chosen me. Although I worked for many years as a software engineer, I was reading Jung in my 20s and was fascinated, though I didn't understand a lot of it. I guess I was on the common...
Angelina Conias
I chose psychotherapy or counselling as a profession because of my deep-seated desire to support individuals in their journey towards mental and emotional well-being. Throughout my life, I've been...
Matthew Austin
My parents were foster parents and i was exposed to social workers and social services at a young age. Through my social work career i got to know colleagues who were counsellors and was drawn to...
Karen Druce
My family of origin experiences growing up formed the bedrock of my desire to understand individual differences, personal temperament, human suffering and resilience, in the face of life's storms and...
Leigh Fraser-Gray
I survived childhood trauma. I now assist others to move from a sense of powerlessness and distress through to surviving and then thriving. I specialise in recovery based transformation processes.
Carolyn Zantis
The perception from a young age that human beings live on the surface of themselves and so suffer from their own unconsciousness. I wanted to reach inside to soothe the hurt, and help people to see...
Kate McMaugh
I originally chose to study psychology as an 18 year old who was interested in brains and behaviour but I did not come from an academic family at all (I am the first person in my family to finish...
Tom Skotidas
Ever since my early 20s, I have wanted to help people become resilient and thrive. I got married young (25 years old), and at that time, due to the cultural pressures I experienced around providing...
Nicole Kinnaird
My choice to study Social Work initially was due to a strong interest in working with children and the idea of having fun in my job was very important and appealing. Out of rebellion I decided I...
Andrew Macdonald
I have always been interested in human sciences and the connection between thoughts, feelings and emotions.
I started out volunteering as a counsellor 15 years ago and found I learnt so much about...
Amanda Dounis
As a young girl still in high school I was always reading books surrounding mental wellness and anything motivational. As it turned out, as an adult all the education and training that I did...
Anthony Hubeck
My own experience of change and quest for self knowledge.
Zoe Hedges
Counselling has been a persistent theme throughout my life. Starting with friends at school talking to me about their parents, boyfriend, friend, sport and study problems. My fascination with the...
John Bacash
I believe in service and compassion as a way of being which gives back to me as much as I give to others.
Ruth Edwards
I was drawn to the counselling profession from my teen years when I felt that there were insufficient supports for teens in high schools. Although my route to becoming a counsellor was long, it was...
Natalie Meijer
I chose this profession at the age of 23 after spending two years travelling in Asia particularly India and felt I wanted to make a difference in the world. I had finished a bachelors degree just...
Ajay Hawkes
After many years of personal development work and a passion for mindfulness practice, I chose to find a way of making these practices central to my work. To work at something I love. I find this very...
Bronwen Bailey
Becoming a psychologist was a mid life career change for me. After some years working in the field of human rights, addressing global issues I decided that I wanted to work with people on an...
Julian O'Sullivan
Personal experiences of suffering and healing inspired me to want to provide psychotherapy to people to help them overcome their suffering.
Rebecca Anderson
I want to help people to understand why they feel and behave the way they do. When people understand *why* they do something, they have the awareness and power to change things and move from just...
Karen Anderson
I grew up in a family as one of four children and my younger sister was severely intellectually disabled. I know this to have been a powerful influence upon me at many levels. I was very attuned to...
Michelle Lam
I grew up in a family dedicated to assisting others through the provision of medical and health services to the community so it is hardly surprising that I developed a strong interest in helping...
Melodina Thomas
Counselling addresses fundamental aspects of human well-being, which I find exciting. It empowers individuals to overcome challenges, achieve personal growth, and lead more fulfilling lives. The...
Lisa Barrett
I think the biggest factor that has always drawn me back to counselling, regardless of what other paths I have taken along the way, is my never-ending sense of wonder about human beings - what drives...
Petra Lansdown
I started my career in Counselling later in life, I have always had a strong interest in psychology and curious about the mind and body and how they both connect.
I am passionate about providing...
Jennifer Fox
A spiritual experience I had when I was 12 years old, following that inner thread led me to this profession - an inner and professional life journey.
Moira Joyce
I am naturally focussed on others and what is going on for them, and am 'hard wired' to help find solutions to life issues.
I see us all facing some kind of suffering or difficulty at times, and this...
Debby Heath
I want to be of service and know that counselling and psychotherapy can support profound growth and healing that has a 'ripple effect' in the world. I believe this work is a 'calling' more than a job...
Tim Harvey
I reached a critical time in my life when I was not sure how to carry on. I joined Lifeline as a trainee telephone counsellor, and their training taught me how to listen to others (and myself) with...
Urja Refalo
I first came to psychotherapy in the early eighties. At this time I started my own personal journey by joining therapy groups, partaking in individual therapy and attending personal development...
Lia Lawton
I remember when I was about 25 I went to a psychologist and told her something, her response to me was Now I am not judging you, but do you think that is a good life choice?
I felt very judged...
Stefanie Hagger
I chose the counselling profession because I have a strong desire to help people improve their lives. I have an interest in people transitioning through challenging experiences. Some transitions...
Natalie Anderson
I am drawn to working with individuals who may be dealing with challenges which can negatively affect mental health as I know from experience that whether these create or trigger trauma, and how long...
Karen Thomas
In the early 2000s I reached a cross-road and a knowing that something was missing in my personal life and in my career. So I began studying psychotherapy and took classes at the Cairnmillar Insitute...
Tim Coates
Life. I have actually written a blog about this. But the short answer is that I don't want anyone to go down the path I did. I have always been someone that listened to people and help (support)...
Michael Booth
My own experience of trauma and chronic pain and how inadequately they are treated in Australia set me on the path to discovering which approaches are effective. Having found what can work, I was...
Julie Sweet
My own subjective experience of psychotherapy led me to choose psychotherapy as a profession. As I worked introspectively with my therapist, I was asked the miracle question, also known as the magic...
Arthur Stabolidis
I find people infinitely fascinating and find helping people a satisfying endeavor.
Sharon Snir
One can often remember a moment in their own childhood when somethng calls to you and you know that is who I am. When I was aout 5 years old I watched a Christmas movie on television about a husband...
Matty Silver
After being a volunteer Life Line telephone counsellor for many years, I decided to start the ACAP counselling course. My first and second internship was with Impotence Australia - a telephone service...
Jess Siegle
After an incredibly rewarding career in Medical Research and Cardiology, I experienced a severe emotional and physical breakdown, which was in part due to unaddressed mental health issues stemming...
Hadass Segal
I have always been interested in the human condition and in relationships and how to enhance them.
Jenny Sanbrook
I went straight from high school to university and had no idea what I wanted to do at first. I knew that I enjoyed being around people, understanding the way people think and was good at understanding...
Louise Kanjee
Self-growth and learning about the self and supporting others in this has been a passion of mine since I was young. Creating a space where people feel heard, held and supported is something that...
Amber Rules
I have family experience with addiction and mental illness, and as a young adult, I received support and care from some wonderful therapists who helped me make sense of it all. I was always so...
Deborah Rollings
I have always been interested in the deeper meaning & patterns in life
Nicole Rikos
My personal experiences of trauma, adversity and health challenges in my teens and early 20's are what led me to start studying and learning about all things mental health and healing related - mind,...
Victoria Redbard
The nature of my personality has always had people open up about the things they don't usually speak to people about. I noticed this from a young age and became very curious about what it takes to...
Anna Petinsky
Psychotherapy is what my heart always knew it wanted to do. From the moment I read my first psychology book, I knew this is my passion. No specific event led me here, just an innate curiosity for...
Alexandra Page
I grew up with a vision impairment and received support for a number of helping professionals, this I think inspired in me an appreciation for the benefit of helping others.
Margaret Bennett
I loved my training, and working with people. What brought me, especially to trauma work was lived experiences as well as rigorous training and deep faith in people's ability to not only heal but to...
Debbie O'Connor
Since I was a child I have always been interested and curious about people, what makes them the unique individuals they are, and have always had a keen desire to help people in distress. I began my...
Jacqueline Nevin
Lived experience of grief and loss, family mental health issues and trauma gave me a personal desire to support people through different life experiences.
Jacqueline McDiarmid
I was a tricky teenager and I spent some time at the school counsellor's office. I quite liked going to see her and I remembered thinking that I wouldn't mind doing her job. I have always liked the...
Jessica McMillan
I have always had a drive to help people. I have studied body therapies and Traditional Chinese Medicine and eventually decided that my passion was in psychotherapy. This led to a Bachelors degree,...
Karin McLennan
As a former United Nations staff member working in international humanitarian operations for around 20 years, I spent many years living and working in areas of protracted conflict, or responding to...
Geraldine McKay
The values of the profession align with my own so I am able to approach my work with a sense of ease. I appreciate the unique position I am in and it is a privilege to work closely with others in...
Michael Grunwald
I studied General Psychology in my undergraduate degree, specialising later in Work & Organisational Psychology during my time abroad, with a real focus on Cross-Cultural Psychology. However, my...
Deb Gavan
I LOVE my work with children, young people, adults and families. I became a counsellor and social worker in order to assist people with issues that are overwhelming or hard to make sense of. I deeply...
Jean Gamble
I found such understanding and relief during my own therapy and was able to change unhelpful patterns of behaviour and find more harmony, joy and purpose in life. This success led me to train and work...
Erin Galt
I have always had a keen interest in understanding people and how their minds work. I find practicing psychology and conducting assessments very rewarding, particularly observing client's reaching...
Laura Wilson
I would say that what made me choose psychotherapy as a profession was a fascination for the mind and imagination, as well as deep compassion for suffering.
Giulia Fiore
I recently graduated from University with a degree in Marketing and Public Relations when I realised that I wasn't fulfilled and needed a change. Travelling I came across coaching and found my...
Elizabeth Fairbanks
Having been client-side myself for over twelve years (and counting), I have developed a deep passion and curiosity for human healing, transformation and growth. The 'work' of therapy can be...
Miranda Fagan
For me personally I have always been drawn to pursuits that involve curiosity, contemplating the human condition, self-reflection, and personal growth. Counselling as a profession allows me to engage...
Lissette Endacott
Having personally experienced healing through engaging in creative arts therapy and seeing its impact on other peoples' lives I knew that this was the right field for me.
Magdalena Jantac
Having navigated a number of difficult life situations myself, I have developed strong empathy and passion for supporting others.
Penny Downy
After many years working in different caring fields and undergoing my own in-depth personal therapy and reaping the rewards of this, I decided to 'live my passion' and study psychotherapy and...
Conny Davis
I have always had an interest in how people harness the strength to overcome adversity and how life experiences affect people differently. I have been inspired by working as a volunteer for young...
Bronwyn Davies Glover
I arrived into the world of psychotherapy and counselling through a long history as an artist in social work, youth work, community engagement, violence prevention, harm reduction, trauma work and...
Amy Datyner
I have always been interested in understanding the 'why' behind behaviour. This led me to study psychology at University. After my undergraduate studies I worked in disability employment services,...
Ivan Cunningham
My years as a trainer for the unemployed naturally progressed into counselling. Many of my students came to me for advice on how to deal with their personal issues, and I found that I had a talent for...
Howard Colin-Thome
I initially become interested in psychology after reading self-help books in my late 20s. I found that I understood and enjoyed reading about human behaviour and psychology and it started from there....
Mary Cantrill
From a young age, I have always been fascinated by human behaviour and the complexities of the mind. Understanding the intricate workings of the human psyche captivates me, and I am continuously...
Kerstin Buccoliero
Being born legally blind and only learning to see at the age of 5, had me set off to a diverse start. Back in the 70s bullying was very common which led to a lot of trauma. Additionally, I developed...
Jocelyn Brewer
I was teaching high school and the opportunity to retrain as a School Counsellor came up and I grabbed it. It was an opportunity to level-up on 'making a difference' in the lives of young people and...
Sharon Bonello
I chose to be a Counsellor when I reached 40 years old and felt like I had a good amount of life experience to offer support to people and ensure confidence with my exposure to all kinds of life...
Christine Bennett
I experience practicing as a relationship and marriage counsellor to be a most rewarding and meaningful career. Helping couples navigate through the many challenges they may face is very satisfying...
Sandy Beech
A breast cancer diagnosis gave me the time and space to understand what my purpose in life was and that began the journey of training in psychotherapy and counseling. I found a deep passion when...
Leif Lawson
I feel I was always driven to the 'helping professions' from a young age. Being of an introverted nature, I enjoy listening and observing and noticed that this came in handy as I developed and moved...
Duda Baldwin
Since I was a young girl I was drawn to human behaviour. I went on to study sociology in Europe, where I am originally from, as it gave me a broad education on both social behaviour and psychological...
Heather Adams
Life has certainly taught me much and having overcome significant personal and professional challenges, led me to want to support and encourage others who were also struggling and in need of...
Janelle Wright
I became interested in counselling and psychotherapy as a young adult when I realised that the skills and coping strategies I had learned in childhood needed refining. Learning self reflective skills...
John Woodcock
The first indication of my vocation as therapist that I remember occurred in my classroom as a beginning teacher. Other teachers complained loudly about the level of chaos and noise in my classes. I...
Judith Withers
I discovered the importance of understanding why people do certain things, why they feel in certain ways, what to do about it, and how to improve their quality of life.
Michael Vaccaro
I first received therapy as a teenager as I suffered from insomnia, depression and anxiety. I experienced panic attacks and had no support or practical tools to deal with the massive emotions. I began...
Graeme James
I didn't want to be a counsellor or therapist. Initially I worked in marketing. After years of encouragement from a friend I finally became a volunteer Lifeline counsellor way back in 1987. Very...
Michelle Lin
I had a hard childhood. It's a cliche I know. I shaped myself to fill that niche - to be what I would have wanted my therapists to be like.
I specialise in attachment theory, trauma-informed...
Mia Kennedy
I have always been interested in human behaviour and as I grew older the amount of suffering we can go through as humans became more evident. I am very strength-based by nature and so learning about...
Gabriele (Gabe) Marranci
I transitioned to psychotherapy from a background in cognitive psychology, anthropology, and applied neuroscience due to my profound passion for helping individuals overcome psychological suffering....
Clara Luxford
I have always had a deep interest in who we are as human beings and how we live our lives, how we see ourselves in each of our worlds and how we present ourselves to others. This fascination led me to...
Andrew Lindsay
I was practicing Chinese Medicine and became really interested in talking with people about how they were going in their lives. Then I went to some workshops connecting mind and body to psychotherapy...
April Lewis
For many years as a high school teacher, I worked with students who did the best that they could with what their life experiences had dealt them, with students who struggled to achieve their full...
Martin Hemsley
I have always had a caring attitude and curiosity about people.
I have a close family member with Schizophrenia and wanted to know how to be useful for people experiencing extreme states of...
Megan Haire
While raising a family in the outback and experiencing a lot of difficulties first hand or through close friends, I became interested in what makes some people vulnerable and other people resilient in...
Heather O'Neill
Whilst working as a Registered Nurse, I became interested in human behaviour and peoples psyche. I was always curious and wondered why people reacted the way they did. I also questioned my own...
Oliver Brooke
My personal experience of being supported by a counselling professional. Experiencing anxiety and depression as a young person led me to access a counsellor. It was my first experience with an adult...
Dian Abdurachman
-My own soul-searching has led to long life exploration of inner and outer life.
-I am fascinated by the vastness of the psyche.
-Psychotherapy is the skill I have to share my contribution to the...
Sonia Scussel
I find it fascinating to understand how our mind works, how the brain develops. I've been in therapy for a few years, and it cleared my mind. I started learning to become a counsellor later in life,...
Carolyn Spillett
My childhood experiences and my curiosity about human interactions formed the basis of my decision to become a counsellor/psychotherapist.
Debra Sumner
As a people's person I love to interact with a broad range of individuals from multi cultured and diverse backgrounds, I found people asking me how did I achieve the things I had done. This included...
Mark Walker
I was drawn to psychotherapy out of curiosity, to make sense of myself and other people in a caring, helpful way. I'd studied and practiced a variety of therapeutic approaches - art and Sandplay...
Jon Nielsen
I spent many years volunteering with Lifeline as a telephone crisis supporter. It was an absolute privilege to be able to listen to people's stories and to be invited into their lives for a brief...
Alicja Weidner
As a teenager I really enjoyed being with people, spending hours in conversations, getting to know others and myself. This love and interest in people led me to pursue further studies.
Just prior...
Priya Rajan
I was drawn to a career in psychotherapy/counseling due to a deep passion for helping others navigate their mental and emotional challenges. This was inspired from personal experiences with therapy...
Melis Topsahin
I have always had a natural pull towards assisting individuals around me throughout various situations. Now, actually having the skills and tools to be able to assist others, has given me a true...
Irene Rose
I am passionate about working with the human condition and consider it a great privilege to be able to help individuals, couples and families to create a better life, relationships and future for...
Penelope Lovegrove
I wanted to be a psychologist since high-school always having a strong desire to help those under emotional and mental distress. I completed the undergraduate training in psychology however the...
Sophie Swart
I chose a counselling as a career due to a desire to help others overcome personal challenges and improve their mental health and well-being. Additionally, I have always had a strong interest in the...
Denise Howells
I have had a lifetime interest in well-being, personal growth and development. I have had many wonderful work opportunities and these opportunities led me to understand that I wanted work in the...
Volker Krohn
In my 20s I embarked on a journey of trying to find my Self'. Having grown up in a good upper middle class family in Germany, I could not find any life satisfaction from participating in the consumer...
Christina Kioulafas
I always thought I was a good communicator but I wasn't sure what to do with that skill. I stumbled to counselling and realised that it was about so much more than that. It was about listening,...
Brian Whiter
For as long as I can remember, I have wondered about the meaning of life. My curiosity about why and how we slip into unstable mental health, and then remain in those unhealthy patterns for indefinite...
Steve White
I decided on a career as a Psychotherapist & Counsellor as a result of a very successful and fruitful period of personal therapy, following a deep depression.
Natalie Incledon
I love people, their stories, struggles, triumphs and individual characters and personalities. I find nothing more rewarding than seeing my clients improve in their wellbeing.
M.Rose Hoey
I am a Registered Nurse and Midwife who does counselling and Psychotherapy. I found that as patients talked about their problems and difficulties, the only tools I had available were to reframe their...
Marcus Dally-Law
I had considered moving into mental health at different times in my life, but it wasn't until 2012, when I was diagnosed with testicular cancer that I had the real 'aha' moment that made me turn my...
Jane Devilliers
My belief that we can be healed using the creative process, based on the principles of Carl Jung,
A deep curiosity in research in order to consider and practise new ways of assisting others,
A...
Kate Culy
I have found counselling essential to my wellbeing due to some difficult earlier experiences. I don't see myself as different to anybody else and I think this gives me a real sense of humility and...
Loretta Bell
Many things probably led me to be a therapist, but my most motivating force was wanting to find a job that fitted within my humanistic values.
Tracy Clark
Psychotherapy and counselling was a natural progression for me after leaving my nursing career. I volunteered as a lifeline crisis counsellor for 5 years and discovered my passion and love of enabling...
Matt Dale
As a Psychologist I am driven by the desire to help individuals navigate their way through complex human challenges. I chose psychology as a profession because of my passion to learn more about the...
Marie Carmody
I build instant rapport with people and have always been a listener'. I am passionate about helping people to find their true potential and build a more cohesive sense of self.
Donna Neck
I have always been attracted to the helping professions, first in my nursing and whilst nursing I recognised that I was doing a lot to allay the anxiety of patients with their health issues. Hence, I...
Gregg Palmer
My own personal journey through the landscape of trauma and spirituality.
Connie Reed
My background as a Health Project Coordinator working with homeless and disadvantaged young people and vulnerable children and parents. This was highly rewarding, very challenging and energising work.
Michelle McClintock
It definitely chose me. It was my first love. Coaching has become my second love. I feel very blessed to have had a career doing what brings me joy.
Sigrid O'Callaghan
Raised by war traumatised parents my search for meaning began as a young woman. I was attracted by the ideas of existential philosophy, feminism, Buddhism and Jungian Psychoanalysis.
Sarah Harwood
Since I was a little girl I have always been the person that people would confide in. When I started teaching music at the age of 16 my students would often talk to me about difficulties at home or...
Astrid de Ruiter
I was born in the Netherlands and migrated to Australia in my late thirties. I have always had a strong drive to understand the world, and to contribute something meaningful to that world. At the...
Niki Gelekis
I began my career as a Naturopath and noticed that many people's health concerns had root causes in emotional and relational pain. This led me down the path of studying counselling and then...
Louise Jansz
A lifelong quest to understand the ways people develop meaning and purpose in their lives for enrichment and as a consequence discover unique ways to live beyond the material and superficial...
Neha Kapoor
I chose psychotherapy and counselling as my profession because of my strong desire to assist people in overcoming life's obstacles. My passion for mental health and human relationships, coupled with...
Brenda Rowlandson
My own experience of psychotherapy when I found myself in a crisis situation. I became more and more intrigued as I explored my unconscious process, my dreams and 'what lies beneath' and how my...
Kim Bailey
It chose me. No, just kidding. But for the books, I was at a crossroad in my life and needed, yes needed to find a vocation that was meaningful and one that is also sense making. 10 years down the...
Rosie Burgess
I have always been interested in helping people live the lives they want to live. I don't think life needs to be lived a particular way, but I do know we're happiest when we're living it our way. My...
Mark McMahon
I have been a listener and observer all of my life, and find that fits well with the values of trust, empathy and compassion needed when in the privileged position of working with clients. I am...
Carol Farnell
My experience of trying to find support for my children during a very traumatic time in our lives compelled me to return to study to become a psychologist with a passion for supporting children to...
Katie Watson
I have been interested in human behaviour since I was a young girl. However it wasn't until I had many years of life experiences that I felt counselling was my true calling. I worked in aged care and...
Chris Chicoteau
Having for as long as I remember an ability to help people make sense of and respond to life's challenges I decided to make a career of it.
Tim Clark
In my work as a teacher, I was finding more and more that people (students and colleagues alike) would come to me seeking guidance on things other than curriculum. I found I really enjoyed helping...
