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?
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...
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...
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...
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...
Helen Basili
Social justice has always been very important to me and social work was a way of enacting these values.
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...
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.
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...
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...
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,...
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...
Karen Curran
After decades of disassociating from the trauma and becoming seriously ill with no apparent cause, I was led to go on my own deep therapy journey in my late fifties. After much inner work, I finally...
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...
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.
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...
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...
Kerriann Dear
As a younger woman, I wanted to understand how to grow and develop myself and challenge things in the system that didn't seem fair and just, and this, eventually, led to a road of self-enquiry to find...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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...
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...
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.
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.
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
