What I do as a psychotherapist
I like to broadly describe what I do as a psychotherapist by calling myself a Relationship Coach, Counsellor, accredited Sex Therapist & Clinical Supervisor. I’m a clinically registered psychotherapist with PACFA & am also an ASSERT certified sex therapist. You can see my other qualifications here.
Feedback Informed Treatment
The most important thing you need to know about me is that for 20 years I’ve been using an evidence-based practice called Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT). I work a little differently than other therapists. If our sessions are going to be helpful, you should see signs sooner rather than later. If our work helps, you can continue as long as you like. If our work is not helpful, I’ll seek consultation at session 3 or 4 and consider a referral within no later than 8 to 10 sessions.
As my mentor & coach Scott D. Miller says: “I’m not interested in psychotherapy as an enterprise. I’m interested in doing whatever it takes to engage people, in helping people help themselves to lead healthier, more functional, happier lives.” Scott Miller is the founder of the International Center for Clinical Excellence (ICCE) and is also my coach in refining my application of Feedback Informed treatment (FIT) & Deliberate Practice (DP). Here are two brief videos with Scott explaining FIT & DP.
The many aspects of psychotherapy
For most people, even us psychotherapists, all the different titles & definitions which come under the heading of psychotherapy can be very confusing. Below is a helpful distinction I found in “Saving Psychotherapy: How Therapists Can Bring the Talking Cure Back from the Brink” by Benjamin E. Caldwell.
Psychologists have a long tradition of placing high value on the scientific and intellectual understanding of pathology.
Social workers have a long tradition of placing high value on serving the underserved and promoting social justice.
Family therapists have a long history of placing high value on family relationships and prioritizing action over understanding.
Counsellors have a long tradition of placing high value on personal development and wellness allowing for the achievement of one’s fullest potential.
As a relationship coach, counsellor & psychotherapist I do relationship counselling for individuals, plus couples & marriage counselling for heterosexual and LGBTQI+ people. A big part of this work is to provide relationship coaching and sex therapy within a sex positive framework. All questions about sex and sexuality issues are welcome.
Coaches, counsellors, psychotherapists and other professionals seek me out for clinical supervision and professional supervision, which I provide in person and online via Zoom. I use Feedback Informed Supervision (2017) to construct with you an eclectic/integrationist approach to supervision. In every session I get your feedback about your supervision goals and your sense of how attuned I am to your supervision needs.
My core belief
I believe you are the expert in your life, that you are inherently resourceful and are seeking the best life for yourself and those you care about. I help you use your abilities and your preferred ideas of working to co-create a tailor-made treatment plan for you. Together we create your map to help you steadily work towards your goals. This process is called Feedback Informed Treatment which is explained in under 5 minutes in this video with Dr. Scott Miller.
Decades of research shows that you are the most important contributor to the outcomes of therapy. Outcomes are the results that you wish to get from therapy. I work with you to track your outcomes at the start of every session by getting your feedback about how you’ve been going since our last session. And at the end of every session I ask you four questions to rate how well that session met your needs. I do this by using a validated feedback system called the Outcome Rating Scales (ORS) & Session Rating Scales (SRS).
Since 1981 I have worked with individuals & couples as well as providing supervision for coaches, counsellors, psychotherapists & other professionals. Since 2010 I have provided online services, to allow me to help people from interstate & overseas as well as the following areas around me: Penrith, Glenbrook, Blaxland, Springwood, Faulconbridge, Hazelbrook, Lawson, Wentworth Falls, Leura, Katoomba, Blackheath, Mt. Victoria, NSW. I also conduct private couples intensive retreats in Faulconbridge, Sydney CBD & online.
