When did you start at NBP? What were you doing before that?
I started at NBP in March of 2022. Before that, I was working in government funded youth mental health at Headspace in Redcliffe. I also still currently work as a performance psychologist for Brisbane Strikers football club while working for NBP.
Why did you get into psychology/therapy in the first place?
It all started with wanting to work with a blend between Arts and Sciences, while still being able to help people. I took an undergraduate course in psychology and never looked back. I stuck with it because psychology is a discipline with so much opportunity for curiosity and creativity, given that it is unlike medicine or sciences that pose problems with very decisive and concrete solutions. Every person is unique, and learning the best ways to help has kept me curious for all my years of study, and so far, beyond that too.
What would you have done if you didn’t become a psychologist/therapist?
Shockingly, I nearly studied Accounting, only because I was so good at it. Doubtlessly, I would have hated it, so I’m not sure where I would have gone from there. I think the most likely place I would have landed was as a teacher.
What do you like best about your job?
It is definitely hearing people’s diverse and incredible stories. I love that I get to come into work every day and hear something new, and I get to help each of my clients find the solution or approach that works uniquely for them. I feel very honoured to get to be a part of my clients’ lives just for a little while and to help them overcome what troubles them. One of my favourite things is also when we find just the right thing to challenge or change something that has been bothering them for a long time, and they look away for just a second, and you can tell a huge change has just occurred. That’s an awesome part of the job.
Which are your favourite therapies to draw from and why?
I am a big fan of ACT, mostly because it highlights the idea that no one is necessarily “distorted” or “disordered” in their behaviour, only that they have learnt to act a certain way due to their context. It’s a very cool therapy that I find really enriches peoples’ lives and helps them see themselves as less of a problem to be fixed and more as a unique individual going through a process that can be aided. I also enjoy drawing from mindfulness practice, also a key part of ACT, in all of my therapies, in that I find it very fulfilling to see clients use it to take control and responsibility for their attention and energy. Honestly, I could rant all day about the therapies that I utilise. I definitely draw from aspects of all of them, at the end of the day, because I apply what fits my client’s preferences, and that is often an eclectic mix.
What activities do you enjoy outside work?
I run every day of the week and compete in a share of the events in the Brisbane running calendar, and aim to run a few marathons every year. The rest of my time is usually taken up by watching TV shows, usually Marvel related, in that I am a sucker for all the super hero content we have these days. I also enjoy gardening and like to spend weekends pruning my plants or planting new ones.