“There is the self we are born with and then of course the world does its work…the world sets into making us what the world would like us to be and because we have to survive after all, we try to make ourselves into something the world will like better than it apparently did the selves we originally were. That is the story of all our lives, needless to say, and in the process of living out that story, the original shimmering self gets buried so deep that most of us end up hardly living out of it at all…” – Telling Secrets Frederick Buechner (1991)
About Me
My name is Claire and I am a Clinical Psychologist Registrar. Over several years I have worked in multiple different settings with a variety of populations such as university students, adults, neurodivergent young adults, cancer patients and their loved ones as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. My interests include, but are not limited to, complex and relational trauma, personality disorders, anxiety, depression, loneliness, self-worth issues, interpersonal issues, as well as unique challenges that multicultural immigrants and their children face. I enjoy working with a range of difficulties, whether people have a pre-existing mental health diagnosis/diagnoses or are experiencing general dissatisfaction with life.
My Qualifications
Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), UNSW
Master of Clinical Psychology, QUT
My approach
I work with clients who are 18+ years old. My therapeutic style is primarily attachment-based and relational. This means that I believe interpersonal health is the foundation of individual mental health because as humans, we are not built to carry the pains and griefs of life alone. When working with clients, I take into account their early relationships, relational trauma, and attachment styles to develop a rich understanding of current problems. I also value a person-centred and flexible approach meaning that I tailor therapy to individual needs. This may mean I draw upon other evidence-based therapies such as CBT, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), psychodynamic psychotherapy, narrative therapy and interpersonal therapy.
In my experience, I find that many therapies that only focus on strategies to reduce symptoms do not address underlying causes, meaning that distress returns after therapy has ended. I believe that identifying mechanisms and patterns of thoughts, feelings, behaviours and relationships that keep people trapped in a vicious cycle, promote awareness of these patterns and working together through these issues results in longer lasting relief and self-sustaining positive outcomes.
Together we can:
understand your experiences, history, patterns and relationships better
help you live a fuller and more emotionally rich life
work towards a life that feels most authentic to you
increase your self-confidence
help you develop more meaningful and deep connections with the people around you
increase compassion towards yourself and others
Although my approach is geared towards long term therapy, I understand it is a commitment in both time and financial resources. Therefore I offer short and mid term depending on your needs.
Not sure whether my approach is suitable for you? I am more than happy to talk about this over the phone for a free 15-minute consultation. I highly encourage a discussion around this as I believe the therapeutic fit is the most important aspect of starting therapy. In the case we are not a good fit, I will try my best to point you in the right direction.
