​​​Psychology that helps you understand yourself,

grow and live better.

 

I’m Elissa, a psychologist with more than 20 years’ experience, and my journey in psychology has taken me around Australia and across the world.

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My career has been wonderfully varied.  From working in front line community mental health, supporting people working through some of the most difficult periods in their lives to leading beyondblue’s National Workplace education program, helping to bring conversations about mental health into Australian workplaces.

 

But my relationship with psychology is also personal.

 

Psychology has been part of my own life for as long as it has been part of my career. I’ve had to learn many of the same things I help other people with - understanding my patterns, managing difficult thoughts and emotions, practicing self-compassion, looking after myself and continuing to grow through different stages and changes in life.

 

I haven’t always found those things easy.​ In many ways, that has been both the challenge and a gift in the work I do.

 

Knowing the theory is one thing. Living it is another.

 

I know a lot about psychology. I’ve studied it, practiced it and taught it.  And I still have to practice it.  More than 20 years in this profession has taught me that knowing what is psychologically helpful doesn’t necessarily make doing it easy.  

 

When someone says, “I know what I should do but I just can’t seem to do it,” that makes sense to me. When someone appears to be managing life well but is struggling behind the scenes, that makes sense to me too.  When change turns out to be messy, inconsistent and considerably harder than it looked on paper, I completely understand that as well.

 

My own experiences don’t replace my professional training or expertise, but they have undoubtedly shaped the psychologist I am.

 

Why I still love psychology

 

One of the things I enjoy most is sharing psychological ideas in ways that make them genuinely useful.  I love the moment when something clicks... when understanding why you think, feel or respond in a particular way helps you see yourself differently.  

 

That’s why education is such an important part of the way I work. I don’t want psychology to feel mysterious or therapy to be something that simply happens to you. I want you to understand what we’re doing and leave with knowledge and tools that continue to be useful long after therapy ends.

 

Today, I have a particular interest in self-worth, self-acceptance, self-compassion and the patterns we develop as we make our way through life.  My work draws on more than two decades of experience alongside evidence-based approaches including Schema Therapy, CBT, ACT and EMDR.

 

I hold a degree in Psychology and Education from the University of Sydney, postgraduate psychology qualifications from James Cook University in North Queensland, and a Master of Science in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy from the University of London.

 

After more than 20 years, I don’t see psychology as something I have mastered and now teach.  I see it as knowledge I inherently seek, in order to share with others and continually use in my own life.

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Learn. Grow. Live better.​​​​

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Elissa 

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