John is a registered clinical psychologist who has completed an under graduate degree in Business/Psychology with Honours at Monash University, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Clinical Psychology at Swinburne University of Technology. As part of his PhD research, John developed an online psychotherapy that involved asking older adults to tell their life story, aiming to help inscribe their legacy and foster a sense of meaning in their lives.
He has worked across various settings and with a range of presentations, including the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, school settings, private practice, and residential aged care. Most recently, John worked in public mental health across various inpatient and community teams, treating a diverse and complex array of individuals experiencing severe mental health challenges.
John adopts a person-centred approach to psychotherapy that respects and promotes the unique qualities of everyone. He predominantly works from a positive psychology and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) framework, which aims to empower clients to act with agency and live by their core values. Such an approach incorporates mindfulness principles to teach clients skills to unhook from difficult thoughts and feelings. He also utilises Schema Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Existential Psychotherapy. John is interested in working with individuals across the lifespan experiencing a range of challenges, but he continues to have a particular interest in engaging with individuals in the later years of life, working from a meaning-centred approach.
In his spare time, John enjoys playing and watching sport, particularly AFL and North Melbourne (although he’s not enjoying them too much now!). He also enjoys exercising, meditating, reading, and playing with his beloved labradoodle, Frankie.