Psychotherapist & Couples Therapist
Meet Shaun
My name is Shaun and I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Psychotherapy and Counselling, and a Foundation Certificate in Counselling Skills. I am a member in good standing with the Australian Counselling Association (ACA). While I was born and raised in Melbourne, I've spent several years travelling the world and have lived in a variety of places including Europe, the UK and North America.
As a psychotherapist, I see my role not as someone trying to “fix” or “cure” you. Instead, my main priority is understanding you and the challenges you’re facing, and then cooperating and collaborating with you as we work on things together. Having had a tough start in life, I can relate to the difficulty of coping with life’s challenges, especially when things feel helpless. My journey hasn’t been easy, but along the way I’ve learned the importance of honesty, integrity and authenticity, and endeavour to embody these values in my practice. I can also relate to how nerve-wracking it can be to take the initial step of seeking help, and realise the importance of finding the right therapist that is a good fit for you. As such, I make it a priority to ease your concerns around the therapy experience, and make sure you feel safe and comfortable during our sessions.
Qualifications:
Foundation Certificate in Counselling Skills (WPF Therapy, London)
Bachelor of Counselling and Psychotherapy (IKON Institute)
PACT Level 1 Couples Therapist (PACT Institute)
Gottman Method of Couples Therapy, Level 1 & 2 (The Gottman Institute)
Externship in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFTT Australia)
Interpersonal Group Psychotherapy, Level 1 (Integrative Psychology Training and Consulting)
Enneagram Typing Practitioner (Enneagram Training UK)
Enneagram Panel and Workshop Facilitator (Enneagram Training UK)
In addition to providing psychotherapy and couples counselling services, I am also a qualified practitioner and teacher of the Enneagram of Personality. To find out more visit my page on the Enneagram.
Principles of Practice
As a psychotherapist, I engage with a variety of people from all walks of life who have a wide range of values and experiences, many of which may differ from my own. In order to maintain the integrity of our therapy sessions I hold to a series of principles that inform my practice and ensure I'm offering the best service possible.
Freedom of Speech - "No Offence Taken"
Our therapy sessions are a safe space for you to voice any and all opinions, thoughts and beliefs, regardless of how controversial or offensive they may be. I'm not easily offended, and there's very few things you could tell me that I've not encountered before. It is my firm belief that it is only through the discussion of ideas that we can refine and improve our thinking, and that censoring people will only create more division and marginalisation. In our sessions you're more than welcome to talk about anything you like, on the condition that our conversation is oriented towards therapeutic ends.
Reliability and Consistency
Many people presenting to therapy have a fundamental mistrust of others and the world. This is typically a stance that is established early in life from repeatedly being let down and promises being broken. The two core components of trust are reliability and consistency. Reliability means that a person will show up when they say they will. Consistency means that you can expect roughly the same thing from that person. In each session you can expect the same old calm and curious therapist who's showing up ready to work with you. Furthermore, I'm proud of maintaining a consistent record of showing up for my clients, and have needed to cancel less than 1% of my sessions in my years of working.
Transparency
It's very common for people to be unsure of what others are thinking, and worse, believing that others think negatively of them. An archaic feature of therapy practice is that the therapists mind is off limits to the client, and all questions are redirected back to them. In our sessions you're welcome to ask me how I'm thinking or feeling, or any questions you might have about me. I never want the therapeutic process to be a mystery to you, and so what we're doing in our sessions and why is always a valid topic of discussion if you find you're unsure. This is based on the condition that the questions are oriented towards therapeutic ends for you, and it's important that I maintain a boundary so that our sessions do not become about me.