Richard Stratton

Registered Psychologist BA (Hons) MPsych (Clin)

Richard brings a warm and down-to-earth approach to provide a welcoming space where a genuine connection can be made for therapy. He is passionate about understanding people and helping them to explore and understand life’s challenges so that one can return to a path of growth, resilience, and strength.

 Richard has built up years of experience introducing people to the transformative process of psychotherapy. For many it has been their first time meeting a psychologist and for others they bring with them past experiences in therapy. Sometimes a person comes to therapy to resolve a long-standing concern or to address a sudden change. Richard can help find the appropriate therapy style for each person depending on their preferences and current problem.

 His approach to therapy is based on a broad education that includes a Master of Clinical Psychology, a bachelor degree in Psychology, and a Creative Industries degree in the arts. Richard has extensive training in a range of evidence based cognitive-behaviour approaches which explore how the way we think, feel and behaviour might impact on our mental health and wellbeing. He has also undergone training in psychodynamic approaches, which helps us understand how our past experiences affect the way we see ourselves and our world in the present.

 Richard approaches his therapeutic work is informed by more than ten years working in not-for-profit community health organisations. He has worked closely with families adjusting to serious illness and bereavement. This has equipped him with an extensive knowledge of how to promote resilience, hope, and a robust support network, amidst loss and change.

 Some of the community work Richard has done includes travelling across Australia to deliver a distraction based in-hospital program to regionally hospitalised children, working in remote indigenous communities to promote attendance at health clinics, a comprehensive report of the needs and concerns of families who have a child receiving palliative care, supporting older people living at home with dementia by matching them with an assistance dog and supporting family caregivers of people living with dementia.
He brings these experiences to working one-on-one with individuals and enjoys seeing first-hand the long-lasting change psychotherapy can bring to people’s lives.
 
Therapeutic approaches:
Richard collaborates with his clients therapeutically to explore how their problems impact on their wellbeing and in recovery to growth and resilience. 
He mostly uses these approaches:
·      Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP)
·      Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
·      Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
·      Mindfulness approaches

Clinical areas of experience:
Richard works with people across the lifespan, including children, adolescents, adults, and older people.
 He has therapeutic experience addressing:
·      Anxiety (OCD, social fears, generalised worry, panic attacks)
·      Specific Phobias (e.g. dogs, flying, vomitting)
·      Mood Problems
·      Anger and conflicts
·      Adjustment and change
·      Loss and Bereavement
·      Prolonged stress and burnout
·      Men’s issues: including relationships, dating, shyness, and life transitions