Please phone (07) 3067 9129 to Book
Clinical Psychologist
PhD (Clinical Psychology), MAPS, FCCLP
I am a Clinical Psychologist, and much of my work is with people who have been through trauma — experiences that still feel raw, or that intrude on everyday life long after the event itself is over. My focus is on helping you recover from them, often using EMDR alongside other evidence-based approaches.
Areas I work with:
- Post-traumatic stress (PTSD) and trauma
- The effects of accidents, injury or medical trauma
- Childhood and complex trauma
- Anxiety, panic and phobias
- Obsessive-compulsive difficulties (OCD)
- Depression and other mood difficulties
- Grief and loss
- The emotional impact of cancer, for patients and their families
- Adjusting to chronic or serious illness
- Stress and burnout
- Low self-esteem and self-belief
- Relationship difficulties
EMDR and Trauma Therapy
A central part of my work is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing). EMDR is a structured therapy that helps the brain process distressing memories so they lose some of their charge, and it is recommended for post-traumatic stress by the World Health Organization and by Australia’s national PTSD guidelines.
The facts of what happened stay the same; what usually shifts is how loudly the memory intrudes on the present. I use it with people living with PTSD, with the after-effects of single incidents such as accidents or medical trauma, and with longer-standing difficulties that trace back to childhood. Military veterans, first responders and their families are a primary focus of this work, where trauma is often repeated or bound up with the job itself.
EMDR can also help with anxiety, panic, phobias, grief, and the low self-belief that often grows out of hard early experiences. Before any reprocessing begins, I take time to help you build a sense of safety and some practical coping strategies, and we work at a pace you can manage.
Supporting People affected by Cancer
Much of my work is also with people affected by cancer, and it is where my research has focused. My PhD looked at how psychological approaches can ease distress and protect quality of life after a cancer diagnosis, and that sits alongside years of clinical experience. I worked within the multidisciplinary oncology team at Gold Coast University Hospital, and I have presented my research at the World Congress on Psycho-Oncology.
I see people at any stage, from a new diagnosis through treatment and into the months after it ends, and I also work with the partners, parents, children and friends who are carrying their own worry while they support someone they love. My starting point is that fear, sadness and anger are ordinary responses to a frightening situation, and many people are relieved to hear that these feelings don’t mean they are coping badly. What I offer is meant to sit alongside your medical care, giving you a calm, private space to think things through and steady yourself.
Clinical Psychologist for Adults, Teens and Children
In my individual sessions I work with adults, adolescents and children across the concerns listed above. I would describe my approach as empathetic and practical, and most clients notice both: a room where they feel at ease, and concrete tools they can take away and use.
My aim is for you to feel safe, respected and supported, and to leave therapy able to make the changes that matter to you.
I offer a few different ways to meet, so the setting can suit you:
- in a quiet therapy room
- by secure video call
- by phone
Mindfulness Groups
Alongside this one-to-one work, I facilitate small mindfulness groups, including a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course based on the program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I am certified in mindfulness-based interventions, and these groups give people a supportive setting to learn meditation and self-compassion skills for stress, anxiety, low mood, burnout and chronic pain.
How I work:
Whatever brings you to see me, my intention is the same. I want to understand what you are facing, and to help you find a way through that feels manageable and yours.
To make an appointment with Clinical Psychologist Dr Dipti McGowan, call M1 Psychology Shailer Park (07) 3067 9129.