How may I help you?

My name is Robert Quinlan. I am a qualified counsellor and clinical hypnotherapist. I have over thirty years experience in helping people achieve the changes they want.

I provide my services in person and over the internet and telephone.

I am a Medicare accredited mental health practitioner. For Australian clients this means that with your GP's assessment that counselling is appropriate and you are eligible under the Federal government's Better Access to Mental Health Initiative your sessions will be rebatable( Click for more details.)

Connecting more deeply with yourself

I love my work and part of that is enjoyment is creating a safe and vibrant space with my clients to connect more deeply with themselves.

Over years of practice I have learnt that symptoms are what Stephen Gilligan has called "terrible gifts". Truly they can represent a gateway to a deeper communication with who you are and what you are here to accomplish.

We are not here primarily to suffer - we are here to experience the depth of our creativity and aliveness and begin to act in the world that allows us to share these gifts.

It is my joy to assist in the birthing of this deeper self. The labour pains associated with this birthing may be depression, anxiety, unresolved grief or trauma, relationship problems, sexual issues ( such as "impotence" or "frigidity"), chronic pain, problematic drug use. problem gambling, loss of direction and/or a host of other addictive behaviours.

However we are not these pains - we are that which is coming into being, and we are here to experience this depth of aliveness in more and more joyful and meaningful ways.

My way of working with you

I primarily work from Ericksonian, Solution Oriented, cognitive somatic and ACT ( Acceptance Commitment Therapy) frameworks.

Always expect that I will work with you in a respectful way that recognizes your capacity, creativity and resilience ( even if you are going through a time when it is hard to recognize these attributes yourself). I am more interested in solutions than problems, capacity than pathology, and on a fundamental level the underlying aliveness and resilience which is present in all my clients.

I have particular respect for the Acceptance Commitment Therapy, which provides a depth beyond comparative therapies, like CBT. ACT shares with CBT a deep questioning of thought and an understanding of how it may associate with distressing feelings and behaviours. However in its broad analysis it recognizes the deeper self (Self as Context), the importance of valued (Values), committed action ( Committed Action )in the midst of challenge, the role of acceptance ( Mindfulness), the practice of defusion ( from habitual, non truthful thought) and the need to maintain Contact with the Present moment. There are excellent self help resources available for clients wanting to work with ACT.

Although I prefer to work from strengths, as a mental health practitioner I maintain my knowledge of current clinical models and diagnoses and work collaboratively with referring health practitioners.

This is a gay, indigenous and culturally diverse welcoming practice......

Guided Relaxation

Many clients find the enhanced possibilities associated with guided relaxation/ light trance particularly valuable. In a relaxed state you are able to draw more easily on positive attributes of the deeper,somatic Self ( which may not be apparent to the stressed conscious mind. )

My style is respectful and provides a safe framework for you to utilize these resources and possibilities.

This method is very ancient and has found a contemporary safe harbour in my work which draws on the contributions of Milton Erickson and post Ericksonians such as Dr. Stephen Gilligan, Bill O'Hanlon and Dr. Rob McNeilly.

So - how may I help you ?

The Practicalities

I work in person with people and am also available for consultation via skype, messaging and telephone where this is appropriate.

My standard rate is $A120 per session ( with sessions generally lasting one hour ). If you are unable to pay my normal rate please discuss this with me. I bulk bill clients where there are exceptional financial difficulties.

Currently I work In Brunswick Heads and Mullumbimby. I generally prefer to see people in Brunswick Heads. I also am able to do home visits by arrangement.

International Clients

I provide online and telephone services to many countries within Asia ( including China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Thailand ) and the United States.

Telephone or Email for an Appointment

I would be happy to discuss what you would like to achieve through our sessions and to arrange a time to meet, as that seems appropriate.

You can phone me on 02 6685 0421 or 0409 2353 91 in Australia or + 61266850241 or +61409235391 internationally.

Robert Quinlan

"I work from a brief intervention model drawn from a range of contemporary approaches to counselling and change.

Depending on your needs the initial contract is for 1-6 sessions with the capacity to recontract if this is considered desirable. Most clients generally find a minimum of three seesions most useful."

How may I help you?

Connecting more deeply with yourself