About Me
My name is Steve and I am the Principal Psychologist at Growth and Renewal Psychology.
I hold a health science degree and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counselling from The University of Sydney. I completed my Graduate Diploma of Psychological Science at the Australian College of Applied Psychology, followed by an Advanced Diploma of Psychological Science at Monash University, and my Master of Professional Psychology at Macquarie University.
I have worked in the mental health space for over 8 years. I commenced my journey with Lifeline, before moving into counselling and case management roles working within the SIRA scheme. Upon receiving my psychological registration, I begun working in private practice and corporate well-being spaces.
I describe my style as comforting, resourceful, practical, engaging, motivational, empathetic, and dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment. I believe growth begins at the edge of discomfort, and I encourage anyone considering therapy to acknowledge the strength it takes to embark on this journey.
One of my favourite quotes is by Viktor Frankl: “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”
Areas of specialisation
Mood & Emotional Difficulties. This includes depression, low mood, persistent sadness, emotional numbness, mood swings, and support for bipolar-related challenges.
Anxiety & Stress. This includes generalised anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, panic disorder, health anxiety, specific phobias, chronic stress, and burnout.
Trauma & Related Difficulties. This includes post-traumatic stress, complex trauma, childhood trauma, emotional abuse, neglect, and grief and loss.
Self & Identity. This includes low self-esteem, difficulties with self-worth, identity concerns, feeling stuck, lack of direction, and challenges related to personal growth.
Relationships & Interpersonal Issues. This includes relationship conflict, communication difficulties, attachment issues, dating challenges, family conflict, and setting or maintaining healthy boundaries.
Behavioural & Habit Difficulties. This includes procrastination, low motivation, perfectionism, people-pleasing, anger management, and unhelpful behavioural patterns.
Neurodiversity. This includes Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (attention, impulsivity, organisation challenges) and autism (social understanding, sensory sensitivities, and emotional regulation).
Work, Performance & Life Stress. This includes workplace stress, career uncertainty, performance anxiety, work-life balance difficulties, and high-achiever stress.
Addictions & Coping Behaviours. This includes alcohol use, substance use, gambling, internet or gaming overuse, and emotional or stress-related eating patterns.
Adjustment & Life Transitions. This includes major life changes, relocation, relationship breakdowns, becoming a parent, and periods of uncertainty or loss of direction.
Sleep & Wellbeing. This includes insomnia, difficulty falling or staying asleep, poor sleep habits, fatigue, and low energy.
Sport & Performance. This includes performance anxiety, confidence issues, mental blocks, fear of failure, difficulty handling pressure, consistency challenges, focus and concentration, return from injury, and building resilience and mental toughness in sport or high-performance environments.
Therapeutic interventions
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
Schema Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Ego State Therapy
Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy