Holding two postgraduate qualifications in counselling, psychotherapy and social work, I’n an insightful and highly skilled counsellor with extensive professional experience. My ongoing practice is supported by being a member of both the ACA and AASW. I have a substantial background in private practice of 17 years and in the creative, technology and education sectors. I specialise in providing effective therapeutic support to individual adults and couples.
Inherent in my practice is the aim to be compassionate, empathic and outcome-focused in approach. I’m strongly committed to providing my clients with practical, personal strategies that increase capacities and abilities to meet life’s challenges. I offer a non-judgmental, confidential space where you may speak freely of your concerns and explore possibly pathways forward in your inner and external life or relationship.
I have extensive expertise in helping clients resolve a broad range of personal and interpersonal issues and stressors related to anxiety, depression, addiction, relationships and other concerns. I am dedicated to helping my clients develop the courage, insight and confidence needed to make lasting positive changes, in and beyond your life.
My practice is centred on a range of humanistic, body-oriented and evidence-based counselling approaches, tailoring sessions to meet each client where they are in the here and now. Therapeutic techniques and approaches I use include: Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Somatic approaches and Gestalt Therapy along with Evidence based approaches such as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy and Solution Focused Therapy. Counselling with me is a respectful, dynamic and client-centred experience, which seeks to catalyse opportunities for authentic, lasting personal growth and change.
Perhaps my career as a counsellor began late in 2003 when things came to a head for me working in technology and animation in film and television in Europe and Asia, but it wasn’t until 2007 that I really began the journey.
Initially enrolling in a Graduate Diploma of Counselling and Psychotherapy at the then Jansen Newman Institute in Crows Nest, Sydney, where many local practitioners have trained.
Realising that if I was serious about a more evolved career change then I would need a bit more, from 2009 I went on into the completion of a Master of Social Work (Qualifying) with Charles Sturt University which involved both remote learning and campus components in Wagga.
In this time I began building my practice near where I studied in a colleague’s Osteo clinic, before moving next door to my current location in the Natural Medicine Centre. During my studies I was asked to lecture in Digital Media and this led to a decent balance of income while building slowly a private practice.
I gained further experience working nationally for the Blue Knot Foundation as a contract counsellor also during this time and what I had thought would be a full career change to social work practice became a enjoyable and working balance between tertiary education, creative practice and private counselling practice. This started to grow more resolutely with the addition of Life Supports as a referrer and in addition to Billy Blue College of Design, adding lecturing work at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
I am extensively involved in psychospiritual practice and during this time was on the committees of Sydney Insight Meditators, Pointing Out Australia, Diamond Approach Australia and working remotely for the Metta Foundation in Oregon in online and community development, event management and organisation, web development, audio-visual and treasurer roles.
Adding EAP services to my private practice has seen it grow extensively and nationally which has seen me pare back lecturing work a little. I am currently expanding my offering of services with couples and relationships by completing Gottman Institute training and a Graduate Diploma in Family Dispute Resolution and mediation.
Interests in somatics, mediation and yogic practice, paths to self-realisation, human energy systems, trauma and recovery and attachment are key interests and you might like to check out the other tabs here to build a picture of my professional personal paths and trainings in self-realisation, personal and professional development.
Professional practice for me involves much more than just completing annual continuing professional development and supervision requirements. It was challenging and confronting event in 2003 that saw me make quite drastic geographical, professional and personal shifts, the resonance of which continues in me to this day.
I had thought my life was on track working in the film and tv industries in Europe, where I had undertaken various roles in film, theme parks, television and games to the point where I was offered work on Harry Potter. This all however didn’t fulfill all my dreams and no amount of ancestral and cultural connections to the rich tapestries of Europe could leave a sense of completion in me.
This all came to a head working in Singapore and for a few reasons I had to come back to Australia and start a whole new journey at 28. Some, including myself would call this a big Saturn Return! It was actually a mega one.
In 2004 I realised that the Western system of medication and CBT just was nowhere near enough and I was lucky to find a Buddhist psychotherapist who with his wife ran practice groups on fascinating things such as self awareness, consciousness, Buddhist practice and Focusing and they were also part of a path called the Diamond Approach where eastern and western psychologies and spiritualities collide into a path of runaway realisation that never really ends.
This led to me first attending lots of Insight retreats in Therevadan and Mahasi practices with the lovely Australian Insight teachers and the wonderful Mahasi centre in Medlow Bath in the Blue Mountains. At this time lots of interesting things were happening and I had to learn all about integrating past life experiences.
I joined lots of committees at this time such as Sydney Insight Meditators and working for Gregory Kramer’s Metta Foundation in Oregon mostly in website and retreat management roles, all while studying big new postgraduate qualifications and lecturing at university and becoming an ongoing Diamond Approach student.
I also became more interested in trauma, somatics, Integral life, attachment and many other deeper and more interesting areas of practice while I worked on my own path and direct understandings of these areas.
In 2013 friends in the Diamond Approach decided to bring Daniel P Brown out to Australia and we formed an incorporation in NSW to support his advanced Dzogchen and Mahamudra Tibetan teachings and professional trainings in attachment and trauma which lasted 5 years until his health deteriorated.
This opened a bit more of a window for me to take more interest in yogic and body-based practices and in 2017 I explore Acuenergetics and Kundalini Yoga, becoming a teacher in the latter during the long leckdown experiences of the early 2020’s.
Having worked and explored extensively in all kinds of psychological and spiritual practices has halped me hone my practice today to ongoing Tibetan practice, being a near 20 year student of the Diamond Approach and adding yoga to support a body that is not as young as it used to be stay healthy.
I maintain an interest in journeys of self-realisation and the cutting edges of consciousness studies and non-dual pathways to an awakened mind and pursue these with avid love and interest that I doubt will ever cease in this lifetime.
And so onwards!
2022 (Candidate) – Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution
Mediator Training Academy Australia
2009 to 2012 – Master of Social Work (Qualifying)
Charles Sturt University (Wagga Wagga, NSW – Australia)
2011 recipient, Deans Award for Academic Excellence – Graduated with Distinction
2007 to 2008 – Graduate Diploma of Psychotherapy & Counselling
Jansen-Newman Institute (Sydney, NSW – Australia)
1994 to 1997 – Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts)
The University of Newcastle (Callaghan, NSW – Australia)
2013 – Certificate IV (Training & Assessment)
MVT Management Institute of Australia
2008 – Graduate Diploma of Family Dispute Resolution
Mediator Training Academy Australia
1996 to 1997 – Diploma of Computer Art
Hogskolan i Skovde (Sweden)
2008 – Basic Certificate of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) (Buddhist Chaplaincy)
Rozelle College of CPE (Sydney, NSW – Australia)
Since 2009 – Australian Counselling Association
Level 4 Clinical Member (Approx. 7000 client hours and 200 supervision hours completed)
Since 2012 – Australian Association of Social Workers
Accredited Social Worker (Application for Accredited Mental Health Social Worker in progress)
Life Supports Counselling
Acacia Connection (EAP)
The Hart Centre
Current
2009 to present: Private practice
2021 to present: Contractor counsellor, Acacia Connection (EAP)
2024 to present: Affiliated with the Hart Centre for referrals
2023 to present: Affiliated with Workplace Options (EAP) for referrals
2014 to present: Affiliated with Life Supports for referrals
2016 to present: Casual Academic, University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
2023 to present: Casual Academic, Collarts Melbourne
(These roles include curriculum development and course coordination at times)
2006 to present: Diamond Approach Australia, Technology Services Coordinator (Casual, part voluntary)
Past
Historically I have lectured at
Billy Blue Collage of Design (Torrens University – 2010 to 2024), University of Newcastle (2021 to 2023), University of NSW and JMC Academy.
Schema therapy — Julie Behary — Online training
Emotionally-Focused — Julie Behary — Online training
2019 – Level 1 — Completed online with the Gottman Institute via SD learning
2020 – Level 2 — Completed online with the Gottman Institute via SD learning
2021 – Level 3 — Completed online with Gottman Master Trainers, Trish Purnell-Webb and
2023 – Treating couples with addiction — Completed online with the Gottman Institute via SD learning
2023 – Treating affairs and trauma — Completed online with the Gottman Institute via sSD learning
2019 – Clinical case studies training — Completed online with the Gottman Institute via SD learning
Individual supervision
Leo attends regular sessions with his individual supervisor
Group supervision
Leo attends regular couples group supervision sessions online in Gottman-centric couples therapy with Trish Purnell-Webb
2013 to present
Leo has been a practitioner of Kundalini Yoga since 2017, completing Level 1 teacher training in a global program with guidance from Manshant Kaur, Guru Devi Kaur and other teachers.
2013 to present
Leo was very fortunate to have received teachings from the late Daniel P Brown and Rahob Tulku Rinpoche in the Pointing Out Way of Tibetan Buddhism. Daniel Brown practiced with, was taught by and received guidance and instruction from Rahob Tulku Rinpoche, HH The 32nd Menri Trinzin, HH The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and Geshe Sonam Gurang.
2006 to present
Leo has been an ongoing student in the Diamond Approach Ridhwan School since 2006 attending over 50 retreats of between 3-9 days in duration with both Diamond Approach Australia and the international school.
2004 to present
Leo has been an ongoing student and practitioner in Thai Forest and Mahasi Therevada.
He has received guidance and instruction over many years with deep gratitude from Gregory Kramer, Jason Siff, Patrick Kearney, Christopher McLean, Winton Higgins, Radha Nicholson, Jenny Taylor, Subhana Bharzaghi and others.
2004 to present
Leo has been an ongoing student and practitioner in Thai Forest and Mahasi Therevada.
He has received guidance and instruction over many years with deep gratitude from Gregory Kramer, Jason Siff, Patrick Kearney, Christopher McLean, Winton Higgins, Radha Nicholson, Jenny Taylor, Subhana Bharzaghi and others.