Carla Ryan

Psychologist


Master of Clinical Psychology
Uni of Southern Queensland

Postgraduate Diploma of Psychology
James Cook University

Bachelor of Psychological Science, UNSW

I utilise a client-centred, humanistic approach and seek to deeply understand my clients and work collaboratively to support and guide them in achieving therapeutic goals that are meaningful to them. It is essential that I help create a space in which my clients feel safe, heard, and validated within the therapy room and feel comfortable providing feedback based on their experience to enable the provision of tailored and appropriate support.

My ultimate goal is to help encourage and foster an environment where clients can recognise their internal strengths and resources and feel empowered to engage in their strengths and wisdom to live more authentically and in line with their values. I use a compassionate, purposeful, yet flexible approach with my clients, believing that they are the vessel by which true change can come about.

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Clinical approach

• CBT, ACT, Schema, DBT, and Mindfulness

• Works primarily with adults and adolescents

• Trauma informed and holistic approach

• Empathic and passionate psychologist

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Experience:

• Delivered individual psychological therapy to children, adolescents, and adults in a University clinic setting with an array of presentations (anger issues, grief and loss, low self-esteem, ADHD, trauma, eating difficulties, and perfectionism).

• Facilitated and co-facilitated group therapy debrief (problem solving and control groups) sessions for a PhD study on wellbeing and burnout for frontline healthcare workers.

• Experience working with adult and older adult clients in an inter-professional community health setting supporting clients through a 4-month intensive Chronic Disease Management Program with a variety of presentations (illness anxiety, social anxiety, low mood and depression, adjustment difficulties, chronic pain, grief, emotion dysregulation, work stress and burnout, and interpersonal difficulties).

• Experience delivering group psychoeducation sessions on sleep hygiene, goal-setting, mindfulness, stress management, and the psychological aspects of living with a cardiac illness.

• Experience working with clients with a variety of presentations (intellectual disability, physical disability, and mental health difficulties).

• Experience working as a Lifeline Telephone Crisis Supporter supporting individuals in suicidal distress, experiencing financial hardship, bullying, social isolation, and relationship difficulties.

• Conducted research on the mediating effects of self-efficacy on the relationship between neuroticism and depression, anxiety, and stress during COVID-19 amongst Australian University students.

•  Experience administering cognitive assessments to screen for Specific Learning Disorders, Intellectual Disability, and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

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Presentations

• Anxiety, panic, phobias, stress, OCD, and worry

• Mood disorders, depression, bipolar

• Body image and eating issues

• Confidence issues

• Chronic illness

• Sleep difficulties

• Grief & loss

• Emotion regulation difficulties

• Anger management

• Unhelpful and catastrophic thinking

• Trauma and processing difficult experiences

• Relationship difficulties

• Sexual and intimacy difficulties

• Friendship, social issues, and bullying

• Work and academic difficulties

• Perfectionism, motivation, time-management

• ASD (high functioning)

• ADHD - treatment, not assessment

• LGBTQIA+

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