Zach Raftery
General Psychologist
As humans, none of us are perfect. We all have strengths and challenges. When considering making an appointment with a psychologist, it’s common to have feelings of apprehension and uncertainty. Lots of questions might run through your mind. Am I crazy? Am I broken? Do I need this? Seeking psychology is never, ever a declaration of failure. It is a recognition of an inner desire to hope for something more – because we all have the capacity to improve.
Zach is a Clinical & Counselling Psychology Registrar and works Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and is currently not taking new clients. Zach’s mission is to provide a warm, safe, and empathic space for his clients to consider and explore positive and values-driven change.
SPECIAL INTERESTS
- Loss, grief, and bereavement
- Coping with changes in mood and adjustment to difficult life circumstances
- Burnout and stress
- Self-esteem, resilience, and self-image
- Interpersonal and social difficulties
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Masters of Clinical Psychology & Masters of Counselling Psychology
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Zach works from a person-centred framework, guided by the principles of acceptance, safety, unconditional positive regard, and empathy. He draws primarily from the Acceptance and Commitment (ACT) and Cognitive-Behavioural (CBT) therapeutic modalities in his work with clients. Zach has a particular interest in working with clients who are struggling with grief and bereavement. He works with clients across the lifespan, including primary-school aged children, high-school aged children, students, parents, young adults and older adults. Zach has previously worked clinically in a variety of occupational settings, including schools, disability and employment services, corrective services, child mental health, and in private practice. Zach has also been a member of the teaching staff at the Brisbane Academy of Musical Theatre, where he taught wellness, resilience, self-care and coping skills to aspiring musical theatre performers. When he is not working at our clinic, Zach teaches counselling skills to students in the Masters of Psychology and Masters of Counselling programmes at UQ. Zach is also a board approved supervisor for postgraduate provisional psychologists who are in training to become fully registered psychologists. He enjoys sushi, rainforests, video games, sleep, dumplings, and dogs.