Dr Robert Segal

I am both a Clinical and Counselling psychologist with over 30 year’s experience in private practice, mental health and work settings, conducting both individual and group psychological therapy for adults. The areas I deal with range from normative life and relationship issues to more severe mood, anxiety and emotional regulation problems, post-traumatic stress, substance abuse and eating disorders.

My psychological work is guided by the question: what will work for this person, with this problem at this time?  I choose from a spectrum of evidence based approaches to find the best fit for the person. I have a special interest in schema therapy and related approaches which help to identify and address long term patterns and vulnerabilities behind the person’s problem. I also utilise psychological interventions for over-controlled, perfectionistic personalities, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), self-compassion based interventions and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT).   I have training in clinical hypnosis and approaches such as eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) and interweave these in my work when appropriate.

I believe people seek psychological help because they feel stuck in thought patterns, behaviours or emotional states that repeat themselves.  These seem difficult to change and impact on them and their relationships in a negative way.  I have learned through the years that most people come into therapy wanting to be heard and understood, but also to be challenged in a more direct way so that they can address these patterns and live a more fulfilling life.

Through my career I have also been involved in the supervision of psychologists and teaching at different universities.