Dr Jonathan Toussaint
Counsellor, family therapist and Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, based in Minmi and working across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter.
I've spent more than twenty-five years working alongside people at difficult and important moments in their lives, as a counsellor, a family therapist, an educator, and for a time as the chief executive of community organisations in mental health, disability and children's services.
Across all of it, the same thing has held true: people are stronger and more capable than they feel when life is at its hardest. My work is to help you find that strength again, in a way that is practical and lasting rather than just comforting in the room.
I still teach and mentor others in the field, and I practise through People Potential, the counselling practice I direct at Minmi.
My style is gentle, safe and never confrontational. I want you to feel a sense of safety first, and everything else follows from there.
I work in a holistic, trauma-informed way, drawing on cognitive behavioural therapy, focused psychological strategies, psycho-education and emotion-focused therapy, chosen to fit the person in front of me rather than the other way around.
Training and accreditation.
Academic
- PhD in Health Science, Charles Sturt University
- Master of Humanities (Psychology), University of Tasmania
- Former university lecturer in health psychology
Professional
- Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
- Medicare provider (Provider No. 6624181F)
- Qualified Counsellor
- Approved Victim Services Counsellor
Memberships
- Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
- Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
Wider work
- Director, People Potential counselling practice
- Has served as president of the International Society of Counselling and Clinical Supervisors
- Clinical supervision, training and keynote speaking
Books & writing.
Alongside clinical work, I write about relationships, communication and the way we see ourselves.
Allen & Unwin, 2011. View at Allen & Unwin
Keys to a healthy body image. An extract is on Medium.
My writing comes from the same place as my counselling: a belief that honest, respectful conversation, and a kinder relationship with ourselves, changes far more than we expect.
There's more about my wider work, talks and writing on my main site.
Reaching out is often the hardest part. The rest we take gently, together.
Tell me a little about what is going on. There is no pressure and no obligation, and I read every enquiry myself before replying.
Or phone 0419 697 018 · Minmi, NSW