Andrew Mottram

Clinical Psychologist
Bachelor of Psychology, Graduate Diploma in Psychology and Master of Clinical Psychology

Pronouns: He/him

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Three beliefs that colour the way I work with my clients:

I believe…

That one of the most important things we can do is to make sure we’re truly living.

I believe…

That connection and understanding are powerful antidotes to feeling apart, alone, or ashamed.

I believe…

That if a problem is easy to solve then we tend to do that ourselves. For everything else, it’s worth seeking support.

Get to know me

My secret talent:
Patience.

What’s it like to be in a room with me?
I aim for my clients to feel understood and supported without judgement. Through exploring the inner self and the world from different perspectives, I help people to find new ways of seeing things and shed new light on their challenges.

What’s my non-negotiable when it comes to taking care of my own mental health?
I find that mental wellbeing is not that different to physical wellbeing: it’s important to keep an eye on it, make space for it, and use variety to prioritise it in different ways from time to time.

My life motto:
A ship in harbour is safe – but that’s not what ships are built for.

My background and experience

I was awarded my Master of Clinical Psychology in Canberra in 2010, and since then I’ve been working with complex and often severe clinical presentations across the public mental health system in NSW and Victoria. This has given me the opportunity to draw upon therapies such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to work with a broad diversity of people and clinical issues.

For the past eight years I’ve specialised in the treatment of borderline personality disorder and complex PTSD, combining individual and group therapy for my clients together with training, supervision, and consultation for other mental health clinicians in their work across Victoria. My main therapeutic focus during this time has been Mentalisation-Based Treatment, a flexible and transdiagnostic approach which is gaining in popularity here in Australia.

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I can help you with:

  • Adjustments to stressful life changes
  • Attachment difficulties and disorders
  • Bipolar
  • Borderline personality disorder
  • Carer support
  • Communication skills
  • Complex PTSD
  • Distress intolerance
  • Dissociation
  • Emotional difficulties including depression, all types of anxiety, and anger management
  • Identity issues
  • Impulse control
  • Internet and game addiction
  • Job or study dissatisfaction
  • Men’s mental health
  • Panic attacks
  • Personality disorders
  • Phobias
  • Past and recent trauma, including complex trauma
  • Relationship difficulties or interpersonal difficulties
  • Self-development
  • Self-esteem
  • Sexual assault
  • Stress and burnout
  • Support for abusive relationships
  • Wellbeing and self-care
  • Psychosomatic illness

My therapeutic approaches

Depending on my client’s needs and preferences I use a variety of evidence-based approaches including:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Attachment theory
  • Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
  • Exposure therapy
  • Mentalisation-based treatment (MBT)
  • Mindfulness
  • Psychodynamic approaches
  • Strengths-based and compassion-based approaches
  • Trauma informed care